Scott Benjamin Crumpler was almost an hour away from wrapping up his weight training class and ending his workday at Southwest Miami Senior High School when a school security guard showed up and asked him to come with him.

Crumpler’s students thought he would come back shortly. But he did not.

Officers from the school police department had arrested Crumpler, 26, an assistant football coach, along with two other coaches for creating bogus after-school classes with phantom students — and then cashing in on extra pay for those classes, which they never taught.

Two more coaches who formerly taught at Southwest but worked this year at Booker T. Washington Senior High School also were arrested.

Jeffery Farno, 37; Godwal Viera, 39; P. Michael Fox, 51; Noel Figueroa, 37, and Crumpler, were arrested after a months-long joint investigation between the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the public school police department. The coaches were paid more than $25,000 for work they never did.

“This concerns us and we’re taking it very seriously,” said School Board Spokesman Alberto Carvalho, adding that until the matter is cleared, the teachers cannot have contact with the students. “These five individuals will be reassigned.”

At least two of the men have had serious financial problems. According to court records, Viera and Figueroa had filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and 1993 respectively.

“All I want to say is that when this is all over, I will be exonerated,” said Viera, of Miami. The others could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Don Ungurait, spokesman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, said the investigation started because of an unrelated investigation into grade changing, where coaches at other schools would fix the grades of students who were about to be kicked off a team because of a low grade-point average.

According to the arrest affidavit, Farno, of Miramar, approached Southwest Principal George Montada in early 1999 and asked him to set up a seventh-period class he could teach. Montada told him that decision belonged to night school principal, Anthony De la Luz, but he was a friend and he could get him to do it.

Carvalho, the school board spokesman, said the day principal had to approve night school credits for day school students who wanted those credits transferred to day classes. Ungurait would not confirm or deny whether any other school officials might be implicated.

“The investigation continues,” Ungurait said.

De la Luz agreed to create the class as long as there was a limit of 24 students per teacher and as long as “As” were not awarded just for showing up, Ungurait said. The courses were then listed in the names of Fox and Crumpler because they were the only ones who were certified to teach physical education, he said. The affidavit alleges that Farno asked Crumpler, Viera and Fox to get the names of students to enroll in the class dubbed “Beginning Wrestling.”

Ungurait said investigators interviewed dozens of students who showed up in the class’ rosters, but said they did not even know they were enrolled.

Farno allegedly taught three bogus courses between April 1999 and April 2000. Crumpler, of southwest Miami-Dade, allegedly taught four courses in the same period, Viera taught three, Fox taught four and Figueroa two. The affidavit said no curriculum was ever prepared and no tests were ever given. Police also obtained sign-in sheets where the men supposedly clocked in and out of their classes.

As the news spread throughout the school, it shocked students. Fox was a 17-year veteran of the school system, Crumpler had been there five years, Figueroa five years, Farno 12 years and Viera 14 years.

“I know I feel confused,” said Ronnie Rolle, 17, a former football cornerback. “I’m worried about them. I really like them. They are good teachers.”

Robert Traab, 18, a senior, said he cannot believe the accusations.

“As far as I know, he’s [Crumpler] a good coach,” said Traab. “He’s a big part of the team and I don’t think he’s the type of person who’d do that.”

The charges against the men range from official misconduct to grand theft. Ungurait said four men would be set free on a $10,000 bond, but Fox would have to post $20,000 bail because he is charged with more than 74 counts, including six felony charges. Ungurait said each man could face up to five years in prison for each felony charge and one year for each misdemeanor charge.

Staff Writer Margarita Martin-Hidalgo and Staff Researcher Patricia Parker contributed to this report

JosM-i Dante Parra Herrera can be reached at or 305-810-5005.