A Florida school principal has been placed on administrative leave after a lyric from rapper Fetty Wap appeared in a school yearbook and was attributed to her, causing controversy in St. Johns County and raising questions about how the quote ended up in the publication. Katie O’Connell, principal of Trout Creek Academy in St. Johns County, Florida, was removed from her position in May after the lyric appeared on the opening page of the school’s 2025-2026 yearbook, according to district documents and local news reports.
The quote printed in the yearbook read: “Everybody hating, we just call them fans though! -Mrs. O’Connell.” The line comes from Fetty Wap’s 2015 song “Trap Queen,” according to Action News Jax. Some parents considered the lyric inappropriate for a K-8 school publication because the song “Trap Queen” contains explicit references, according to St. Johns Citizen. Other parents reportedly believed the message mocked families who had previously raised concerns about issues at the school.
O’Connell has denied writing or approving the quote. In an interview with Action News Jax, she said she reviewed the yearbook twice on April 9 and claimed the lyric was not present in the version she approved. “I approved the yearbook twice on April 9, and so did my assistant principal, Miss Sawruk, and that quote in that area was not even in the book,” O’Connell told the outlet. She also noted that the attribution used “Mrs. O’Connell,” even though she said students and staff typically refer to her as “Ms. O.”
Don’t call the assistant principal a “hater”
Reports say assistant principal Samantha Sawruk supported O’Connell’s account in an email sent during the district investigation. Sawruk wrote that administrators proofread the yearbook on April 9 and corrected other grammatical issues, but the Fetty Wap lyric did not appear in the proof at that time. The explanation surrounding how the lyric appeared in the final version has become a central point of dispute.
Documents reviewed by the St. Johns Citizen showed conflicting statements from yearbook staff members. The outlet reported that yearbook sponsor Jodi Stobe initially stated O’Connell did not know the quote would appear in the publication. However, reports say handwritten investigative notes later indicated Stobe allegedly told district officials that O’Connell noticed the quote after printing and remarked, “Oh my quote made it.” O’Connell has suggested that a student may have inserted the quote after administrators approved the yearbook draft.
The St. Johns County School District placed O’Connell on paid administrative leave beginning May 20 over an allegation of “inappropriate conduct,” according to letters obtained by local media outlets. A second district letter informed her that officials were moving toward “non-reappointment” for the 2026-2027 school year.
As of June 1, the controversy remains unresolved. Yearbook distribution was halted after complaints surfaced online and with district officials.
Published: Jun 1, 2026 06:00 pm