AMHERST – Roughly five months after Souhegan students, parents and community members rallied in support of music teacher Carl Benevides after he was placed on administrative leave, and two months after he was reinstated, the popular longtime teacher and band director has again been placed on leave pending an investigation into what authorities called “alleged inappropriate contact with a former student.”

Neither SAU 39 Superintendent Adam Steel nor state Department of Education commissioner Frank Edelblut indicated whether Benevides’ two leaves within three months are for reasons that are related, or if they involve separate sets of allegations.

The current investigation is being conducted by the Department of Education, according to a statement that Steel issued Monday.

It’s not known whether the DOE was involved in the earlier investigation, which led to Benevides’ first administrative leave in late September. He was reinstated Dec. 9.

According to news reports at the time, as well as a series of written contributions by students to “The Claw,” Souhegan’s digital magazine, the circumstances surrounding the action remained unclear some two months later, a student wrote in a Nov. 27 issue of The Claw.

The statement Steel issued Monday provides few details, other than Benevides’ alleged misconduct “does not involve any current students,” and that school officials placed Benevides on paid administrative leave “in response to the NHDOE investigation.”

Steel noted that “while no determination has been made by the NHDOE about these allegations, SAU 39 recognizes the severity of these allegations and does not tolerate or condone inappropriate behavior towards students.”

Meanwhile, a statement issued later Monday by DOE spokeswoman Kimberly Houghton said only that the DOE “is not able to comment on any investigations with regard to a particular educator,” and that “all allegations of educator misconduct – regardless of when they might have occurred – are of paramount importance, and the department works diligently with its partners to address any and all such claims swiftly and with fairness to all involved.”

Benevides has served as Souhegan music teacher, and has been the school’s Director of Bands and Music Technology for nearly 22 years.

He has also been the director of Jazz Ensemble and Combo at Philips Exeter Academy since 2013, and has directed the Youth Jazz Ensemble as well as taught saxophone at the Manchester Community Music School for 14 years.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.