Former principal, teacher attend school board meeting to try to get jobs back

Darren, Serena Jones fired from positions amid child abuse allegations in 2011

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. ā€“ Darren and Serena Jones spent Tuesday morning at the Broward County School Board meeting looking for answers.

It was January 2011 when Jones, the former principal at Hallandale High School was arrested -- accused of beating his then 16-year-old daughter with an extension cord. His wife, a teacher at Driftwood Middle School in Hollywood at the time, would also be arrested months later.

On Tuesday, the now-19-year-old daughter, Danielle, spoke to Local 10 News.

"Learning and forgiving have been big for me, but also remembering that no matter what, right is right and when you've done something wrong -- you've had a part in it, and you have to always remember to go back and fix," said Danielle.

Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges against the parents, and the Jones' have been fighting to get back to work for more than a year.

"Both judges say let her go. It's not what we thought it was," said Serena Jones. "We lost a lot, but we're together."

The couple recently released a YouTube video alongside their youngest children to generate support ahead of Tuesday's meeting. Now they're asking for their jobs back and back pay.

"We've been criticized, judged and exonerated. How much more do we have to go through," said Serena Jones.

The school district released a statement to Local 10 News that read in part, "Regarding Serena Jones, the district's legal team, with district administration, continues to review all of the information regarding this issue in preparation for the case to be brought to the school board for further consideration and final action."