Selling Exemptions For "Dressing Out"

Did you hear the one about the Florida knucklehead P.E. Teacher who has been accused of taking daily bribes from students who wanted to sit-out physical education?

A former Escambia County middle school gym teacher who allegedly let children pay a $1 a day bribe to skip gym class turned himself in Thursday.

Detectives had been looking for Terence Braxton after he apparently left the area.

The sheriff's office said he turned himself in earlier Thursday at a Pensacola jail on bribery charges and was released on his own recognizance.

Escambia County School District spokesman Ronnie Arnold says the principal of Ward Middle School learned of the scheme from a parent and began an investigation in December. The principal then contacted authorities and placed Braxton on administrative leave.

Braxton then resigned.

After that, Braxton taught some classes as a substitute teacher at the Atmore School District in Alabama. That district removed Braxton from its substitute list after Florida officials notified administrators of Braxton's history.

The official charges accuse Ward of taking about $230 from six students pursuing charges, but Braxton's actual take from the 250 sixth-to-eighth-grade boys and girls is likely much greater.

Imagine that. Throwing away one's career in order to make a few bucks by bilking one's own students out of their allowence and lunch money.

How on earth do such people get teaching credentials?

On the other hand, if Terence Braxton had been one of my middle school P.E. teachers, I would have likely spent a little of my allowence on avoiding That Locker-Room Awkwardness myself. -----------------------------------See our latest posts right here.