New Principal With Past Allegations | Jacksonville News

A new principal at Baldwin Middle-Senior High School, Michael Smith, is facing mounting scrutiny after a history of unverified misconduct allegations — from inappropriate staring and FaceTiming in 2016, to hugging students and calling them “sweetheart” in 2022, to touching a student’s hair and standing too close in 2024. Though each incident was deemed unsubstantiated, Smith received coaching and even a pay raise in February 2025 — despite district reports to law enforcement and state agencies. Parents are outraged, demanding transparency and questioning how a leader with such a record could be rated “effective” and appointed to lead their children’s school. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/39fb2f1f25aea202