Johnston school board apologizes to former Clayton High football coach and principal
The Johnston County school system is apologizing to the former head football coach of Clayton High School and the outgoing principal over a 2019 investigation into the school’s athletic program.
Hunter Jenks resigned as Clayton High’s head football coach and Principal Bennett Jones was briefly reassigned in 2019 amid internal district investigations into the football program. At this week’s school board meeting, school board chairman Todd Sutton said he wanted to publicly apologize to both men.
“I want to personally apologize to him (Jenks) and his family for all the turmoil that they received and continue to receive based upon issues that he’s having up until today,” Sutton said at the end of the board meeting . “I want to officially just say that he did nothing wrong, and he’s officially cleared as far as I’m concerned in Johnston County Public Schools based on everything that we have received. So I officially apologize to Mr. Jenks and to his family.”
Sutton also praised Jones, who is leaving Clayton High to become director of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program, which provides scholarships to people who want to teach.
“Thank you for all the years that you spent in Johnston County Public Schools and (I) apologize for what you went through as well, you and your family,” Sutton said to Jones.
2019 controversy
The Clayton High community was rocked in August 2019 when residents learned in little over a week that Jones was being reassigned and Jenks was stepping down. The school district said at the time it launched an internal investigation into the Clayton High School Athletic Department in regard to the eligibility of one student athlete.
Jenks is currently an assistant football coach at Millbrook High School in Raleigh.
The investigation expanded into whether some Clayton High seniors had received diplomas despite not having enough credits to meet graduation requirements.
The Clayton High community rallied around Jones to get him back as principal. Jones filed a grievance against then Superintendent Ross Renfrow about his reassignment to a central office position.
After Renfrow resigned, Jim Causby was named interim superintendent. Causby reinstated Jones as the school’s principal.
This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 2:00 PM.
