Principal Suspended for Controversial Yearbook Message: What Happened?

A Florida school principal finds herself on leave after a song lyric was attributed to her in the school yearbook, despite her claims of having no role in its inclusion.

Katie O’Connell, who leads Trout Creek Academy in St. Johns County, was put on leave on May 20. This action followed the discovery of a page in the yearbook featuring a lyric by rapper Fetty Wap, as reported by Action News Jax.

The lyric in question is from Fetty Wap’s 2015 hit, ‘Trap Queen’, and it appeared prominently on the first page of the yearbook.

The yearbook’s page quoted, “Everybody hating, we just call them fans though! – Mrs. O’Connell.”

Given the song’s numerous references to drug trafficking and strip clubs, several parents raised concerns about its suitability for a school publication.

The main issue revolves around whether O’Connell personally chose and approved the quote, or if it was added during the yearbook’s production without her consent.

O’Connell maintained that she had no involvement in the selection of the quote, according to the news outlet. 

The principal claimed she wasn’t even aware of the quote’s existence until someone sent her screenshots from Facebook.

“There were certain parents that went straight to the district, or straight to the news, or straight to Facebook. None of them even called me. I received zero phone calls, or emails, or any questions about the yearbook,’ O’Connell said to Action News Jax. 

“All I needed was the time or the opportunity to have fixed an error that was made, and it wasn’t made by me.” She declared.

Two days after O’Connell received her May 20 administrative leave letter, she received a second letter declaring that “this action is being taken as we move towards a non-reappointment for the 2026-2027 school year.”

One colleague rushed to the principal’s defense. 

‘The quote on the first page, which was present after printing, “Everybody hatin’, we just call them fans though” was not there during the proofreading done on April 9th,’ assistant principal Samantha Sawruk wrote in an email obtained by ANJ. 

‘This is not how Ms. O’Connell signs her name, she always uses, “Ms. O” as is evident in her weekly communications with families and messages/posters around the school. Had the quote been there at the time of admin editing; it would have been corrected,’ Sawruk wrote. 

O’Conell rebuttals any claims of her involvement in the incident despite fellow colleagues disbelief that she hadn’t seen the quote at all before distribution

Yearbook Teacher Jodi Stobe wrote a similar email of support, but also gave a conflicting statement to the school district, according to documents obtained by the news outlet. 

During an interview with the ESE Coordinator of Special Programs, when asked if O’Connell ever saw the quote before Stobe handed the books out, Stobe said ‘Yes. Ms. O’Connell said, “Oh, my quote made it.”‘

In a statement to Jax action News, the principal’s attorney Jack Webb called the incident “a bunch of garbage”.

“She’s getting thrown under the bus for something she was not responsible for,” Webb declared.

The Daily Mail has reached out to O’Connell for comment. 

O’Connell has claimed she has been harassed over the controversy and was sent a threat that she reported to the local sheriff.

O’Connell told Action News Jax that she has no qualms about continuing her line of work in education but not at Trout Creek Academy.

 “I have an exemplary record. My school scores are amazing. I have 92% teacher retention. I have five straight years of being highly effective in St. Johns County schools,” she said. “There’s no reason to throw away someone’s career or to hurt a family like this.”

“If you start getting rid of the best of the best, who are we going to have to teach our children to be the best that they can be,” parent Chris Farlow told St. Johns Citizen.