A high school football coach at Blanche Ely in the state of Florida was arrested earlier this week on four counts of child abuse. He allegedly committed acts of violence against multiple students during a verbal altercation at practice that very quickly turned physical.
The 29-year-old is also accused of a separate incident at another school.
Jamir Clarke has been removed from his role as an assistant coach for the high school football program. It was his only position at the school.
Blanche Ely High School football practice turned violent.
According to a letter sent to parents by the Blanche Ely High School principal, Clarke allegedly hit three students at practice. The arrest report states that he called a student a “b—-” and punched him in the face after the student admitted to posting something negative about someone associated with Clarke.
Other students immediately swarmed the coach to try and deescalate the situation. That only prompted him to start “swinging punches” at every single person who tried to intervene.
The report says three students were struck and a mirror on the wall was cracked.
“He hit our football player first and then everybody just retaliated,” said one student to Local 10 News. “He just got surrounded by everybody and he just started throwing punches at everybody.”
One of the victims told police that Clarke had the chance to end the argument before it turned violent. He instead decided to throw the first punch.
Upon arrival to the scene, responding deputies first searched the weight room where the fight occurred. Clarke was not there but they found a door to the locker room that was locked.
Blanche Ely staff helped the deputies to get the door open. Clark was “sitting on the floor with his legs crossed and the lights off.” He was then taken into custody.
The former assistant coach already appeared in court.
Court records state that Jamir Clarke measures at 6-foot-7, 400 pounds. He’s a big dude.
“While he is arguing he acted in self-defense, he is a significant size, your honor, so there is a valid reason for the teammates of this victim to be of concern as Mr. Clarke presented a risk to them,” said prosecutor Eric Linder in court on Wednesday.
To make matters worse, Clarke is also accused of violence against a student during a separate incident earlier this year at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, where he works as a campus monitor. The video appears to show him fight with students in a bathroom at the beginning of September.
Clarke is being held on a total bond of $30,000 at Broward County Main Jail. If he posts bond, he will be placed on house arrest with a GPS monitor and must not make contact with any of the victims.
The alleged altercation at Monarch High School was not reported at the time it occurred but Broward County Public Schools is currently reviewing both incidents.
“The employee in question is being reassigned as we review the matter for further action, up to and including termination. We are deeply disturbed by this incident, as the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority.”
For this kind of thing to happen at two different schools sets a concerning precedent. If Jamir Clarke is found guilty of child abuse without great bodily harm, he could face up to one year in jail.