Below is the article from todays Times-Journal FORT PAYNE — Student-athletes and their parents complained to the superintendent that former Fyffe coach Neal Thrash “bullied the players.” That, apparently, led to the coach’s dismissal. Court records are providing the first public glimpse into why DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Hugh Taylor fired Thrash after a successful coaching career. Thrash remains an assistant principal at Fyffe School and has filed a petition in DeKalb County Circuit Court to be reinstated as the Red Devils’ boys basketball coach. He lost that job April 4 when Taylor and Assistant Superintendent Brian Thomas showed up at the school to hand-deliver a letter to Principal Ricky Bryant for Thrash. Thrash then offered his resignation and soon changed his mind, but it didn’t matter to Taylor. The first-term superintendent said there had been an “investigation” before Thrash’s resignation and considered Thrash off the job. In a motion filed Aug. 6, Huntsville attorney Taylor P. Brooks — representing Taylor and members of the school board — describes the reasons Taylor says he relieved Thrash of his coaching duties. “During the 2013-14 school year, Mr. Taylor received complaints from parents and students that Thrash mistreated male basketball players at Fyffe High School,” according to the complaint. “Mr. Taylor received reports from parents and players that Thrash pushed a student into a wall, slapped students in the head, verbally abused and cursed at his players, made students chant ‘I suck,’ and threw basketballs at players. Essentially it was reported to Mr. Taylor that Thrash bullied the players.” The motion says Taylor discussed the allegations with Thrash and Bryant, and that Thrash denied some allegations and admitted others. When asked for clarification by the Times-Journal, Brooks declined to say which allegations were admitted and which were denied. “You’re asking information about specific students’ complaints, and I don’t think I’m at liberty to discuss what they complained about to Mr. Taylor. I can’t comment on that right now,” he said in an interview Wednesday. The motion to dismiss says that Taylor sent Thrash a written clarification on or about June 10 to say his April 4 notice placed him on administrative leave from coaching duties with pay, and that he was not suspended. Thrash’s attorney, Emily Hawk Mills, of Gadsden, did not return a call seeking comment. Taylor and Thomas did not return messages from the newspaper. Thrash is a DeKalb County native who played football and basketball at Fyffe and has degrees from Northeast Alabama Community College, Jacksonville State University and the University of Alabama. He has taught at Crossville and Collinsville. At Collinsville, he led the Panthers boys basketball team to the county tournament title four straight years, from 1994-97. Collinsville made the 1995 Final Four. At Fyffe since 2004, Thrash led the Red Devils to the program’s first appearance in the Northeast Regional tournament. The 2013-14 team won the Sand Mountain, DeKalb County and Class 2A, Area 12 tournaments. Thrash compiled a 451-233 varsity coaching record at Collinsville and Fyffe.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 01:12:19 +0000
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