Four Florida school and law enforcement officials charged over failure to report student abuse allegations

GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. — Two former school administrators and two law enforcement officers in North Florida are facing criminal charges after investigators alleged they failed to report a student’s disclosure of sexual abuse involving a school resource officer.

The case has raised serious questions about how school administrators and law enforcement personnel handled allegations of misconduct at Gadsden County High School, located west of Tallahassee.

According to reporting by WTXL ABC 27 and WCTV, the four individuals charged are Tamika Hughes-Leeks, a former principal of Gadsden County High School; James Vernon, a former assistant principal; Christopher Daniels, a lieutenant with the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office; and Tiffany Parsons-Buckhalt, a lieutenant with the Quincy Police Department.

While Hughes-Leeks and Vernon have been identified as former school administrators, the reporting identifies Daniels and Parsons-Buckhalt by their law enforcement ranks. Their departure from those positions has not been confirmed.

Assistant State Attorney James Beville confirmed that all four face charges related to failing to report suspected child abuse.

Student Reportedly Disclosed Abuse in April 2025

According to arrest affidavits obtained by WTXL, a student disclosed during an April 11, 2025, meeting with school officials and law enforcement personnel that former school resource officer Sedele Canidate had sexually abused her.

Investigators allege that the disclosure was not reported to Florida’s child abuse hotline as required by state law.

Hughes-Leeks reportedly told investigators that she had informed Gadsden County Schools Superintendent Elijah Key before the meeting and was instructed to turn the matter over to Parsons-Buckhalt.

However, investigators said they found no hotline report documenting the student’s April disclosure.

The allegations involving Canidate later became the subject of a separate criminal investigation.

Former School Resource Officer Arrested

Canidate was arrested in July 2026 on charges involving minors, including sexual battery.

According to WTXL, court records subsequently listed eight felony counts in his pending criminal case.

The charges against the four additional individuals concern their alleged failure to report suspected abuse. They are not accused of personally committing the underlying sexual abuse.

The separate criminal proceedings against Canidate remain pending, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Questions Raised About School District’s Response

The investigation has also brought attention to statements made by Gadsden County Schools Superintendent Elijah Key.

During a school board meeting in July, Key indicated that allegations involving Canidate had previously been reported to the Florida Department of Children and Families.

However, investigators later determined that the April 2025 disclosure had not been documented through the state’s child abuse reporting hotline.

WTXL also reported that a separate report was made to the Department of Children and Families in November 2025 after other students raised concerns.

That later report did not resolve investigators’ questions about why the earlier disclosure had not been reported.

The school district has said it maintains mandatory reporting requirements and reminds employees of their responsibilities annually.

Florida Law Requires Suspected Child Abuse to Be Reported

Under Florida law, individuals who know or reasonably suspect that a child has been abused, abandoned or neglected must report their concerns to the state’s central abuse hotline.

School administrators, teachers and law enforcement officers have professional responsibilities to ensure that suspected abuse is reported through the appropriate channels.

Notifying a supervisor or another employee does not automatically satisfy the legal obligation to report suspected child abuse.

The Gadsden County case highlights the importance of following mandatory reporting procedures when students disclose allegations of abuse.

Four Defendants Released Pending Court Proceedings

According to prosecutors cited by WTXL, all four defendants were released on their own recognizance, meaning they were allowed to leave custody without posting bond.

Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young emphasized that law enforcement officers have a responsibility to report allegations involving child abuse and that failing to fulfill those obligations can carry serious consequences.

The Sheriff’s Office has also indicated that an internal review is pending.

The criminal proceedings against the four defendants remain ongoing.

All four individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

The case continues to raise questions about accountability, mandatory reporting and the responsibilities of school and law enforcement officials when allegations involving children are brought to their attention.

Sources: WTXL ABC 27, reporting by Lentheus Chaney, November 5–9, 2026; WCTV, November 5, 2026.