BRADENTON – In April, I wrote a lengthy article about Quentin Peterson, a former teacher in Manatee and Sarasota counties who’d been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography. Peterson had been awaiting trial for over three years, even though he’d already been tried–and convicted–in the media. On Friday, the 28-year-old finally stood trial. He was acquitted on one charge, while a hung jury led to a mistrial on the other.

Peterson had formerly been a teacher at Lincoln Middle School in Palmetto. While there, he was the subject of two investigations into allegations of inappropriate behavior toward female students. However, he was cleared by both law enforcement and district investigations both times. While reassigned by the district to a non-classroom position, police who were investigating the allegations attained a warrant to seize his cell phone and laptop, where they say they found pictures of a topless female who looked to be underaged.

The female in question was not a Lincoln student. She attended the SCF Collegiate school and, most curiously, both of her parents had very close relationships with Peterson (the girl’s mother was an administrator at Lincoln when Peterson worked there). Peterson would often visit the family’s home, socialize with the parents and even tutor the kids. There were rumors of an affair between Peterson and the mother, and the daughter later said that a detective showed her text messages of her mom trying to seduce Peterson. She also said that the detective attempted to coerce a statement out of her that would be damning to Peterson.

The story gets much more convoluted, as it turned out that the mother had a complicated past, was close friends with the school resource officer involved in the case, and was also at least acquainted with the investigating detective. To further complicate matters, the detective has since suffered health complications that affect his memory. You can read all about that here.

The girl, now 21, has maintained that she had uploaded pictures of herself to Peterson’s devices after he gave her the password while staying at the family’s home. She said that a picture described as herself and someone who looked like Peterson was not him and that she’d photoshopped another picture to make it look more like Peterson, hoping to confess her crush to him when he discovered them, which he said he never did.

The jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the solo picture then deadlocked on the photo of the couple. The judge declared a mistrial on the second count and it’s been rescheduled for September, but with an alleged, now-adult victim maintaining that she was nothing of the kind, and little more than the questionable testimony of her mother to go with, it’s nearly impossible to imagine the state attorney’s office not dropping the charges.

The story goes much further, in that Peterson’s alleged transgressions were used as the basis for former Lincoln Principal Eddie Hundley having his educator’s license revoked and again in the district’s highly controversial retaking of Lincoln Memorial Academy, which was the result of a charter conversion led by Hundley. For Hundley, the verdicts were another sign of vindication in the seemingly endless ordeal he’s been through since taking the school charter and a chance for Peterson to finally have his life restored.

"After more than three years of false narratives, public persecution, and the revocation of teaching certificates, due process has been completed for Mr. Peterson with the conclusion of his jury trial,“ said Hundley. "That outcome resulted in his ability to leave the courthouse and go home. The issue now becomes, what does he go home to? A completely destroyed reputation, a career destroyed, and a community that more than likely will find some way to justify its past and possible future treatment.“

Hundley says that what comes next will say a lot about justice in our community.

"Here is an opportunity for this county and community to show whether the laws and rules of the land apply to everyone,“ said Hundley. "From the time I was a child, I have been told that, in this country, you are innocent until proven guilty. This man went through the entire process and has not been proven guilty of any crime whatsoever. The concern is whether he will be restored the rights and benefits of an innocent individual. I am anxious to see if the powers that be work to restore these rights or get back to work on another angle to try and deprive them. It is my hope for the former.“

The Curious Case of Quentin Peterson

Still No Answers on Fraudulent Document at Center of Charter Takeover

Lincoln Memorial Academy: Requiem for a Dream