- March 6, 2025
After being arrested twice in one year on alcohol-related charges, Shannon Diamond, assistant director of the Flagler Youth Center, was fired Tuesday.
“It was not appropriate behavior, especially for someone who was working with young, impressionable children,” said Cheryl Massaro, the center’s director.
Diamond’s first arrest, which happened in March 2012, was for drunk driving. He was arrested after he tried to buy beer at a gas station while drunk. The clerk refused the sale and called law enforcement after he watched Diamond drive away.
Diamond was arrested again April 21 for disorderly intoxication, theft and resisting an arrest without violence after he caused a disturbance at McCharacter’s Music Café & Sports Bar. After Diamond accumulated a bar tab of about $26, staff at the bar asked him to pay, at which point he was “rude, aggressive (and) clenching his fists,” according to a charging affidavit.
Diamond then “caused a disturbance with McCharacter’s employees,” with about 30 customers watching. He tried to run from the bar, but employees stopped him. Witnesses later told deputies that they believed Diamond was going to start a fight on the property.
“After having two problems within 11 months, we decided it was no longer acceptable for him to be working here,” Massaro said. “We gave him the option to either resign or be terminated.”
Diamond did not resign, so his termination was approved as part of the consent agenda at Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Flagler County School Board. Board members did not discuss the situation.
When Diamond was arrested for the first time, he was placed on paid administrative leave as Flagler Palm Coast High School officials decided how to discipline him. Staff met with Diamond and told him his behavior was inappropriate. Diamond said at the time that he would not let another issue arise, and he was reinstated as assistant director.
Diamond’s second arrest indicated that he was becoming a recurring problem. Diamond had no disciplinary issues at the Flagler Youth Center prior to his first arrest, Massaro said.
For now, Massaro has adjusted her part-time employees’ schedules so the center can continue to operate normally. Eventually, the school district will hire a replacement for Diamond.
