JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A teacher from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts was arrested early on Wednesday morning, according to the school.
Jeffrey Clayton, 65, was arrested on charges of lewd and lascivious conduct involving a student and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, according to an arrest report.
A voicemail that went out to parents Wednesday went on to say that Clayton will not "return to the school and will have no interaction with students" if he is released from custody.
The district says police became aware of the situation over the weekend. They conducted a thorough investigation earlier this week, resulting in today’s arrest.
Internal professional standards team will also investigate the incident.
Below is the photo listed with Clayton's bio on the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Vocal Department:
Read the full statement sent to families below:
"Hello Douglas Anderson families, this is Principal Wilson calling.
It is tremendously disappointing to have to call you with this information this morning, but there has been a situation at the school that I need to make you aware of. Earlier this morning, police arrested one of our teachers, Mr. Jeffrey Clayton, on charges of lewd and lascivious conduct involving a student. While the presumption of innocence still applies, if he is released from police custody, he will not return to the school and will have no interaction with students. Our district’s internal professional standards team will also conduct an investigation and act on this matter. I hope you know that we have very high standards for the conduct of our teachers and employees. Behavior of the type alleged in this case is not tolerated, and appropriate action will be taken based on the evidence and conclusions that emerge. As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me through the school.
Thanks, and good-bye."
Students, alumni, or others who might have information useful to the investigation are encouraged to email the head of the district’s professional standards office, Dr. Tameiko Grant, at GrantT1@duvalschools.org.