Report: Jacksonville band director accused of inappropriate touching

A band director from Jacksonville is accused of using poor judgment when he used inappropriate communication in the presence of students.

The investigative report from Duval County's Office of Equity and Inclusion and Professional Standards said that Brian Damron, the band director for Stanton College Preparatory School, inappropriately touched and communicated with a male high school student.

The investigation reportedly began Sept. 8 after the school's principal contacted Supervisor Broderick Edwards after having a meeting with a mother who said that "some inappropriate things were happening in band."

The mother reportedly said that Damron made sexual advances to her son.

Stanton principal Majova-Seane submitted a Misconduct Reported Form that included a screenshot of a Facebook message conversation between Damron and the student. The screenshot indicated that the message was reportedly taken from Damron's phone.

In the message, Damron thanks the student for providing his thoughts and offers to remain a friend or a mentor. Damron reportedly requested in the message for the student to delete the conversation thread for their own protection.

Damron was temporarily assigned to Consolidated Services on Sept 9 pending the investigation.

Duval County School Police contacted the student to affirm the allegations. The student said Damron had no physical contact with him -- aside from hugs.

The student said that when the student was trying on his band uniform, Mr. Damron's hands were near his penis. The student said that Damron told him that sometimes the pants would be tight but that it shouldn't be a problem because the student's penis was so small.

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Investigators also interviewed another student that said Damron said he slept with two former band captains. Another student said he thought that Damron was referring to the adult "techs" that help with the band.

Investigators later reportedly received an email showing a screenshot from Sept. 8 showing that Damron started following the male student on Twitter a week after the student said Damron was "being too friendly" in a Facebook message.

During several investigative interviews, a band student said that he didn't notice any inappropriate behaviors from Damron aside from reportedly cursing and making inappropriate jokes in class.

He said that Damron would start giving him hugs and Damron reportedly sent a Facebook message with his cellphone number. The student, who said he still trusted Damon at the time, said he only wanted to communicate with Damon via Facebook.

The student said he wasn't sure whether he was gay. The student said he stopped sending messages to Damron after Damron said he often spoke with another student who Damron said was "bisexual."

On Sept. 1, the following day, Damron reportedly called the student in his office and accused the student of "looking at [him] at least four times in band camp." The student said that he laughed it off and Damron hugged him.

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The student said he sent Damron a Facebook message saying he was not gay and not checking out Damron. He also said wasn't comfortable with Damron hugging him.

The student also said that Damron inappropriately touched him while trying on his band uniform. Damron was escorted out of the building while he was preparing the band for a football game on Sept. 8.

Damron has been the subject of two other investigations in October 2015 of being verbally abusive to students and saying inappropriate comments in the presence of students.

Cox Media Group