Supporters hope to stop removal of former South Fort Myers HS coach

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Support continues to grow for Anthony Dixon, South Fort Myers High School’s embattled former head football coach whose firing has yet to be confirmed by Lee County school board members, as investigative documents indicate that he may have violated state laws.

Nearly 30 people attended Tuesday’s school board meeting to show support for Dixon, and in turn, hoped to convince board members to let Dixon keep his job. The coach is officially suspended without pay.

Myekia Sharp, a 2009 South Fort Myers graduate who attended Tuesday’s meeting, used to refer to Dixon as “pops.”

“It’s really not fair for him,” she said. “He’s really the heart and soul of this school. When you take him away from the equation, it really just rips your heart out of your chest because it doesn’t sound right saying Dixon doesn’t work there anymore.”

Sharp was joined by students, parents, teachers and coaches like Tori Ulmer, a 2014 South Fort Myers graduate.

“South Fort Myers is a family, we are all going to stick behind coach Dixon,” said Ulmer, an assistant coach for the school’s girls soccer team. “No one really knows exactly what happened but as a family we are going to represent him because he is our coach.”

Student athletes grew emotional expressing their relationship with Dixon to school board members.

“Not only are you taking away a coach, but a big community leader,” one student said. “I think of Dixon as a second father and if you take him away, not only have you taken away one of my fathers, but many others.”

One supporter asked whether the coach was being punished as a “sacrificial lamb” following controversy at South Fort Myers. Another adult was more stern, suggesting that removing Dixon would cause significant harm.

“No one can argue to me at all that the removal of Anthony Dixon is of benefit to a single student,” she said.

The supporters, many of whom signed a petition to reinstate Dixon that has nearly 2,000 signatures, wore t-shirts with #dixonissouth on them.

Scandal fallout

Dixon, who has been involved with the football program for 18 years, was relieved of his duties Aug. 16 following an investigation into a sex scandal involving a 15-year-old girl and several boys in a school bathroom in May. The three month investigation concluded with the removal of Dixon and assistant coach Nathan O’Jibway, who will remain employed as a physical education teacher, according to the News-Press.

The district didn’t give a specific reason for the removal of Dixon or O’Jibway. Dixon said he was caught off guard but declined further comment.

In addition to the coaches, five students were suspended and 11 others were disciplined.

William Scott, 16, is currently the only person facing criminal charges in the case. He was charged with cruelty towards a child, allowing a child to engage in a sexual act and possession of obscene material for videotaping the incident.

The video was also shared on social media, officials said.

Scott received 21 days of home detention, is not allowed on campus, was not allowed to have contact with the victim or anyone implicated in the case during his detention, is barred from unsupervised contact with anyone under 15 and can only use the internet for school work.

Don Payne, the school’s athletic director, resigned from his position but agreed to stay until his replacement was found. Payne has not said why he resigned but was expected to speak on behalf of Dixon during Tuesday’s meeting. However, he did not show up.

Investigative documents

Between 70 and 90 students were in a 1-hour study hall right before the May 17 incident.

During that time, 26 football players went to the bathroom, according to a district investigative report.

One player was gone for 52 minutes. Another for 44 minutes. A third for 32 minutes. One student went in and out of the bathroom 10 times in 35 minutes, the report said. Three others went to the bathroom eight times.

In emails, administrators acknowledged a problem with unsupervised study halls.

“There are way too many unsupervised students after school,” one email said, according to the report.

Following the incident, Dixon had his players write statements about what happened.

“He did so without administration’s knowledge,” the report said. “When Mr. Dixon began collecting students and obtaining statements, he was unaware if a crime occurred…because he was unaware if a sex-crime occurred…Mr. Dixon could have violated his obligation as a mandatory reporter of child abuse according to Florida laws.”

Dixon’s attorney, Ben Yormak, said the coach designated his assistant coaches to run study hall, which he has done for the past decade.

District officials said by law, they cannot comment on the case for 10 days, or until Thursday.

Dixon’s termination was not on Tuesday’s agenda, but Superintendent Greg Adkins announced that he has not made a recommendation to the board on whether to finalize Dixon’s dismissal.

“At this time all of this rests with me and not with this board,” he said.

Students said they would continue to support Dixon despite the district’s investigation.

Dixon is expected to be issued documents for the district’s intent to terminate him. When he gets those documents, Dixon will decide whether he wants to proceed with an administrative hearing in front of the state, according to district spokesperson Lauren Stillwell.