ORLANDO — A Florida court has granted Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) summary judgment in a lawsuit filed by a parent, dismissing all claims related to her removal from a school volunteer program due to explicit images of her circulating online.
The case centered around Victoria Triece, a parent who volunteered at Sand Lake Elementary School through OCPS’s ADDitions Program. Triece was barred from volunteering after the school principal received an anonymous email containing sexually explicit images of her taken from her OnlyFans page.
The lawsuit, filed on May 17, 2023, alleged constitutional violations and sought damages.
In her lawsuit, Triece argued that OCPS violated her due process rights by removing her from the volunteer program without an appeal process. She also claimed that the school district violated her privacy under the Florida Constitution and sought an injunction to reinstate her as a volunteer.
Additionally, she accused OCPS of improperly disclosing her images to staff and violating Florida’s public records law by producing the images in response to records requests.
Following a Sept. 18, 2024, hearing, the court ruled in OCPS’s favor, stating that there were no genuine issues of material fact that warranted a trial.
The judge found that OCPS was within its rights to regulate volunteer participation and that Triece had no legal entitlement to volunteer at her child’s school.
The ruling emphasized that participation in the ADDitions Program is subject to approval by school officials, who have discretion over volunteer eligibility.
"Based on the Court’s review of the documents attached to Plaintiff’s Response as Exhibit 1, those documents refer to rights to appeal ineligibility determinations in the context of criminal history checks and an applicant’s criminal history," the order states. "Plaintiff has failed to link those documents to the facts of this case. Finally, the 'Note' at the bottom of page 2 of Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1 states that even if an individual is considered eligible for volunteering, 'this eligibility does not guarantee volunteer placement and/or employment with Orange County Public Schools.' This language further negates and undermines Plaintiff’s position that these documents create a due process right to volunteer in the ADDitions Program or to an appeal."
The court determined that Triece’s exclusion did not constitute a due process violation because volunteering is not a protected right under Florida law or the U.S. Constitution.
The decision also dismissed Triece’s privacy claim, noting that OCPS did not actively disseminate her images but merely responded to public records requests in accordance with Florida’s transparency laws.
The court found that the school district followed standard procedures in processing public records requests and that its actions did not violate state privacy protections.
Additionally, the ruling noted that Triece was still allowed to attend school events with her child, but the school maintained its decision to prohibit her from official volunteer duties.
Triece’s legal team had argued that her removal was unfair and discriminatory, claiming that OCPS’s policies were applied inconsistently. However, the court found no legal basis to support her claims.
Ninth Judicial Circuit for Orange County, Fla. case number: 2023-CA-000662