clay county schools: who is protecting our children?

There’s a heartbreaking truth that many current and former students in Clay County are carrying in silence. Some have bravely spoken out, while others say they just want to forget. Forget the abuse. Forget the trauma. Forget that the people who should have protected them didn’t.

But forgetting does not heal wounds. Silence does not bring justice. And when adults look the other way, they fail not only the students who have already suffered but those who may still be in danger.

This is not just a story about hazing or misconduct. This is a failure of responsibility, a failure of protection, and a failure of the very system meant to safeguard children.

Private Wrestling Clubs: A Loophole for Coaches?

Several wrestling coaches in Clay County have created private wrestling clubs, which students are required to pay for and attend if they want to compete in tournaments. Parents and wrestlers join these clubs under the assumption they are an extension of the school wrestling program, but parents are now discovering a shocking reality:

• These clubs are not officially governed by the school system.

• They have little to no oversight.

• Students are left largely unsupervised.

• The schools are not accountable for what happens in these clubs.

One of these clubs is owned by Paul James Cobbert, a coach who was accused by a former wrestler of sexual abuse. Charges were filed, but according to court disposition records, they were dropped solely due to the statute of limitations—not because the allegations lacked merit.

So, we must ask:

• Why are students being required to attend and pay for private clubs run by school coaches?

• Why are these clubs allowed to operate without proper oversight?

• Why are some of these clubs still running despite serious allegations?

• Who is ensuring that student-athletes are safe when they participate?

A system where coaches operate unsupervised facilities and require students to pay for access creates dangerous opportunities for misconduct and abuse.

One parent put it bluntly:

“The school board says they held a meeting at the beginning of the year however, what about for the kids that transferred in like my son who transferred into Fleming Island who joined the Wrestling team? We were not informed of any of this and then the coaches that replaced PJ told the parents that they also have to take them to the warehouse, pay $150 a month for Wrestling there, and again never told us parents anything. I sent my son out there for three months. It’s disgusting. The school board should’ve handled this better and the coaches forcing us parents to take our kids out there or they don’t get to participate in tournaments is ridiculous and through this whole article nowhere in there does it say he’s innocent or he didn’t do it? It simply says they ran out of statute of limitations this is a disgrace Clay County should do better.”

If parents were not informed about the true nature of these clubs, how many other children have been put at risk unknowingly?

When a Student Speaks, Who Listens?

In at least one case, a student told his parents that he had been abused by older wrestlers. His parents did what any loving parent would do—they went to the school, expecting action to be taken.

But what happened next?

• Did the school immediately report the abuse, as required by law?

• Did they ensure the student felt safe and supported?

• Did they launch an independent investigation, free from bias or internal politics?

Or did they, like so many before them, push it aside and hope it would go away?

Florida Law: Mandatory Reporting Is Not Optional

Under Florida law, every adult is a mandatory reporter when it comes to suspected child abuse. There is no room for uncertainty, no gray area. If there is suspicion, it must be reported.

Florida Statute § 39.201(1)(a):

“A person who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child’s welfare shall report such knowledge or suspicion to the central abuse hotline.”

Failure to report is not a minor oversight—it is a felony.

Florida Statute § 39.205(1):

“A person who knowingly and willfully fails to report known or suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect, or who knowingly and willfully prevents another person from doing so, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.”

Florida Statute § 39.201(2)(a) states that reports must be made regardless of who the abuser is if the abuse results in harm to the child.

If any school staff, administrator, or coach suspected hazing, abuse, or inappropriate conduct and failed to report it, they have committed a crime.

So, we ask:

• Why has no one been charged for failing to report?

• Why are victims left feeling unheard and unprotected?

• Why do students believe that coming forward will only bring them more pain?

The Pain of Silence: “I Just Want to Forget”

For many survivors, speaking about their abuse is not easy. Some say they don’t want to relive it. Some are afraid of retaliation. Some believe that no one will believe them.

And some say: “I just want to forget.”

But how do you forget something that shaped your childhood? How do you forget the betrayal of adults who were supposed to protect you?

No child should carry this kind of weight alone. No child should feel that justice is out of reach. No child should feel safer in silence than in seeking help.

To the students who have suffered: I see you. I believe you. You deserve healing, not silence.

The Sheriff’s Office & School Board: Where Is the Accountability?

The Clay County School Board and Sheriff’s Office have a duty to protect students. But if reports are ignored, if mandatory reporters fail to act, and if abusers continue working with children without consequence—where is the accountability?

• How many reports of abuse, hazing, or misconduct have been made in the last decade?

• How many were fully investigated?

• How many resulted in real consequences?

• Have there been instances where reports were ignored, downplayed, or dismissed?

• Why are students afraid to come forward?

If a teacher were suspected of misconduct, they would be immediately placed on leave pending an investigation.

So why doesn’t the same standard apply to athletic coaches? Or does it? Is the same thing going on with teachers? 

• Are coaches subject to the same rigorous background checks as teachers? Whether paid or voluteer coaches?

• Are they required to undergo ethics training?

• Are there independent oversight measures in place to prevent abuse?

We Cannot Let This Happen Again

This isn’t just about one student or one case. This is about a system that has failed to protect those who need it most.

To the Clay County School Board and Sheriff’s Office, we ask:

• Are you committed to a full, transparent investigation?

• Will you hold accountable every person who failed to report suspected abuse?

• Will you ensure that every survivor is heard and supported?

• Will you reevaluate the role of private wrestling clubs tied to school coaches?

To the students who have suffered: Your voice matters. Your pain matters. And you are not alone.

If you or someone you know has been abused, please report it. If local authorities will not act, contact the State Attorney General’s Office.

If you suspect that a child is being exploited online, report it to CyberTipline. Your report can be submitted anonymously.

The silence ends now. The accountability starts today.