UPDATE: Volusia County Schools Spokesperson Kelly Schulz confirms that Reese's employment with the district has been terminated. He's worked with VCS since 2009, but he's been employed at Creekside since March 23, 2022.
Students that were testing were not in the area where he was playing music so they will not be required to retake the test. Schulz says the police department is also taking control of the incident.
Earlier reporting below.
Port Orange, FL - A Port Orange teacher is accused of blaring music as students were testing, but he says he was just trying to help his students.
Martin Reese was arrested on Tuesday (April 5) as students were trying to take the Florida Statewide Assessments test—which will be the last time students take the FSA. Police responded to Creekside Middle School just after noon and asked Reese to turn his music down. The police department says he refused to turn off the music and caused a disturbance while being escorted to the principal’s office.
In an Instagram video streamed live by Reese, he said it’s unfair how stressed out students seemed, citing COVID-19, world events, and their home lives as the reason why. Then they were required to sit down for a test that was already being retired after that school year, which is when Reese stepped in.
“The whole world changed on them and now we’re pressuring them to take a test,” said Reese in the video. “Some of them don’t even eat breakfast in the morning and yet we yell at them for running in the hallways and being themselves.”
His plan was clear: play music loud enough so other students in nearby classrooms would have trouble concentrating. If students couldn’t concentrate enough to take the test, they might complain and get another opportunity to take it.
“To my students, I love y’all. Paint, create, enjoy,” Reese said prior to starting the music.
Throughout the rest of the video, Reese can be seen interacting and talking with students. He even talked about his own life, and even candidly talked about his marijuana use. In that same vein, he told his students not to smoke marijuana until they were adults and of the legal age.
At one point the principal came and asked Reese to turn his music down, but he politely declined.
“He did it in a very respectful way. He pulled me to the side, he didn’t do it in front of anybody nor did he try to embarrass me. He was actually trying to look out for me and my job,” said Reese.
The school was locked down as the incident went on. Eventually, police came and escorted Reese to the principal’s office after allegedly causing a disturbance in the hallway. He was ultimately arrested and charged with causing a disturbance and disorderly conduct, which earned him a $1,000 bond. He has since bonded out of jail.
Court records obtained by News Daytona Beach show Reese had a first appearance scheduled for Wednesday (April 6) but that has since been canceled since he’s been released from custody. A check of Reese’s record also shows he’s only been charged twice with driving with a suspended license in 2009 and 2011. Both cases were not prosecuted.
Police said no students were endangered and no weapons were involved.
Another video streamed by Reese shows his interaction with the police. During a conversation he had with school staff, Reese accuses them of having students of color “bussed in” from Daytona Beach to schools like Creekside and Palm Terrace Elementary—Reese can be seen in the video wearing a Palm Terrace t-shirt.
“That’s just unacceptable in 2022,” said Reese. “They’re low-income, so you bring them to your school and they become part of your equation to get money from federal funds and state funds, and then you treat them like (expletive).”
“Poor kids, I don’t care if they’re black, brown, or white. Whatever I’m saying today, ask them. Ask the teachers,” added Reese.
News Daytona Beach cannot confirm Reese’s claims.
