Duval school board members discuss investigations after teacher-involved Douglas Anderson incidents

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval County school board met Tuesday to discuss how they will handle their responsibilities in the midst of numerous investigations into former music teacher Jeffrey Clay after being charged with “lewd and lascivious conduct” involving a student.

There are reportedly numerous criminal investigations currently going on at Douglas Anderson, including the DCF.

Now, the Duval school board is also investigating these incidents, but they do not want the school district to investigate itself. The alternative is waiting for recommendations from the “office of general counsel” on 3rd party law firms that have experience handling these types of issues.

During their meeting, the school board discussed the investigations surrounding the incidents at Douglas Anderson for about 35 minutes, and most of that time was spent learning where the current investigations stand, and the general scope of how the process will evolve over time.

Action News Jax’s Jimmy Marlow spoke with the board chairman, Dr. Kelly Coker, and asked about the mindset of the board right now.

“We are in uncharted waters; we have not experienced this as a district before. We have some board members that are fully ready to serve their constituency. The work of the board is always for the safety and well-being of our students,” Dr. Kelly Coker stated.

As a part of these investigations, some students could be asked to speak with law enforcement. The school board advised the parent’s children to be a part of the process.

“Please work with local law enforcement, let your child tell their story, and be a part of the process as a parent. We know that we need to be working with law enforcement to get to the bottom of what’s occurred and to be sure that proper justice is had should it be necessary,” Coker said.

While the numerous investigations are ongoing, the board members want the students at Douglas Anderson to know that their safety and well-being are their highest priority.

“We are committed to getting things right at their school, and we are going to work at it until we do,” Dr. Coker told students and families. “So please continue to communicate to use what they need so that we can make those things happen.”

The school board has said they will be scheduling another meeting to discuss other details related to the investigation into the school district, there is no date set for that meeting just yet.

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