A Mays High School lay football coach appeared to strike a player in the stomach during a timeout in a game Saturday afternoon, and the coach is in police custody and will be charged with simple battery, according to Atlanta Public Schools.
“A lay coach for Mays High School, who is not a classroom instructor, is in police custody after an incident that occurred on the sideline during the school’s game this afternoon against Douglas County High School,” APS media relations director Seth Coleman said in a statement. “Video from the live broadcast of the game appears to show the lay coach physically assaulting a player. The adult ... 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,” the statement said.
Lay coaches, called community coaches by the Georgia High School Association, are coaching assistants who do not teach in the school or hold professional certification. They must complete a GHSA training program.
The video of the game, televised by Peachtree TV, shows the coach striking the player, who then doubled over but remained on his feet. Atlanta News First first reported the news.
Mays lost the game to Douglas County 48-42. It was one of three games played Saturday at Henderson Stadium in Midtown as part of the Great Atlanta Bash, a two-day event featuring five APS teams playing mostly non-district opponents.
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