Manatee deputies arrest former teacher at center of misconduct scandal
Deputies arrested a former B.D. Gullett Elementary School teacher Monday, months after allegations that he spent unsupervised time with a student and gave her an inappropriate letter ignited public outrage at a school board meeting.
Jarrett Williams, 35, who previously taught fifth grade at the Lakewood Ranch school, faces a felony charge of aggravated stalking involving a child under 16 and remains in custody without bond as of Monday afternoon, according to jail records.
The arrest follows months of uncertainty over whether the case would result in criminal charges. Prosecutors previously reviewed allegations involving Williams and declined to file charges in September, even as sheriff’s detectives told the Bradenton Herald their investigation remained active.
In a previous conversation with a Bradenton Herald reporter, Williams denied allegations of wrongdoing.
“I didn’t do what I was accused of,” he said at the time.
“MCSO submitted a capias to the State Attorney’s Office and after review, the SAO chose to issue a warrant for Aggravated Stalking of a Child Under 16 Years of Age, a third-degree felony,” Randy Warren, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s public information officer, wrote in a Monday afternoon email to the Bradenton Herald. “He was arrested on that warrant today.”
As of Monday afternoon, it is unclear what new evidence led to a decision to pursue charges against Williams.
Ex-Gullett teacher arrested in stalking case
The case first drew public attention in April, when a Lakewood Ranch parent accused Williams of inappropriate conduct involving her 11-year-old daughter during public comment at an April Manatee County School Board meeting, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
Holding what she described as a “textbook grooming letter,” Ann Mitchell accused district leaders of failing to keep her informed about their investigation and said district personnel reviewed surveillance footage that showed Williams kept Mitchell’s daughter alone in the classroom for about 45 minutes on Valentine’s Day.
Parts of the handwritten letter Williams allegedly wrote said, “You know I truly love you and no matter what, that will never change,” and, “I really love being your teacher and more importantly, I love how close we have gotten this year.”
Mitchell said the letter also accused her daughter of lying to Williams and told her not to show it to anyone. Photos of the handwritten letter previously circulated in social media posts.
After school officials learned of the allegations on March 9, the School District of Manatee County reassigned Williams the following day to a non-instructional role with no student contact, according to previous reporting. District leaders said at the time that they notified the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practices.
Lakewood Ranch teacher resigned amid scandal
Williams resigned from his teaching position in April during an interview with district officials, according to previous reporting.
A spokesperson for the Manatee County School District declined to comment on the arrest.
The Manatee County School Board voted 4-1 on April 29 to accept Williams’ resignation rather than pursue termination, a decision that drew emotional criticism from the student’s family. Board member Cindy Spray cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the district should have fired Williams.
During public comment, the student’s mother told board members her daughter continued to struggle after the alleged incident.
“She has nightmares and wakes up having cried in her sleep,” the mother said at the time. “This teacher stole a piece of her innocence.”
Prosecutors previously declined to file charges
At the time, sheriff’s officials confirmed to the Bradenton Herald that a criminal investigation was ongoing but said Williams had not been charged. Manatee County Sheriff’s Office officials later told the Bradenton Herald that detectives expected to submit a cyberstalking-related charge for review and confirmed they had sent a capias to the State Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors later declined to file aggravated stalking charges, citing insufficient evidence to meet the legal standard for criminal stalking, according to a State Attorney’s Office memorandum obtained by the Bradenton Herald.
In the memo, prosecutors wrote that while some of Williams’ conduct may have been inappropriate, investigators could not show it caused substantial emotional distress or served no legitimate purpose, elements required under Florida law to prove aggravated stalking.
The memorandum does not address the basis for Williams’ arrest Monday.
The district’s internal investigation found Williams violated multiple school district policies, according to previous reporting.
Case a focal point of Manatee County teacher misconduct
The Gullett Elementary case later became a focal point in a joint investigation by the Bradenton Herald and Suncoast Searchlight, which reported missed warning signs, weak follow-through and communication failures in how the Manatee County School District handled a series of teacher misconduct cases.
At least one board member described the Williams case as a tipping point that exposed how allegations often reached them “late in the game,” limiting oversight and accountability.
Some board members said the district addressed incidents one at a time instead of treating them as potential signs of a systemic problem. School Board Member Chad Choate said improved technology may have made misconduct easier to detect rather than reflecting an actual increase in cases.
Williams remains in custody, and court records did not immediately list a first appearance or arraignment date.
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM.
