Jeffco Schools Removes Wheat Ridge High's Football Coach
WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - Wheat Ridge High School's head football coach will not be allowed to return to the sidelines next season.
An investigation into his behavior confirmed that coach Reid Kahl had sent an abusive message to a former player over Facebook.
Kahl told CBS4 the message, which included profanity, was sent because he was reacting as a father protecting his son.
His comments came after the school's newspaper published an article written by a former player that was critical over Kahl naming his son, a freshman, the starting quarterback.
Kahl said he has since apologized for his rant. He said his son has "endured a great deal of hazing and bullying."
The Jeffco School District chose not to fire Kahl. He has been transfered to a different school district, and the school he will teach at has not been revealed. Kahl will teach gym at the new school but he will not be allowed to coach.
There is mixed reaction in the Wheat Ridge community to how the district handled the situation.
Scott Weakland told CBS4 last month administrators were looking into Kahl because of complaints from parents and players about his coaching.
"He hated all of the parents. He hated all the kids. And he wasn't afraid to say that," parent Scott Weakland said.
Weakland says Kahl used abusive and humiliating coaching tactics, even when his team was winning.
"He walked over to my kid and called him a (swear word)," Weakland said. "And he threw down his notepad and said 'I'm through with you guys' and he walked out."
One football player on the team CBS4 interviewed said Kahl was never a bully.
"No, never," said Jordan Jones, who says he enrolled at Wheat Ridge specifically to play for Kahl. "Coach Kahl just joked around and if anybody thought he was a bully he'd go up to them and say 'Hey, I didn't mean it like that. You know I was joking around with you.' "
