Former Trout Creek Academy Principal Katherine O'Connell smiles with flowers she received from rapper Fetty Wap | News4Jax
Published on June 17, 2026 at 4:03 pm
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A St. Johns County principal has sued the school district after she was placed on leave over rap lyrics that appeared in the school’s yearbook.
Katherine O’Connell had served as the principal of Trout Creek Academy in north St. Johns County since the school opened in 2024 until she was placed on leave last month.
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She was accused of allowing the yearbook to display lyrics from the Fetty Wap song Trap Queen — “Everybody hating, we just call them fans though.”
O’Connell’s removal made national news, but her lawsuit argues that there was more going on behind the scenes.
The suit argues that she did not receive due process before she was placed on leave and told that her contract would not be renewed for the 2026-27 school year. O’Connell’s attorney wants the principal to receive a proper hearing for her removal.
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Speaking to the St. Johns County School Board this month, O’Connell spoke about the effect the incident has had on her.
“I stand here before the board in utter disappointment and devastation,” she said. “Here I am, a 26-year dedicated, defamed, destroyed educator, over a quote I didn’t even proof or approve.”
Citing conversations with the school district’s attorney, O’Connell’s attorney, Jack Webb, wrote that “issues existed regarding a miscommunication with the Exceptional Student Education (‘ESE’) Department and other ‘issues.’”
The lawsuit gestures at what Webb calls repeated requests on O’Connell’s part for additional support for ESE students.
Principal’s record
With nearly 30 years of experience working in schools, more than 10 of them in St. Johns County, O’Connell received only positive evaluations, according to her personnel file. But her record also included some concerns.
The district received several complaints last year about how O’Connell handled a Trout Creek Academy teacher who was not selected for reappointment. Then the district received several complaints about the yearbook after it was published.
“As a parent to a first and third grader at the school, I do not believe this language reflects the professionalism, maturity, or positive example that school leadership should model for elementary and middle school students,” one email reads. “The quote carries a negative, divisive tone that seems inappropriate for an educational setting intended to encourage respect, kindness, and academic growth.”
“School leaders are generally expected to avoid references that could be seen as glamorizing explicit or controversial material,” writes another.
Not all of the reaction was negative, though. O’Connell received a bouquet of flowers from rapper Fetty Wap.
For now, O’Connell remains on leave from the school district awaiting the end of her contract this month. The St. Johns County School Board was expected to rule on whether to formally remove O’Connell from her post. The board delayed any decision.
Patrick Carmichael has been tapped to serve as Trout Creek Academy’s interim principal.
The full lawsuit filed by O’Connell’s attorney is below.
