Former Clay and St. Johns County coach arrested, accused of lewd conduct with students

A former Oakleaf High School coach and teacher arrested last week is facing allegations of inappropriate conduct from multiple students at the Clay County school.

Benjamin Davis White, 40, was arrested Aug. 17 in Clay County on a felony charge of lewd and lascivious behavior involving a juvenile 12 to 15 years old. Court documents show that White was released Friday on $100,000 bond, with conditions barring him from contact with any minors.

White served as defensive coordinator for the Oakleaf football team and also worked as the head girls weightlifting coach.

On Jan. 9, Pedro Menendez High School in St. Johns County introduced White as its new head football coach. However, White resigned abruptly on March 7, fewer than two months after taking the job. He did not coach a game or conduct an official football practice during his Menendez tenure.

At the time, Menendez athletic director Matt McCool told The St. Augustine Record that White had resigned for "personal reasons."

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According to the arrest report, a Clay County Sheriff's Office detective interviewed White at Menendez on March 6 to discuss the text messages and allegations of improper touching. White's responses are redacted in the report.

The heavily redacted report states there may be multiple other victims ranging from 15 to 17 years old.

The report states that White began communicating through text messages with a particular student in August 2021. The dates for misconduct are listed from November 2021 to May 2022.

The report also states White used "inappropriate lewd and/or sexual" language in text message conversations with female students, adding that "numerous reports of inappropriate touching and conduct have been reported by students of OHS."

In a statement to the Times-Union, Clay County District Schools said, "After the employee’s resignation in February 2023 to accept a position with another school district, allegations came forth regarding the employee. Clay County District Schools' Police Department and Human Resources Department immediately began an investigation on the former employee. The district will not be commenting further to ensure there is no disruption to the case and to protect the privacy of those involved."

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The Times-Union left phone and email messages Wednesday morning for White and his assigned public defender listed in court documents. White's public defender, Charles Simpson, declined comment Thursday.

White has previously worked in the athletic programs of Yulee, Madison County, Bradford and Clay, as well as a previous stint at Menendez in the 2009-10 school year. Times-Union archives show he began coaching at Clay in the spring of 2006. A Bishop Kenny High School graduate, he signed to play college football at Iowa Wesleyan University in 2001 before a concussion ended his career on the field.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Former Clay County and St. Johns County football coach arrested