New College official fired after history of multiple indecent exposure charges.

On a recent afternoon in March, Fred Piccolo, the Director of Media and Marketing at New College of Florida, became embroiled in a troubling incident in Manatee County. According to police reports, Piccolo parked his vehicle in a manner that obstructed a woman walking on the road. He allegedly claimed he needed assistance with directions after being discovered by his girlfriend’s husband. However, the situation escalated when the woman looked inside the car and found Piccolo completely nude and inappropriately touching himself.

In the aftermath of this incident, Piccolo was arrested and charged with indecent exposure. The following day, New College terminated his employment following media inquiries concerning the incident, as outlined in various communications reviewed by local news sources.

This was not the first occasion on which Piccolo had faced similar charges. When he joined New College in December 2022, he was already grappling with pending legal issues involving “exposure of sexual organs.” Two years earlier, he faced allegations of sending inappropriate messages to a state lawmaker, although that civil suit was ultimately dismissed, leaving a shadow over his professional reputation.

Notably, a background check conducted by New College failed to reveal these previous legal troubles, with reported discrepancies suggesting some charges may not have appeared due to procedural limitations. In August of the preceding year, for instance, Piccolo had been accused of engaging in lewd behavior within a store. Despite these allegations, state prosecutors in Sarasota County later filed three counts of indecent exposure without an arrest being made, leading to further questions around background screening processes.

Following his recent arrest, which involved an additional bond of ,000 for prior pending cases, Piccolo was released but is now under house arrest and required to wear a GPS ankle monitor. The legal consequences could be significant; each of the recent charges carries a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail and a ,000 fine, while the Manatee County charge has escalated to a third-degree felony, with potential penalties of five years in prison and a ,000 fine.

This latest incident is not Piccolo’s first brush with public scandal in the past five years. Previously, he resigned from his role as communications director for Governor Ron DeSantis following an incident that drew national attention. Moreover, his tenure has included accusations of inappropriate conduct while he was a campaign manager.

Significant to note is the continuous professional relationship between Piccolo and New College president Richard Corcoran, which has endured for over a decade. Despite this latest setback, Piccolo’s health concerns have also been brought into focus, as family and colleagues have suggested that medical issues linked to Parkinson’s disease may have influenced his behavior.

As New College reflects on this troubling situation, officials have indicated a commitment to reevaluating their hiring processes to prevent similar oversights in the future, emphasizing the importance of thoroughness in their policies.