A former English teacher who gave up his state teaching credentials after admitting to inappropriate communications with a female student is now coaching youth wrestling classes at Four Star MMA in Maricopa.

Blake Young, a Marine veteran, came under investigation in early 2023 when Maricopa police received a tip that he might be in a sexual relationship with his student, according to a 12-page police report released Aug. 22.

The investigation said Young, 29 at the time, and the 10th-grade Maricopa Unified School District student exchanged more than 800 text messages, some of which were sexual in nature. Young admitted to detectives that his communications with the girl went beyond a normal teacher-student relationship, calling them “more personal than any other student,” and acknowledged “lapses in judgment,” including sending her a photo of a flag reading “born to eat ass” and sealing a birthday card with a note saying, “I licked this.”

Detectives described Young’s behavior as “concerning” and appearing to be “grooming,” according to the report, and warned him about his conduct. However, no charges were filed because the student declined to participate in a forensic interview and her mother did not want to pursue the case.

The Arizona Department of Education subsequently opened a disciplinary investigation. Records show Young voluntarily surrendered his teaching certificates, with the agency citing “allegations that Educator Young engaged in inappropriate and unprofessional conduct with a female student, including inappropriate text messages that were sexual in nature.”

Young has since taken a position coaching children at Four Star MMA, 16000 N. Maricopa Road. Owner Hamilton Ash vigorously defended him in an email to InMaricopa yesterday, saying the incident is being unfairly revived. A parent of a Four Star student had brought the issue to InMaricopa in August.

Ash acknowledged Young’s messages that police described as “inappropriate.” But he said in the email that they were “taken out of context in a way that makes them sound worse.”

“The fact remains that there has never been a criminal charge, never been a conviction, and the case was closed by law enforcement,” he wrote.

Ash noted Young’s Marine Corps service and that he lost his 6-year-old child during his high school teaching tenure. He said Four Star operates under strict safety protocols, including an open-door policy for parents and a rule that coaches are never alone with children.

“The safety of our students is our highest priority, and we are transparent with families about our practices,” Ash said.

Added Ash: “Presenting this as a current or substantiated threat is misleading and risks causing unnecessary harm to families, to my business, and to individuals who have already endured great personal loss.”

Young did not respond to a request for comment. Read the full police report here.