Students at a Miami high school have rallied around a football coach who was suspended earlier this week for allegedly watching porn on campus.
Max Edwards was seen on video apparently viewing pornographic material in a classroom at Miami Jackson Senior High.
He has been temporarily removed from the school while they investigate the footage, which was first obtained by CBS News Miami.
On Wednesday, students gathered outside the school to support him and were heard singing ‘Free Max’, believing the incident had been misunderstood.
Speak with local10Deontae Dowdell said: ‘He’s a good coach. He respected us and believed in God and everything else.
“I feel like he was probably watching a movie, and that was probably and it’s all random.”
Dannis Morris said: “As an athlete he changed the whole team. The rumors have to stop. He’s not that type of guy, he’s a good person. Free that man.’
Another said: ‘It was a misunderstanding, he’s a good coach’, while others shouted ‘Free Max’ in the background.
Deontae Dowdell told the outlet that Edwards “believed in God” and that he believes the whole thing is a misunderstanding
Max Edwards was seen on video apparently viewing pornographic material in a classroom at Miami Jackson Senior High
One student spoke of his disappointment with the images, saying: ‘I thought it was a bit crazy because why would a teacher do that?
The coach is a well-known figure in Miami-Dade high school football and had previously coached at Miami Northwestern Senior High School for a decade.
‘You’re on the clock. You’re not supposed to do that, you’re teaching.’
It is unclear how long he viewed the inappropriate content, but he is apparently in the presence of at least one student who captured the images.
In a statement, the school district said: “Miami-Dade County Public Schools is troubled by the allegations of conduct involving an employee of Miami Jackson Senior High School.
“The individual has been removed from school grounds pending the outcome of an investigation. We are unable to comment further at this time.”
Earlier this week, grade 12 student Simora Caraballo shared NBC Miami that some students seemed to believe it had happened before.
Caraballo said: “It is said that a video had emerged before, but much of the team was afraid to talk about it because of their season.
‘You’re a grown man looking at that from a child’s perspective. It seemed like he wasn’t worried about how we felt, how we would feel if we saw it, because it was like he was so comfortable.”
On Wednesday, students came to support him outside the school and heard them singing ‘Free Max’
Edwards led Northwestern to three consecutive state championships from 2017 to 2019
The school said in a statement that Edwards had been removed from the school, seen here, pending an investigation
An unidentified parent also told the outlet, “It’s very disturbing to think that he’s a coach, he’s around kids and what led him to start watching pornography around kids, you’re at work.
The coach is a well-known figure in Miami-Dade high school football and previously coached at Miami Northwestern Senior High School for a decade.
Edwards led Northwestern to three consecutive state championships from 2017 to 2019.
He was previously suspended for unauthorized football practice during the coronavirus pandemic in May 2020.
Edwards was later reinstated in June that year and apologized for the decision to allow his team to train.