Attorney General James Uthmeier called for action against Pine View School history teacher Liz Ballard if allegations involving an eighth-grader are substantiated.
OSPREY, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has called for a Sarasota County history teacher to be dismissed and lose her teaching certificate if allegations that she harassed an eighth-grade student over his conservative political views are substantiated, while the teacher says his account does not accurately reflect the investigation.
The dispute centers on Liz Ballard, a history teacher at Pine View School in Osprey. In a letter to Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor and the School Board, Uthmeier said his Office of Parental Rights had received allegations that Ballard singled out the student during political discussions. The claims remain allegations, and the district has said it will examine the facts and records and provide a fair process for those involved.
Uthmeier alleged that the student had told Ballard his parents did not want him participating in political discussions but that she continued to call on him to provide a conservative perspective during classroom debates. The attorney general also alleged that Ballard later described the student as a “misogynist,” spread that characterization at school and made disparaging remarks about his father.
Ballard has disputed Uthmeier’s account. She told WFLA that what she read in the attorney general’s letter was “not accurate at all” compared with the actual investigation. Public reporting reviewed for this story does not include findings from a completed district investigation substantiating all of the attorney general’s allegations.
Uthmeier said multiple parents had initiated human resources complaints involving Ballard. He argued that the conduct described in his letter, if substantiated, could violate Florida law, School Board policy and professional standards governing educators. He asked the district to report to his office by Oct. 1 on actions it has taken or plans to take.
Superintendent Terry Connor acknowledged the letter and said the district and School Board take the concerns seriously. Connor said students should be able to learn without harassment, humiliation or retaliation because of their beliefs or their families’ views. He also emphasized that officials would examine the relevant facts and records before determining what action, if any, should follow.
The controversy has drawn attention because it combines a dispute over a teacher’s classroom conduct with broader questions about political discussion in public schools and parental involvement. The central factual issue, however, remains whether the conduct described by Uthmeier occurred as alleged. Ballard disputes his characterization, and the district has not publicly released findings that resolve that disagreement.
Jason Means, president of the Sarasota Classified Teachers Association, said the investigation involving Ballard had been underway for several months. He defended Ballard as a teacher and questioned the attorney general’s intervention, while acknowledging Uthmeier’s authority to send the district a letter. The association is representing Ballard during the investigation, according to local reporting.
Separate reporting indicates Ballard received an eight-day suspension effective Aug. 19, according to a superintendent’s personnel report, although the publicly available reporting reviewed for this story did not establish that the suspension resulted from the allegations outlined in Uthmeier’s September letter. Connecting the two without additional documentation would therefore go beyond what has been established publicly.
The dispute also follows an earlier political controversy at Pine View. Ballard was among those who signed a 2025 letter opposing the creation of a Turning Point USA chapter at the school. That earlier dispute provides context for her involvement in political issues at Pine View but does not establish whether the more recent allegations involving the eighth-grader are accurate.
The district’s response is now the next significant development. Uthmeier requested information by Oct. 1 about what action officials have taken or intend to take. Until the district completes its review or releases additional findings, the attorney general’s allegations and Ballard’s denial remain competing accounts of the classroom dispute.
Author note: Last updated September 25, 2026.