A Texas high school football coach has resigned following an inquiry that revealed he struck two players with a wooden handle, the school district superintendent confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday.
Seth Hobbs, the former head football coach at Mineral Wells High School, resigned on April 12 after the school district’s investigation discovered he had hit the players with a broom/mop handle. Superintendent John Kuhn of the Mineral Wells Independent School District shared this information.
Kuhn explained that the wooden handle is connected to a Nerf football used for practice drills, and the incident occurred on April 6.
“Other students were present in the locker room and witnessed this incident,” the school district said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports. “An investigation quickly determined that the students were indeed struck by Coach Hobbs with the broom handle.”
Hobbs, who also held the position of boys athletic director at the school located 50 miles west of Fort Worth, declined to comment when contacted by USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday.
School District Investigates and Takes Action on the Incident
Authorities and the Department of Family and Protective Services were informed about the incident, which prompted the assignment of a special investigator. The district office confirmed that the investigation is still underway.
Although the district administration removed Hobbs from his coaching role, they offered him a different position under a new two-year contract. However, Hobbs rejected the reassignment, resigning effective June 30, and will remain on administrative leave for the rest of the academic year, as stated by the school district.
Superintendent Kuhn mentioned that a photo of one of the students with a visible mark from the incident had been circulated on social media.
“School systems are responsible for protecting students’ physical safety and their mental health and for maintaining a student-centered, professional school culture where students are treated with dignity, respect, and kindness,” the district said. “To ensure these obligations are met, (the school district) must ensure that staff members adhere to school district policies and professional best practices. This case represents a clear violation of district policy that simply cannot be minimized or ignored.”
As reported by the Weatherford Democrat, Hobbs took on the role of athletic director in Mineral Wells in January 2021. Prior to that, he held positions as a defensive coordinator, strength and conditioning coach, and U.S. history teacher.
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