Embattled Amherst Music Teacher Surrenders Education Credential

CONCORD, NH — An embattled music teacher in Amherst has surrendered his educational credentials with the New Hampshire Department of Education.

In an agreement with the department, Carl Benevides, a suspended music teacher at Souhegan High School, voluntarily surrendered his experienced educator credential with music education endorsement resulting in a revocation of his ability to teach at a public school in New Hampshire. The case involved an accusation of “inappropriate professional boundaries with a student” dating back to 2000.

“These allegations did not involve a current student and did not involve any allegation of criminal conduct,” the department stated on the latest list of revoked or suspended educator credentials.

Benevides was suspended in February. He had been a teacher with SAU 39 for nearly 22 years.

Benevides, in a note posted in the private Amherst NH Community Facebook Group, where he protested the lack of due process after being suspended, said the allegations stemmed from when he was teaching in Londonderry.

"I was notified by the SAU 39 attorney that Superintendent (Adam) Steel heard that I left Londonderry High School amidst allegations of inappropriate conduct with a student," he wrote last month. "At that point, Superintendent Steel filed a case with the Department of Education as a mandatory reporter. After giving my permission to open my Londonderry employee file, nothing negative was found."

The mandatory reporting process are education rules for teachers and administrators called Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics, approved in 2018. They require all educators certified by the state of New Hampshire to report potential or known allegations of wrongdoing. Administrators and educators can lose their certifications if they fail to report incidents or allegations.

Benevides said he left Londonderry “with glowing letters of recommendations” and still maintained “positive relationships with Londonderry music staff and former students.”

The department has closed its investigation of the matter as part of the surrender agreement.

Benevides was embattled before the investigation by the state. He was on leave for a little more than three months at the beginning of the school year and was reinstated in early December 2021. A number of students, in posts online and in the school newspaper, expressed concern and disappointment about the decision. A petition at Change.org, which is still active, was launched and had nearly 1,300 requests to bring him back to class.

The petition claimed the issue was about Benevides taking home air purifiers that he later returned. On Dec. 8, 2021, Steel and Benevides came to an agreement whereby he would return to class for the remainder of the school year and he would resign on June 30.

The surrender of the credential means Benevides can no longer teach in a public school. He could, however, teach in nonpublic schools that do not require teacher certification by the state.

Steel was on leave and unable to comment on the case.

An email to Steve Chamberlin, the acting school superintendent, was not returned before post time.

No statement was available on the school website about Benevides at post time.

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