A Florida school teacher was arrested after allegedly playing loud music to disrupt students taking the Florida Standards Assessments (FSAs).
Martin Reese, a teacher at Creekside middle school, refused to turn off the music and allegedly caused a massive disturbance while being escorted to the principal’s office. Reese had only worked at the school for three weeks.
Officers with @PortOrange_PD release bodycam video of Volusia County teacher Martin Reese, who they say blasted loud music to disturb FSA-taking students. #FOX35 pic.twitter.com/hRoXySaJ5F
— Matt Trezza FOX 35 (@Fox35Matt) April 6, 2022
According to FOX 35 in Florida, Aubrey Markovitz, a mother of one of Reese’s students, said that her daughter was already stressed over the test. She revealed that the students couldn’t leave the classroom.
“They couldn’t leave their class or anything like that,” Markovitz said. “They’re trying to get through it, so to have a disruption while they’re stressed and trying to get through their testing, she was a little irritated. Kind of shaken up.”
Markovitz further explained that Reese allegedly took off his shirt and started yelling in the classroom.
“It seems like it was more than just him blasting music. He took his shirt off; he was yelling,” Markovitz said. “My hope is that if this individual has some greater needs perhaps some mental health needs that he will be able to obtain the assistance he needs.”
Elizabeth Albert, President of the Volusia teacher’s union, said that if Reese intended to protest the FSA, there was a better way to do it.
“I do think that if this individual was wanting to protest the FSA,” Albert said. “there are definitely some better ways to go about it.”
As Reese was escorted to the principal’s office, he allegedly caused an uproar, resulting in the school being placed in lockdown. Albert said that when chaos erupts on the campus and the school goes into lockdown, it’s never good.
“We’re always concerned when there’s chaos on campus and have to go into lockdown mode,” Albert said. “That’s never good. It creates unnecessary disruptions and puts everyone on edge.”
According to police, Reese refused to adjust the music after school officials asked him to do so. As a result, it wasn’t until they cut off the power to his classroom through the breaker box that the music stopped.
While being escorted out of the classroom, Reese made his way to the courtyard, where he allegedly took his shirt off with hundreds of students watching from the cafeteria. Reese kept his shirt off, telling the officers that he was’ unarmed.’
During the search of Reese’s car, however, they found boxes of ammunition in his car and one round of ammunition in his backpack.
Currently, Reese faces charges of disrupting a school function and disorderly conduct. The police said he could face additional charges for filming the kids in his classroom. It was reported that Reese had been fired.
On Tuesday, Reese took to his Instagram account to share his dislike for the FSA exam. In the 50-minute video, you can hear his students off-camera saying that they did not like the test either.
View this post on Instagram
“FSA testing is today. There are a lot of students, a lot of kids, stressed out about it. I think that’s unfair,” Reese said. “Especially these students that just came back from being away from school for COVID.”
Reese explained how the pandemic had affected the children, and now the tests have added extra pressure on them.
“The whole world changed on them, and now we put all this pressure on them to take a test,” Reese said. “Some of them don’t eat breakfast in the morning.”
Reese explained that he planned to play loud music, and when other teachers intervened, he refused to turn it down. Reese admitted he spent the previous night “smoking a lot of weed.”
View this post on Instagram
Police eventually escorted him out of his classroom. He started a new stream to record the police interview before getting arrested.
Currently, Reese is out of jail after posting a $1,000 bond.
