A Florida high school football coach is accused of hitting three students in a heated brawl during practice, weeks after he allegedly fought another student at a different school.
Blanche Ely High School assistant football coach Jamir Clarke was arrested Monday after getting into a physical altercation with the students during practice, according to a Broward Sheriff’s Office police report obtained by Local 10.
Clarke, 29, had allegedly confronted one of his student players for posting something negative online about someone he knew.
When the player admitted to making the post, the 6-foot-7, 400-pound coach allegedly called the student a “bitch” and then hit them.
However, after striking the player, his teammates retaliated and went after Clarke as the first victim fled to safety.
“He just got surrounded by everybody and he just started throwing punches at everybody,” an anonymous student told the outlet.
During that time, one of the student-athletes who tried to break up the brawl was struck by Clarke.
Broward Sheriff’s deputies were called to the school shortly after and attempted to enter the weightlifting room where the melee had occurred, but the door was locked.
After gaining access to the room, police found Clarke “sitting on the floor with his legs crossed and the lights off,” and he was taken into custody. Deputies noted that a mirror in the weight room was cracked as a result of the brawl, Local 10 reported.
The Broward County Public Schools sent a letter out to parents that Clarke is no longer a coach for the school, which was “his only position on our campus.”
“We are deeply disturbed by this incident, as the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority,” the district wrote.
Clarke has been charged with four counts of child abuse without great bodily harm.
He was booked into the Broward County Main Jail on $30,000 bond and later released under house arrest with a GPS monitor.
While Clarke told officers that he was acting in self-defense, during his initial court appearance on Wednesday, prosecutor Eric Linder argued that his size and failure to utilize his coaching skills to de-escalate the situation made him a “risk” to his players, Local 10 reported.
Prosecutors also pointed out that Clarke had previously been accused of attacking a student during a separate incident at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek earlier this month, where he worked as a campus monitor.
Investigators found disturbing footage, obtained by Local 10, that shows the massive football coach swinging and punching a student inside the bathroom of the school.
Broward County Public Schools stated that they were not made aware of the video until after his arrest.
“Clarke, who has been employed with BCPS since December 2024, is being reassigned while these incidents are reviewed for further action, up to and including termination,” the district wrote.
“At all times, the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority.”
However, since being brought to light, the video has sparked outrage among parents and students at both Monarch and Blanche Ely High Schools.
“The video I saw is him being the aggressor and it was terrible,” parent Shaka Williams told Local 10.
“I feel like as an adult, you should have a larger margin for patience for these kids because they can get mouthy, they can talk and say wild jokes, but I think putting your hands on a kid is never OK.”
Williams blasted Clarke for his lack of “self-control” and was shocked that there had been two violent incidents involving the coach and students at two separate schools in under a month.
Student Isaiah Robinson said he’s not surprised that Clarke is accused of hitting students since he has “a history of it.”
If convicted, Clarke faces up to five years in prison on each of the four counts.
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