Alachua County School Board Sued for Negligence After Alleged Battery by Howard Bishop Middle Substitute Teacher

On June 5, 2026, Allen Law Firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of a parent and their child against the Alachua County School Board (SBAC).

SBAC faces a civil count of negligence for the alleged actions of a substitute teacher at Howard Bishop Middle School. The substitute is not identified by name in the complaint. 

According to the complaint, on January 16, 2025, the substitute “intentionally and repeatedly opened and slammed a door” into the child's head.

The child sustained severe physical injuries, the lawsuit describes. 

According to the lawsuit, "More than six months have passed between [SBAC]'s receipt of [the plaintiff]'s written notice and the filing of this action, and [SBAC] has failed to resolve [the] claim or has otherwise denied such claim."

The lawsuit alleges that SBAC's negligence caused the child "significant and permanent loss of one or more important bodily functions... permanent bodily injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, significant scarring and disfigurement... resulting pain and suffering, disability, inconvenience, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment, property damage, loss of the ability to earn income in the future and the aggravation of one or more previously existing conditions. These losses are either permanent or continuing, and [the child] will continue to suffer these losses in the future."

The lawsuit outlines several alleged acts of negligence by SBAC, including a lack of reasonable supervision for children, improper training for employees, and failure to stop dangerous conduct by employees.

The plaintiff is seeking between $50,001 and $75,000 in damages and a trial by jury.

A summons has been issued for SBAC but it hasn’t been served yet.

Allen Law and SBAC both declined to comment.