FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. -- We're still working to find out more about why school officials cancelled the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School holiday program Thursday night.
The school posted a message on its website saying students will enjoy activities with teachers during school hours Friday instead. No reason for the cancellation was listed, but the move comes just two days after a school parent posted a video to YouTube showing him confronting the school's principal and his son's teacher, claiming the school is teaching kids to be in fear of clean water.
Officials at the Lee County School Board tell Fox 4 that the program's cancellation was due the result of "escalating parent harassment" at the school that started earlier this week.
"The parent in question was trespassed from the school earlier in the week but this would not keep him from being in proximity to the school for tonight’s performance," said the official.
The school has a school resource officer assigned to the case for the rest of the week.
The parent that posted the video, Joseph Gilberti, has three previous arrests in Lee and Hillsborough counties for stalking dating back to 2006.
As a result of this week's incidents, the Department of Children and Families says they have launched an investigation into Gilberti. DCF did not have prior involvement in the family.
Fox 4's Malcolm Johnson will have more on this story tonight on Fox 4 News at 6.
