In September, Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas announced, after an investigation, he found probable cause to revoke the license of a respected high school history teacher. In addition to this, Kamoutsas stated he would “take every necessary action” to make sure this teacher “never teaches again.”
For someone whose career is teaching, this kind of punishment is life-ruining. It’s hard to imagine what this teacher could have possibly done to deserve this treatment. A crime of some sort, no doubt. After all, this kind of reprimand is usually reserved for those causing direct harm — those who violate their duty as a teacher.
The reality is a lot more concerning. In fact, this teacher, Lauren Watts, a woman of color, didn’t do anything illegal at all. She didn’t lay a hand on a student or use any substances. Gainesville High School students said she was “caring and supportive.”
So what did she do to get not only fired, but barred from teaching? Watts had an activity she did at the end of every year. It was class superlatives, but with a history twist. Instead of “best dressed” or “most likely to succeed,” the awards had callbacks to what they had learned that year in history.
So, in 2023, Watts did these awards again. The class voted, and, according to one student’s Instagram, nobody was offended. It was good fun. The offense, it seems, took two years to
register, as it was in 2025 that a mom came forward and demanded the teacher be fired for the award given to her son, “Most Likely to be a Dictator” (which, again, was voted on by students).
I was in Watts’ class the same year but during a different period, and I witnessed these awards, including “Most Likely to be a Dictator,” get passed out to my own class. For us, it was a lot of fun, including for whichever kid got the dictator award. We understood it obviously wasn’t serious.
Watts often did these types of activities to make learning fun. For instance, while learning about McCarthyism, we had a mock trial in which various classmates would participate to stand up and attempt to defend themselves from baseless accusations of communism. It was fun and enjoyable, mostly because our pretend evidence was ridiculous and we knew it (“You’re wearing red!” is one I remember), but we were still learning about the real-world effects of the Red Scare. Nobody was offended.
Crystal Marull, the mother who complained about Watts, has a bit of a reputation in Florida, not least because of her insistence on challenging every book that dares mention being gay or transgender.
Marull also complained that Watts allowed students to call her son a “Naziphile” because he was interested in World War II. On its surface, this would seem a serious charge of classroom bullying. However, the narrative unravels when confronted with student testimony. One student on Reddit stated in r/GNV, the subreddit for Gainesville, they had to switch classes to get away from her son due to his anti-LGBTQ views. This student also alleged that Marull’s son would repeatedly make racist remarks to a Chinese assistant geometry teacher. The question is now, was Watts punished for allowing bullying, or for failing to suppress the consequences of a student’s alleged bigotry?
The response from students suggests the latter. While not every student took to social media, on Aug. 25, dozens of students at Gainesville High School walked out in support of Watts, carrying signs denouncing neo-Nazism and censorship and calling for her rehire. I heard a group of female students dance and sing a parody of Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, replacing “goodbye” with “free Ms. Watts.” One kid also showed me his protest sign that read “I’m Only Bleeding,” a reference to the Bob Dylan song about war mentality and hypocrisy. Are all these students also bullying this one kid simply for his interest in World War II?
This event must not be viewed in a vacuum. The revoking of Lauren Watts’ teaching certificate over this event reflects Florida’s current war on education. This follows along with Ron DeSantis’ attempts to shut down “woke” colleges, remove certain studies, and require teaching an alternative version of history that includes, for example, how enslaved Black people supposedly “benefited” from slavery. When a teacher can be permanently exiled from their profession for a classroom activity that students found engaging and harmless, and for refusing to ignore racist and bigoted remarks, what teacher will ever feel safe challenging a student again?
The message from the state is clear: Conform to an ideology of censorship or lose your livelihood forever.
Eli Neelands is a 16-year-old junior at Gainesville High School.
