JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (DA) teacher Jeffrey Clayton had a pre-trial hearing Wednesday morning.
Clayton is charged with two counts of offenses against students by authority figures, illegal use of a phone, and lewd behavior involving a student. He’s accused of kissing and touching a student. According to Clayton’s arrest warrant, they exchanged about 1,700 text messages.
Clayton was arrested in March after more than 20 years with the school, setting off a firestorm of accusations that inappropriate behavior at the school has been covered up for years.
Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene has since announced she will retire early. The district has also hired an outside law firm to conduct a wide-ranging investigation into DA and misconduct reporting.
Clayton waived his appearance in court here this morning Wednesday, but his attorney, John Rockwell, appeared before the judge. Rockwell said he had received discovery material from the state, including quite a lot of communications and phone information that he’s almost done going through.
Clayton has waived his right to a speedy trial.
Attorney Randy Reep, who isn’t involved in the case, said it’s not uncommon for defendants to forgo a trial within 175 days of arrest, to which they’re entitled.
“That sometimes is not enough time for the defense to get ready for a trial,” Reep said. “It is not uncommon, and frankly, it would be expected.”
With the state’s evidence in hand, it’s time for Clayton’s attorney to begin to mount a defense.
Court records reveal the state has the following evidence:
- Recorded phone call between Clayton and the student he’s accused of touching
- Screenshots of text messages
- Audio recording of victim and family interview
- Forensic exam reports of Clayton and someone else whose name is redacted, possibly the victim
- Audio recording of an interview with Clayton
Meanwhile, DCPS has its own investigation underway as it faces threats of civil lawsuits related to accusations of abuse at DA and as the school board has pledged to hold people accountable.
Board Chair Dr. Kelly Coker spoke to News4JAX anchor Kent Justice last week.
“The beginning steps of that investigation are happening,” Coker said. “It’s going to take some time. We need some patience from the public. They’ll be looking at two items. They’ll be looking at what happened at DA that allowed a teacher like Jeffrey Clayton to stay in the classroom despite multiple allegations.”
The investigation is also exploring an accusation that the school district waited too long to report 50 cases of misconduct to the state. Greene received a scathing letter from the Florida Department of Education about the matter a few weeks ago. She responded that she didn’t know about the late reporting and pledged to look into it.
Clayton’s next pre-trial court date is set for June 7.