- February 8, 2025
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Honking cars and chants of "We want Brown, we want Brown," were heard from a group of students and parents as they held up signs in front of Atlantic High School, just as classes let out on Thursday, Aug. 31, in hopes of bringing back the school's former substitute teacher and baseball coach Benjamin Antwan Brown. His last day at the school was Aug. 24.
Brown, who was disqualified from substitute teaching after a standards investigation by the school district, made an appearance at the demonstration and said that he has already had offers of employment elsewhere. He did not provide any names.
Sitting in his parked truck, Brown said what happened was a misunderstanding.
"I stood up to somebody that felt like they couldn't be stood up to," Brown said. "I told them I'm going to stand for what I believe in, and that's what it got to."
"I stood up to somebody that felt like they couldn't be stood up to." Benjamin Antwan Brown
Brown did not say who this person was but added that "they tried to accuse me of something I didn't do referring to someone else. The issue is not even with me. I was a witness-turned-suspect."
According to Nancy Wait, community information services director for Volusia County Schools, there was a professional standards investigation about the incident. However, the file will not be made public until 10 days after it was presented to Brown, who received it on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
Wait wrote in an email that "substitutes are not considered employees" and because Brown was not an employee, he could not be fired. Instead, "he has been disqualified from substituting for Volusia, which also impacted his coaching status," she wrote.
One of the people at the demonstration was Mike Navarra, whose son attends Atlantic High.
"We're out here to support Coach Brown," Navarra said. "I've know him for several years. He's someone who has a lot of integrity. He's a leader to these kids. Coach Brown has been a leader and a mentor, not just on the baseball field."
Atlantic High Principal Stephen Hinson said the school has already begun looking for a new baseball coach.
