Principal Placed on Leave Over Fetty Wap Yearbook Quote Gets Flowers and a Sweet Note from Rapper: 'Wishing You the Best'

David ChiuFri, June 5, 2026 at 7:10 PM UTC

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(L-R) Katie O'Connell and Fetty WapCredit: Katie O'Connell; Garrett Bruce -

Katie O'Connell, the principal of Trout Creek Academy in Florida, was placed on administrative leave after a lyric from rapper Fetty Wap's song "Trap Queen" was attributed to her on the first page of the school's yearbook

The yearbook page read, "Everybody hating, we just call them fans though! - Mrs. O'Connell."

On Thursday, June 4, she got a thoughtful bouquet of flowers and a note from the rapper

A Florida principal who was placed on administrative leave by her school district over a Fetty Wap lyric in her school's yearbook just got a sweet show of support from the rapper himself.

Katie O'Connell, who has been the principal of Trout Creek Academy in St. Johns County for the past two years, received a thoughtful bouquet of flowers, which came with a note and some colorful balloons, while speaking with PEOPLE on Thursday, June 4.

"'Principal O'Connell, I hope these flowers lift up your spirit, wishing you the best," she reads from the card attached to the white roses, a nod to his latest single. "God bless from Fetty Wap and the team.' "

A rep confirms to PEOPLE that the team sent the flowers after hearing the news.

Katie O'Connell with flowers and balloons sent by rapper Fetty WapCredit: Katie O'Connell

O'Connell was placed on administrative leave on May 20 after a lyric from Fetty's hit 2015 song "Trap Queen," which rose in popularity again following his early release from prison earlier this year, was attributed to her on the first page of the yearbook.

The yearbook contained an image of the school alongside the quote, "Everybody hating, we just call them fans though!  — Mrs. O'Connell," according to a photo obtained by the St. Johns Citizen.

However, O'Connell denies writing or approving the quote, telling PEOPLE that the quote did not appear in the final proof of the yearbook that she and her assistant principal, Samantha Sawruk, approved on April 9.

"That page was not in there," she claims. "There was not a placeholder for it. Nothing to indicate that anything would be added."

For the record, she adds that she's usually referred to as "Miss O" and not "Mrs. O'Connell," adding, "There's actually other places in the yearbook where my assistant principal had corrected that."

Although the details remain unclear, she claims she learned from a record log that someone accessed the yearbook after she and Sawruk had already approved the final proof. "The person that edited it went into it at 1:50 in the afternoon," O'Connell says. "That's outside of even the yearbook class."

In an email obtained by Action News Jax, a teacher who oversees the yearbook's final check said O'Connell did not see the quote. However, according to documents sent to the school district, that teacher allegedly told an official that after seeing the yearbook proof, O'Connell said, 'Oh, my quote made it.'

"I can't really explain her actions," " O'Connell says. "It's disappointing that she gave contradictory information in her interview versus her written statement that she provided right when it happened."

St. Johns County School Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

O'Connell says she first learned of the quote after receiving screenshots through Facebook several days before the yearbook was set to get distributed. Although she was surprised, she didn't think it needed to be a top priority.

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"I'm like, 'Okay, but [I'll] put a pin in that for a minute because I have 5,000 other things to do,' " she tells PEOPLE, "'including some very serious events that have taken place at my school."

Instead, she claims the books were distributed four days ahead of schedule. "They just started handing them out by middle school students," she says.

Katie O'ConnellCredit: Katie O'Connell

O'Connell also alleges that the district never contacted her about their concerns before placing her on leave.

"They didn't say, 'Hey, we've received an email from a parent, or we received a parent phone call,' or anything like that," she says, "which is so unusual."

Instead, she says she learned about it via a letter from the school district stating she would be placed on paid administrative leave beginning May 20 after an allegation of "inappropriate conduct," according to Action News Jax.

A second letter stated that "this action is being taken as we move towards a non-reappointment for the 2026-2027 school year."

O'Connell says there is an agenda item on the upcoming school board meeting on Tuesday, June 9, to discuss her non-reappointment as principal that would go into effect June 30.

Meanwhile, Trout Creek Academy's Parent Teacher Organization announced on Tuesday, June 2, that Dr. Patrick Carmichael will serve as the school's interim principal, according to WJXT.

Katie O'Conell with her flowers sent by Fetty WapCredit: Katie O'Connell

Attorney Jack Webb is currently calling on the district to hold a hearing for his client and tells PEOPLE  that there is litigation forthcoming.

O'Connell says that the controversy has upended her life. "I've been in school leadership for 18 years," she says. "And the way they've dismissed me has destroyed it. It's over. I can't do this again. I can't. They've ruined that possibility for me and they've so disparaged my reputation."

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If there's one positive note to the story, it's that O'Connell has a newfound love for the lyric that launched the controversy in the first place.

"It is now my favorite quote because literally how ironic is it that that's the quote and that's what's happening," she explains.  "All of these haters are still on it and ... I'm just living in their heads. I have no idea why."

She adds, "I'll just listen to it every morning and keep applying for jobs and Fetty will get me through it."

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”