Manatee school district attorney placed on leave for ‘possible misconduct’

Mitchell Teitelbaum, general counsel for the School District of Manatee County, has been placed on administrative leave during an internal investigation.

The district hand-delivered a letter to Teitelbaum on Friday, notifying the top district official that he would be placed on paid administrative leave. The letter, signed by Superintendent Cynthia Saunders, did not cite a specific reason.

Teitelbaum could not be reached for comment.

“Effective immediately you are being placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of our investigation of possible misconduct on your part,” the letter read.

In a phone call on Tuesday afternoon, district spokesman Mike Barber would not say who ordered the investigation or what the alleged misconduct entailed.

“School District of Manatee County General Counsel Mitchell Teitelbaum has been placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of an internal investigation,” Barber said in a follow-up statement, sent by email.

“Mr. Teitelbaum joined the school district’s Legal department on May 1, 2014,” the spokesman continued. “The school district is unable to comment on this matter while it is still under investigation.”

This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 4:31 PM.