Imagine School principal cleared of wrongdoing

The State Attorney’s Office has decided not to file charges against Selenia Quinones, the Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch principal accused of failing to report child abuse. 

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office had recommended Quinones — who has been away from the school while the state conducted its investigation — be charged with one felony count of failure to report child abuse in reference to an April incident at the school. 

The sheriff’s office, which confirmed the state’s decision, began investigating Quinones in October after a parent reported to the police that a student was performing oral sex on her son and others at school.

The school’s governing body has maintained Quinones did nothing wrong, and, in an internal report it produced for the Manatee County School District, denied the alleged oral sex occurred.

“We applaud this well-reasoned decision and would like to thank Mr. Brodsky’s office and his assistant state attorneys for the hard work and diligence they showed during this investigation,” said Shawn A. Arnold, an attorney representing the school.

Arnold said the school will hold a press conference 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 9 to address the state’s decision.

Imagine Schools is a network of more than 50 public charter schools across the country.

Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch, located at 10535 Portal Crossing, opened in 2008.

It serves 575 students from pre-kindergarden through eighth grade. 

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].