Florida Department Of Education Takes Action On Dax Rankine’s License. Accused Of Rape At Sunset Palms Elementary in Boynton Beach.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The former Sunset Palms Boynton Beach elementary school teacher accused of raping a student should have his educator’s license sanctioned — according to a Florida Department of Education “probable cause” document obtained by BocaNewsNow.com. The letter, issued on January 6th, is signed by State of Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz.
Rankine is accused of twice raping a student in Sunset Palms Elementary where he served as athletic director. Rankine was NEVER CRIMINALLY CHARGED. There is currently a federal lawsuit against Rankine and the Palm Beach County School District filed by the alleged victim and her family. The latest order from that court case is published below, in its entirety.
The Florida Department of Education, however, is using the allegations against Rankine to justify action on his license. Here are key pages from the Education Practices Commission charging document informing Rankine that his license could be revoked. The document summarizes the allegations made against him.
As we first reported on November 7th, Rankine was initially denied an educator’s license due to issues in his past. He sued the department of education and ultimately reached a settlement which permitted him to teach. From our reporting: “The teacher, Dax Rankine, sued the State of Florida, eventually reached a “settlement agreement” with the Florida Department of Education, and was permitted to teach. He was later hired by the Palm Beach County School District.”
“The 2007 settlement agreement is a key part of the lawsuit filed by the parents of the girl who claimed she was raped in bathrooms at Sunset Palms Elementary. Rankine was never arrested nor charged by any law enforcement agency for the alleged sexual assaults which the suit claim took place just before the COVID-19 shutdowns. Rankine was pulled from student contact at Sunset Palms Elementary School earlier this week as BocaNewsNow.com broke the story of the federal suit.”
While Rankine remains eligible teach, he has been removed from his position at Sunset Palms Elementary School. The Palm Beach County School Board, according to information provided to BocaNewsNow.com, continues to pay Rankine as an employee of the school district. The federal lawsuit names the Palm Beach County School District and Dax Rankine as defendants. The most recent order — which permits some of the case to move forward, and part of it to be dismissed — is published below.
