SANFORD, Fla. – News 6 has obtained internal documents that show a teacher in Seminole County who was arrested this week on sex and drug charges had been warned before about her communication with students.
Mackenzie McLean, a teacher at Crooms Academy, is facing three felony charges: two counts of sex offense by an authority figure and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
An arrest affidavit for McLean states the 49-year-old was living with and engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a teen when he was her student in 2024.
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This week, the former student, who is now 19 years old, told deputies that McLean groomed him by buying him and other students alcohol, weed, and other substances. He also said McLean, “befriended them all and would continuously provide him with alcohol until he gave in and allowed her to use him sexually,” a report states.
Our News 6 team has been following the story since McLean was arrested on Tuesday. On Friday, we received McLean’s 200-plus-page personnel file that we requested.
The documents include a letter from the principal at Crooms that was sent to McLean in 2020, addressing her behavior and communication with students.
The letter specifically mentions a conversation McLean had with students on Discord, a method of communication that is not approved by Seminole County Public Schools. The principal said both the content and timing of the messages were concerning.
The messages, which are included in the personnel file, include statements about another student that read in part, “he is the perfect example of what’s wrong with society.”
Other messages urge students to “distance” themselves from this particular student and that he was “kicked off” the cheer team last year. They were sent at 12:20 a.m. and 2:52 a.m.
The principal’s notice to McLean said her actions showed a “lack of professionalism and discretion,” and that her behavior was “unacceptable.”
The principal went on to warn McLean to only use SCPS-approved systems to communicate with students, to only communicate during appropriate times, and not to speak or write about a particular student with other students.
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McLean’s personnel file also reveals that her indiscretions, which were documented during her time at SCPS, started before she became a teacher at Crooms.
In 2011, documents show McClean was investigated by the Office of Professional Practices after it was discovered that she sent inappropriate pictures to the husband of another teacher at Sanford Middle School. A letter from state education officials states that she “inadvertently used the District’s email system to send two pictures of her bare chest using her cell phone, during non-duty hours.”
McLean was given a letter of reprimand for violating the school policy and was suspended without pay for one day, according to the letter. She was also transferred to Jackson Heights Middle School, according to the documents.
After McLean’s arrest this week, a spokesperson for SCPS told News 6 that she was placed on administrative leave as soon as the district was notified. McLean started working for SCPS in August of 2001.
SCPS also shared the following statement:
“Any allegations of misconduct by our staff will be taken seriously and handled quickly. The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and any type of behavior that jeopardizes that safety will not be tolerated in Seminole County Public Schools.”