The head football coach of Arab High School was arrested Thursday on allegations he sent obscene photos to a male student from the school.
Lee Ozmint, whose bio also lists him as a teacher, was charged with distributing or soliciting obscene material to or from a student under the age of 19 while being a school employee, Arab Police Chief Shane Washburn told AL.com.
Ozmint was released from the Arab city jail after posting bond, Washburn said.
Efforts by AL.com to reach Ozmint were unsuccessful.
A case against Ozmint was not yet in online state court records.
Ozmint has been the head coach at Arab since 2019. He has led the team to a 38-18 overall record and four straight playoff appearances.
On Thursday evening, Arab City Schools acknowledged it learned of “unprofessional and inappropriate communications between an Arab High School teacher and student.”
The statement, posted on social media, did not indicate that the teacher was also a coach. It also did not name the school employee allegedly involved in the incident.
“Earlier this week, Arab City Schools officials were made aware of unprofessional and inappropriate communications between an Arab High School teacher and student. As soon as the administration was made aware of the allegations, Arab City Schools officials contacted law enforcement and launched an internal investigation. As part of this internal investigation, the teacher in question was placed on administrative leave and not allowed to be on any Arab City Schools’ campus,” the post stated.
“This situation evolved rapidly. The investigating officials interviewed both the teacher and student and investigated other relevant information as it arose during the process. At this time, the teacher remains on administrative leave and is not allowed on any campus. Once the team completes its investigation, they will work with the Superintendent to determine the best course of action for resolving the situation, including any applicable disciplinary action for the teacher,” the statement went on to say.
“To ensure that it protects the rights of all involved, Arab City Schools will not be sharing any additional information at this time - including the names of the teacher or student involved. Arab City Schools does not condone any unprofessional or inappropriate behavior between faculty and students. Most importantly, the Superintendent and all members of the Arab City Schools team emphasize that the safety and security of our students is our highest priority, and the team will take no action that would jeopardize that safety.”
Ozmint’s 2022 Arab team went 11-2 and lost at Pleasant Grove in two overtimes in the Class 5A state quarterfinals.
He also spent 10 years as the head coach at Glencoe High from 2006-2015, accumulating a 77-37 record. He led the Yellow Jackets to seven straight playoff appearances.
Ozmint, a native of Anderson, S.C., played football for Alabama in the late 1980s and eventually earned a law degree. He served as a lawyer in Tuscaloosa and Gadsden before moving into coaching.
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