ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The principal of Trout Creek Academy has been placed on administrative leave following controversy surrounding rap lyrics that appeared in the school’s yearbook, according to documents released by the St. Johns County School District.
Principal Katie O’Connell was placed on paid administrative leave May 20 while the district investigates allegations of “inappropriate conduct,” officials said. A second letter dated May 22 informed O’Connell that the leave would continue through the end of her contract on June 30 and that the district was moving toward non-reappointment for the 2026-27 school year.
The controversy stems from a quote printed on the opening page of the school’s 2025-26 yearbook that referenced lyrics from rapper Fetty Wap’s hit song “Trap Queen.”
The quote read, “Everybody hatin’, we just call them fans though,” according to records obtained by local media outlets.
A parent complaint sent to St. Johns County Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen described the quote as “inappropriate and unprofessional” for a school leader and argued it sent the wrong message to students and families in a K-8 environment.
District records reviewed by News4JAX included interviews with school staff, emails and administrative correspondence connected to the investigation.
According to the yearbook teacher, O’Connell did not approve the lyric before publication and was allegedly unaware it had been added to the final version of the yearbook.
The teacher stated the quote was not included in the proof reviewed by O’Connell before printing and suggested students may have inserted it later after noticing no quote had been placed on the page.
An assistant principal at the school also defended O’Connell in an internal email, writing that administrators proofread the yearbook before submission and that the lyric was not present at that time. The administrator additionally noted that the signature attached to the quote did not match how O’Connell typically signed school communications.
The principal’s attorney Jack Webb called the incident “a bunch of garbage” in a statement to Jax Action News.
“She’s getting thrown under the bus for something she was not responsible for,” he said.
O’Connell said she has been harassed over the controversy and was sent a threat that she reported to the local sheriff.
“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.”
O’Connell told Jax Action News that she wants to continue working as a principal but not at Trout Creek Academy.
The district has not publicly released additional details regarding the allegation of inappropriate conduct beyond the yearbook controversy.
Trout Creek Academy is a K-8 school in northwest St. Johns County that opened for the 2024-25 school year and serves students within the Shearwater community near St. Augustine.
O’Connell has not been charged with a crime, and district officials have not announced when the investigation is expected to conclude.