JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Councilwoman Tyrona Clark-Murray plans to appeal a 10-day suspension without pay from her Duval County Public Schools teaching job, saying the district skipped steps required by its discipline policies.
In a statement sent on Wednesday, Clark-Murray said the school board’s decision was unusual given her 33 years of service, her claim that she has no prior discipline and “Highly Effective” ratings in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. She said the district bypassed steps in progressive discipline and that similar cases have been overturned in court.
The suspension follows a DCPS human resources investigation into alleged inappropriate physical contact. The district previously said Clark-Murray was temporarily reassigned from her classroom duties at Alfred DuPont Middle School to a role without student contact while the investigation continued. DCPS has not publicly detailed the incident.
Clark-Murray also argued that board member April Carney’s public comments on X (formerly Twitter) before the investigation concluded showed bias. She said Carney refused a request to recuse herself from the suspension vote.
The appeal will be heard by Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings, which assigns an administrative law judge to hear evidence and witnesses and make a recommendation, Clark-Murray’s statement said.
Read the full statement below:
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