Slain Teacher Not Required to Tell School His HIV Status

By Lisa Rab Thu., Aug. 12 2010 at 1:03 PM

Categories: Crime, Education, Health

Calvin Williams was allegedly killed by his lover.

If slain L.C. Swain Middle School teacher Calvin Williams had HIV, as police reports suggest, his bosses at the Palm Beach County school district did not have to know. Teachers' personal health information is protected by federal law.

"They are not required to disclose their status," says district public affairs specialist Bito David. "We don't have the right to know."

To protect against accidental infection, David says, all teachers are trained to use "universal precautions" when dealing with bodily fluids.

Williams, 41, was allegedly shot and killed by a lover who heard rumors that Williams had

the virus that causes AIDS. Lawrence Hunt told Riviera Beach police detectives that Williams tried to sexually assault him on the morning of May 14, so Hunt shot him in the head.

Police later discovered unmarked pill bottles in Williams' bedroom containing medication used to treat HIV. Public autopsy reports do not mention whether he had the virus.

Under Florida law, it's a felony for a person with HIV to hide his status from a sexual partner. Hunt, who told police that he and Williams had been having sex for two years, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. He remains in the Palm Beach County Jail awaiting trial.