TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Chiles High School coach is facing charges after being accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old student multiple times.
Derrall Je'Shaun Howard was arrested and charged with sexual battery on July 2.
According to court documents, Leon County Sheriff's Office was first contacted about the incidents in November of 2016.
The victim told the school administration that Howard, who was a hall monitor, as well as a coach for football and girl's basketball at the school, that she had sex with him multiple times over the past month.
She told deputies that the first time that she had met Howard was in the gym with two other girls. She said that he had asked them to come in his office and asked what their names and ages were.
Eventually, the other two girls left, leaving the victim alone with Howard. She said that he closed the door and told her, "I know you want to have sex with me", to which the victim responded that she didn't.
He replied that all he had to do is "say so and she can have sex with him." The victim left after that.
The next day, the victim and a friend went to Howard's office to hang out. After the friend left, the victim told deputies that she tried to get out of his office, but he pushed her down and forced her to have sex with him.
After a while, he let her up and told her not to tell anyone about this because he would "go to jail, lose his job and his daughter."
Witnesses say that Howard and the victim continued to talk on Snapchat and that Howard seemed to believe that people were talking about them and what had transpired.
When approached about it by witnesses, Howard told them that nothing had happened and that they "should tell others that it never happened."
Howard is facing two counts of sexual battery and is in jail on a $30,000 bond.
Leon County Schools sent out this statement regarding Howard's arrest:
“Leon County Schools has been notified of the arrest of former Chiles High School employee Derrall Howard. In early December 2016, after an allegation of sexual misconduct with a student, Mr. Howard was terminated from his position as a hall monitor and part-time coach. The safety of our schools is our highest priority and we thank the Leon County Sheriff’s Office for their diligence in this matter.”
