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Gadsden County teacher charged in domestic incident

Gadsden County School's officials say Gregory Johnson will be fired

Karl Etters
Democrat staff writer

A West Gadsden High School teacher charged with child abuse will be fired, district officials said Wednesday.

Gregory Johnson was arrested in Leon County Tuesday on child abuse, kidnapping or false imprisonment and obstructing justice charges in connection with an altercation involving his girlfriend’s 11-year-old son.

According to court records, on Jan. 18, the 37-year-old and his girlfriend were arguing at their northwest Tallahassee home and got into a physical fight.

The mother instructed the child to call the police and as the child went to call 911, Johnson grabbed him around the waist until he gave up the phone, court records say.

Gregory Johnson, 37

The child told Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputies that he couldn’t breathe as Johnson squeezed him around the waist and chest.

Gadsden County Schools Superintendent Reginald James said Johnson has been suspended and recommended for termination.

“He’s finished here,” James said.

James did not know how long Johnson worked in Gadsden County, but the school's website lists him as a science teacher.

A Florida Department of Children and Families investigator spoke with Johnson, the woman and the boy’s father and determined she was going to label the January claims as unfounded because of several earlier allegations to the agency, none of which were validated, court records say.

Court records also say that in May 2015, DCF was notified of welts and bruises on the 11-year-old’s legs. A medical examination found the marks were consistent with being struck with a belt. DCF failed to notify law enforcement of the findings, court records say.

Court records say the woman and her ex-husband are currently in a custody battle over the 11-year-old and told the DCF investigator the father had filed several claims over the past year to undermine her parenting.

Johnson has been released from the Leon County Jail on pre-trial supervision.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com.