FABRIZIO GOWDY
Gadsden County News Service
A Greensboro Elementary School gym teacher is facing a child abuse charge after security camera footage allegedly showed him dragging a nine-year-old boystudent across the cafeteria floor.
Edward Wayne Lee II, 54, was arrested by the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office and charged with abuse of a child without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years according to Florida statutes. The alleged incident occurred on March 31 just before 8 a.m.
According to the arrest report, the student complained to Lee that a classmate had kicked him, which Lee told him was not true. Upset by Lee’s response, the student began slamming his food tray and drink on the table.
According to one school employee quoted in the report, Lee began yelling at the student, loudly telling him “you met your match today.” Multiple witnesses claimed they observed Lee grab the student in the chest area by his clothes and drag him out of the cafeteria, which was corroborated by security camera footage in the cafeteria.
When Lee returned to the cafeteria after removing the student, he was confronted by food service workers who protested his alleged treatment of the student.
“The next time I’m going to let you come out there and see if you can do things better, I’m trained for this,” Lee is said to have responded.
Lee told police he was not upset or angry at the student, but felt he had to remove him from the cafeteria to prevent him from “endangering” others. As evidence of his state of mind, he claimed that just moments before the altercation, he had been consoling another student who was feeling sad because she felt ugly.
The sheriff’s office was first called to the school the day the incident occurred by Principal James Mills, who was notified of the incident by a member of the staff. The following week, investigators conducted interviews with all employees who witnessed the altercation, as well as the student himself, and reviewed security camera footage of the incident.
After reviewing security camera footage and interviewing school staff and the student, police arrested Lee on April 13 and took him to the Gadsden County Jail.
According to the arrest report, a May 2018 investigative report from the Department of Children and Families claimed Lee had aggressively confronted and forcibly pushed a student into a seat while employed at a school in Tallahassee. Lee quickly resigned from that position after being confronted by the school’s principal.
“The Gadsden County School District would not have been aware of the 2018 incident, as the matter was reported solely with the Florida Department of Children and Families and not to the Florida Department of Education,” Gadsden County School District Public Information Officer Kynadi Harris told The Herald.
Donny Young, who has coached high school football alongside Lee, says he should have shown more self-control and restraint, but is a good person. He recounted how Lee went “above and beyond” to help his son.
“He showed up everyday and gave his all for the development and guidance of those kids,” Young said. “I will never condone abusing a student, but I don’t think a moment of poor judgment should demonize him or neglect the years of service he has provided for so many kids in Gadsden County.”
In a statement, the Gadsden County School District condemned Lee’s alleged actions.
“The action displayed does not reflect the standards and expectations we have for individuals who serve our students. The district has zero tolerance for conduct that compromises the safety, dignity, or well-being of our students, and appropriate action has been taken in response.”
Lee, who did not respond to a request for comment, made his first appearance April 14 in front of Judge Kathy Garner and posted a $5,000 bond. No future court dates were set as of press deadline.
