JACKSONVILLE, FL — The recently appointed principal of Baldwin Middle-Senior High School had previously faced multiple complaints alleging inappropriate conduct toward students, according to records obtained by Jacksonville Today and shared with News4JAX.
The records describe complaints spanning several years, including allegations involving Michael Smith when he worked at Atlantic Coast High School and later First Coast High School. Some accusations were not substantiated, while one earlier complaint from 2016 led to a verbal reprimand. District officials say they reviewed the concerns as part of the hiring process and that student safety remains the top priority.
2016 complaint led to a verbal reprimand
Smith’s first documented complaint in the records dates to 2016, when he was an assistant principal at Atlantic Coast High School. A parent said Smith watched her daughter, told her she looked like his friend’s wife, held a photograph next to the student’s face and later followed the student to the library.
The parent also alleged that Smith used FaceTime to show the student to his friend. According to the records, Smith received a verbal reprimand after that complaint. The records do not include additional detail about how the school district evaluated the allegation or what prompted the discipline.
The district later said its review of Smith’s personnel file and background materials included three allegations between 2016 and 2024. It said one 2016 complaint was substantiated and disciplined under the district’s progressive discipline plan.
Later complaints at Atlantic Coast and First Coast were not substantiated
In April 2022, a coach reported seeing Smith repeatedly speak with a student, hug her and call her “sweetheart.” District records say that complaint was not substantiated. Smith then transferred to First Coast High School in 2023.
After that transfer, a parent filed another concern through the Fortify Florida website. The parent alleged that Smith stroked a student’s hair, stood too close to her and covered her eyes while asking her to guess who he was.
Records say that allegation also was not substantiated. Even so, Smith received coaching or counseling and was reassigned to another school. The records say law enforcement, the Florida Department of Children and Families, district administration and professional standards were notified.
Baldwin leadership changed after former principal Michael Townsend was arrested
Smith was appointed principal at Baldwin after former Principal Michael Townsend was arrested in June and charged with failing to report possible misconduct involving social studies teacher James Mulvey. Mulvey was charged in May with offenses against a student by an authority figure.
The district’s records show that the Baldwin school community was already dealing with concern over Mulvey before Townsend’s arrest. Officials said the situation involving Smith is separate from the circumstances that led to Townsend’s removal and arrest.
In its statement, Duval County Public Schools said it understood the worries of families and staff. The district also said the allegation reviews involving Smith were different from the mandatory reporter violation tied to Townsend.
Mulvey records describe emails, hand-holding and student discomfort
A substantiated complaint against Mulvey alleged that he exchanged emails with a student, including one that said, “OK, honey, I love you.” The complaint also said the student was frequently in Mulvey’s classroom “cuddling” with him.
Other records say Mulvey held a student’s hand and touched a student. Townsend warned Mulvey that holding the hand of a female student who was not a family member was inappropriate, according to the report.
The Florida Department of Children and Families and law enforcement were notified, and Mulvey was not reappointed in June, according to the records. Students also reported feeling uncomfortable after seeing contact between Mulvey and the student, and screenshots of emails between them were later circulated around campus.
District says it acted on complaints and investigations
Duval County Public Schools said the hiring manager for Smith completed due diligence that included a background check, references and a review of his personnel file. The district said that review found three allegations between 2016 and 2024 and that investigators substantiated one of them.
Superintendent Christopher Bernier said in a back-to-school interview that reporting inappropriate conduct is the first step in building a culture where it is not tolerated. He said the district moves quickly when a complaint is substantiated.
“When it’s substantiated, we take very serious and swift action,” Bernier said. The district said it was important for the Baldwin community to distinguish Smith’s complaint history from Townsend’s arrest and the misconduct case involving Mulvey.
Questions remain about why some allegations were unsubstantiated
The records say multiple agencies were notified about the complaints, including law enforcement, the Department of Children and Families and district officials. They do not explain why the 2022 and 2024 allegations involving Smith were not substantiated.
That leaves the public record with a mixed history: one complaint that led to discipline, two later allegations that did not result in substantiated findings, and a separate case involving Baldwin’s former principal and a teacher that prompted arrests and employment action.
For Baldwin families, the documents show how concerns about student conduct followed the campus through a period of leadership change. They also show the district’s effort to present Smith’s record as distinct from the case that led to Townsend’s arrest.
