Expand / Collapse search
☰

Multiple Central Florida substitute teacher arrests raise questions about hiring requirements

By
Published  May 13, 2025 6:52pm EDT
Central Florida News
FOX 35 Orlando
Parents concerned after Florida substitute teacher arrests

Parents concerned after Florida substitute teacher arrests

A rise in recent substitute teacher arrests is sparking concern over the requirements it takes to be in the classroom. FOX 35's Marie Edinger has the latest on this issue.

The Brief

    • FOX 35 News has reported on four substitute teachers who have been arrested recently for crimes against students.
    • We’re now digging into what requirements substitute teachers have to meet to get the job.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A rise in recent substitute teacher arrests is sparking concern over the requirements it takes to be in the classroom.

What we know:

A sub in Palm Bay was just arrested for sending a high school student a nude photo.

A 20-year-old in Ocala was arrested for the same thing, and deputies think there could be more victims in that case.

Two substitutes were just arrested in Osceola County.

The most recent we’ve learned of was at Harmony Middle School.

Records from the Osceola County Sheriff's Office regarding a 19-year-old substitute show deputies filled out an incident report last week for a pornography/obscenity offense.

And a 71-year-old substitute teacher just made his first appearance in court Tuesday, accused of grabbing students and throwing them into the wall.

Big picture view:

It turns out, all you need to be a substitute teacher in Florida, is to be 18 years old, have a high school diploma, go through a background check and fingerprinting, and do some training.

Although crimes involving children are automatic disqualifiers from being teachers or substitute teachers, you can still have a criminal record and work in those jobs.

Things like assault, voyeurism, exploitation of the elderly or disabled, and certain drug crimes are permissible in certain circumstances if they’re misdemeanors.

Why you should care:

Casmore Shaw, the 71-year-old substitute teacher just arrested in Osceola County, has been arrested three times before this. One of those arrests was because his daughter called the Sheriff’s Office and alleged he’d hit her with a mop and threatened to kill her. The State Attorney’s Office wound up dropping the case due to a lack of evidence. Shaw also went through a pre-trial diversion program for stealing from a Publix when he was 50 years old.

Theft is one of the crimes that can rule you out of being a teacher in Florida if it’s a felony, but not if it’s a misdemeanor.

What we don't know:

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office believes there could be more victims involved in its case, and further charges could be added.

What's next:

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office charged Shaw for one count of child abuse, but his arrest report mentions the possibility of other victims, meaning further charges could be added later on.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: FOX 35 reporter Marie Edinger gathered information for this article from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.


 

Central Florida NewsFloridaNews