Jenkins cancels coach’s contract

By Russ Cassady Staff Writer

The Jenkins School System has nullified the contract it had to hire a former East Ridge High School teacher who has been charged with official misconduct.

Debby Watts, who began as superintendent of the Jenkins Independent School System Tuesday, said she had no part in the decision making process regarding the employment of Lincoln Shane Bentley, 32, of Neon, who had been hired as Jenkins High School’s football coach.

However, she did confirm that Bentley’s contract with the school system, which was to have begun on July 1, was nullified and he is not employed there.

“I just started yesterday and they basically told me they had (nullified the contract),” Watts said Wednesday.

Bentley was charged in April with two counts of official misconduct following two incidents at East Ridge. Police have charged that Bentley, on March 27 and 28, asked a 15-year-old female student to show him her breasts for a grade enhancement.

A trial began in the case last week, but was declared a mistrial by District Judge Kelsey E. Friend Jr., following an article in the News-Express published in last Friday’s edition.

That article mentioned evidence brought up during a hearing outside the jury about a previous similar allegation leveled against Bentley when he was a teacher at Elkhorn City Middle School.

No charges were brought and the allegation was never corroborated.

Friend has set a trial date of Aug. 25 in the case.

The previous Jenkins superintendent, John Shook, told the News-Express in April that the school system was waiting for the outcome of the case to make a decision.