POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — An assistant football coach at a Broward County high school was arrested Tuesday on child abuse charges, and this isn’t the first time he’s accused of committing violence toward students.
Jamir Clarke, 29, was taken into custody at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach by deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
According to a letter sent to parents by the school’s principal, Clarke allegedly hit three students during a verbal altercation at football practice Monday afternoon.
He now faces four counts of child abuse without great bodily harm.
Local 10 News obtained a partially redacted arrest report for Clarke Wednesday, which states that Clarke called a student a “b****” and punched the student in the face after he admitted to posting something negative on social media about someone associated with Clarke.
Deputies said other students then surrounded Clarke and “rushed” him, prompting him to start “swinging punches” at the students.
According to the report, three students were struck by Clarke and a mirror on the wall was cracked.
“He hit our football player first and then everybody just retaliated,” one student told Local 10 News. “He just got surrounded by everybody and he just started throwing punches at everybody.”
One victim told police that Clarke had the opportunity to de-escalate the argument, but incited the brawl after throwing the first punch at the student.
Another victim said he got hit while trying to break up the fight and get the initial victim away from the coaches.
According to the report, responding deputies were searching the weightlifting room, where the fight occurred, when they found a locker room door that was locked.
Staff helped deputies open the door, and inside they found Clarke “sitting on the floor with his legs crossed and the lights off,” the report stated.
Deputies noted in the arrest report that Clarke is about 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs between 400-450 pounds.
“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,” prosecutor Eric Linder said in court on Wednesday.
Deputies said he provided a statement to them, however his statement was redacted from the publicly released report.
In a statement from Broward County Public Schools, the district said, “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.”
The school’s principal also told parents in an email that Clarke “will also no longer serve as an assistant football coach at our school – this was his only position on our campus.”
Parents with questions or concerns were urged to call the principal at 754-322-0950.
Clarke is being held at the Broward County Main Jail.
He appeared in court Wednesday morning, where a judge ordered him held on a total bond of $30,000.
If he posts bond, he will be placed on house arrest with a GPS monitor, he must surrender any weapons or firearms and he has been banned from having any contact whatsoever with the victims in the case.
Prosecutors noted in court that Clarke was involved in a separate incident earlier this year at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek where he was also accused of violence against a student.
A BCPS spokesperson confirmed to Local 10 News that Clarke is a campus monitor at the school.
“Following Clarke’s arrest on Monday (9/22/25), Broward Schools Police was made aware of a video that showed him fighting with students in a bathroom at Monarch High School, where he was working as a campus monitor,” a BCPS spokesperson said in a statement. “That incident, which took place in early September, was not reported at the time. 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. At all times, the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority.”
Parents and students at Monarch reacted to the arrest and the video.
“I think it is outrageous,” parent Shaka Williams said. “The video I saw is him being the aggressor and it was terrible. 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.”
“I don’t think that should have happened at all. You should have more self-control,” Williams added. “I didn’t know it was over two schools. That’s crazy.”
Student Isaiah Robinson called the news “not surprising really, now that he has a history of it.”
Student Kennett Sirva noted, “Security guards are supposed to be the people who protect us.”
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