Football coach Derrick Clark was a convicted drug dealer when he was hired two seasons ago for New Haven Endeavour Middle School in New Haven, Michigan. Now he’s in jail facing serious sex charges.
School Superintendent Todd Robinson talked with Jim Kiertzner, investigator for Scripps station WXYZ in Detroit and said he knew Clark had some criminal past, saying “Not to the extent that you’re sharing with me now.”
Robinson would not say what his understanding of it was.
“I don’t want to make any more comment about it at this time.” Robinson also would not answer if he would still hire him if he knew what he knows today.
State records show Clark was convicted of drug possession and running a drug house and was on probation from 2009 to 2014. Clark now faces charges of third degree criminal sexual conduct, pandering and racketeering in Macomb County.
Police said Clark reportedly sold his girlfriend for sex with online ads dozens of times over several months and threatened her and kids to go to Child Protective Services.
At least one “John,” a man who paid for sex, is cooperating with police.
John Wallace, who lives next door to the school says, “That sounds to me like another Nassar case.”
Other parents said they are upset.
Clark was hired through a contracting firm called EDUStaff in Grand Rapids. The company president, Clark Galloway, sent us a statement that says criminal background checks and approval are up to school districts and Clark is not the only employee they’ve supplied:
Derick Clark came to EDUStaff in the Fall of 2017 for employment. His work with EDUStaff was limited to athletic coaching at New Haven only. Concerning the criminal history, EDUStaff is legally unable to procure criminal history on our employment candidates. We require an employee candidate to be “fingerprinted” and their criminal history is transmitted to the district or districts that they would like to be placed on assignment with. A district will review the criminal history against state and district requirements, and then give the staffing supplier a “thumbs up or thumbs down” to be placed on assignment based on the results of the criminal history record. Pertaining to the employee, their employment with EDUStaff is no longer active. Any other comments concerning the employee’s relationship with EDUStaff is pending as we work closely with the school district on investigating the matter. EDUStaff supplies various employee groups for New Haven and several other school districts in Macomb County.
