INDIANAPOLIS — The Ben Davis High School boys' basketball coach and teacher involved in an alleged assault on a student in gym class has no valid license to teach any class.
Indiana Department of Education records show that Don Carlisle’s emergency permit to teach physical education and health expired June 30, 2022.
IMPD and the Indiana Department of Child Services are investigating an alleged assault at Ben Davis High School on a 15-year-old 11th grade student involving Carlisle. Carlisle was placed on leave after the Sept. 6 incident.
The mother of the boy told 13News that Carlisle punched her son in the mouth twice during a confrontation in gym class.
The mother, who did not want to be identified yet, told 13News that her son was changing shoes for gym class in the bleachers when Carlisle confronted him about not using the dressing room. She said Carlisle threw the boy's slider shoe across the gym floor. The boy allegedly told Carlisle that the teacher should go get it.
The mother said Carlisle then punched the boy in the mouth and pushed him up against the bleachers. She said her son grabbed Carlisle's necklace, defending himself. The mother said Carlisle then pushed the boy to the ground and punched him in the mouth again.
RELATED: State champion Ben Davis basketball coach on leave after alleged assault on student in gym class
M.S.D. of Wayne Township said the incident was reported immediately to the Indiana Department of Child Services. The school district said two surveillance videos of the incident have been turned over to IMPD detectives. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said the case has not yet been presented to their office for review for any possible criminal charges.
In the meantime, the district acknowledged in a statement Thursday that Carlisle has been teaching classes for over a year with an expired emergency permit.
“M.S.D. of Wayne Township Human Resources Office made multiple attempts throughout the 2022-2023 school year to prompt Mr. Carlisle to take the necessary steps to renew his teaching license or emergency permit with the IDOE. Mr. Carlisle assured us he was working toward his renewal; however, he did not complete the process.
We don’t currently have a timetable that dictates when a certified staff member moves to substitute teacher status or faces termination as a result of licensure non-renewal, which resulted in Mr. Carlisle teaching without renewing his license. We are reviewing this practice and procedure to prevent this in the future.”
The school district provided Carlisle’s class schedule for the past three semesters since his teaching permit expired:
2022-2023 schedule
Semester 1
Period 1: Advanced Team Sports
Period 2: PE I & PE II
Period 3: Coverage of classes as assigned by school administration
Period 4/5: PE I & PE II
Period 6/7: Advanced Weight Training
Period 8: Lunch
Period 9: Study Hall
Period 10: Duty as assigned
Period 11: Prep
Semester 2
Period 1: Study Hall
Period 2: PE II
Period 3: Coverage of classes as assigned by school administration
Period 4/5: PE II
Period 6/7: Advanced Weight Training
Period 8: Lunch
Period 9: Advanced Team Sports
Period 10: Duty as assigned
Period 11: Prep
2023-2024 schedule
Semester 1
Period 1: Advanced Weight Training
Period 2: PE I & PE II
Period 3: Coverage of classes as assigned by school administration
Period 4/5: PE I & PE II
Period 6/7: Advanced Weight Training
Period 8: Lunch
Period 9: Team Sports
Period 10: Duty as assigned
Period 11: Prep
As for the alleged assault, Carlisle referred 13News to his lawyer Thursday. Attorney Bob Hammerle responded with a short statement:
"We are fully cooperating with the authorities. We simply hope that a just resolution is reached."
Cliff Williams coached as an assistant under Carlisle the last year of Arlington High School’s existence. He said he talked to Carlisle the day of the alleged assault at Ben Davis. Williams said punching a student is not in the character of the coach he knows cares about young men.
“I think his feelings were hurt more than anything, just simply because it was a kid that he cares about,” Williams said. “And he really liked the kid, and he would greet him on a daily basis. So, he just assumed that maybe the kid was having a bad day. He just he just didn't understand why it happened."
Williams is organizing a rally in support of Carlisle. He’s asking supporters to gather at the strip mall on West 10th Street across the street from Ben Davis High School at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16.
In March, Carlisle led the Ben Davis Giants to a perfect 33-0 season and a state championship win over Kokomo. This summer, Carlisle was selected for the honor of coaching the Indiana boys' All-Star team against Kentucky. This winter would be his sixth year as the varsity coach at his alma mater.
Carlisle played college basketball at IUPUI and also played professionally.