Update, Aug. 28, 2023 at 2:00 PM:
An Atlanta area high school coach was relieved of his duties as a lay coach after he appeared to punch a player during a game.
Cell phone video shows a coach for Benjamin E. Mays High School football team yell at a player and punch him in the abdomen during a game between Mays and Douglas County high schools on Saturday, Aug. 26.
The coach, who has not been identified, was taken into custody by a police officer and charged with simple battery. He was later relieved of all duties as a lay coach by the school district.
Mays High School was ahead 12-0 at the time of the incident. They eventually lost to Douglas County by a score of 42-48.
The volunteer coach is not a classroom instructor, according to Total Pro Sports.
The Atlanta Public School System issued a statement to FOX 5 Atlanta that read in part:
“The adult will be charged with simple battery and faces administrative charges from the district as well.
“The safety and well-being of all APS students remains a high priority for the district and all APS employees are held to the highest standard of conduct and professionalism.”
Fox News reported that the incident took place about two weeks after several brawls broke out during a Benjamin E. Mays High School football scrimmage.
In a statement to Sandrarose.com on Monday, the school district denied saying “teens and adults” were involved in the fistfights.
The district statement reads:
“Atlanta Public Schools Police is coordinating with Atlanta Police to bolster safety and security measures in and around Lakewood Stadium and
Henderson Stadium, in response to a number of fights between groups of
students at the conclusion of a scrimmage between two APS high schools at
Lakewood last Friday, Aug. 11. A significant presence of APS officers and
Zone 3 APD officers were already on site at last week’s scrimmage, due to
APS Police receiving a report of possible gun violence prior to the game.
Officers secured and cleared the area by 11:30 p.m., and no injuries were
reported.The safety and security of students, parents, employees, and other
stakeholders attending our events is a top priority for APS and is a shared
responsibility. As such, moving forward, along with added security at our
stadium sites, parents are asked to either attend games with their children
or make sure they are picked up and taken home promptly following the
conclusion of a game.”
Black Twitter responded to the viral punch over the weekend. Some former high school athletes said they were punched by their coaches and that discipline is an expected part of the sport.
Watch the video below.
