(UPDATE) High School Parts Ways With Assistant Coach Connected to Beating
[Update 1:55 p.m.] The archiocese has released a statement saying the assistant coach was not fired, but resigned when confronted about the matter. The archdiocese has also released a statement of support from Archbishop Charles Chaput for the school.
The following statement came from Stephanie Brophy, associate director of communications for the archdiocese:
I have a clarification on this matter. I am just being informed by Archbishop Wood High School that the coach resigned when confronted about the matter. Had he not done so, he would have been terminated.
Also, a statement from Archbishop Chaput is below for you.
“A key part of a Catholic education is forming students to respect the dignity of every human person whether we agree with them or not. What students do with that formation when they enter the adult world determines their own maturity and dignity, or their lack of it. Violence against anyone, simply because of who they are, is inexcusable and alien to what it means to be a Christian. A recent beating incident in Center City allegedly involved, in some way, a part-time coach at Archbishop Wood High School. After inquiries by school leadership, the coach was contacted regarding the matter and he resigned. Archbishop Wood’s handling of the matter was appropriate, and I support their efforts to ensure that Catholic convictions guide the behavior of their whole school community, including their staff.”
[Original] Multiple news outlets are reporting that Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster has fired an assistant basketball coach in connection with last week’s beating of a gay couple in Center City.
The school, earlier on Wednesday, issued a public statement decrying the incident.
Sources told NBC10 some of the alleged attackers were alumni of Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pa. A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia told NBC10 that one of the persons of interest was also the assistant basketball coach at Archbishop Wood.
“He was not a teacher at the school but serving as a coach on a contract basis. He was terminated this evening and will not be permitted to coach in any Archdiocesan school,” the spokesperson said. “We expect all those who work with students in our schools to model appropriate Christian behavior at all times.”
CBS Philly adds that the individual “will not be allowed to coach at any Archdiocesan school.”
The Daily News identified the terminated coach as Fran McGlinn, a 25-year-old graduate of the school. And the paper added to news of the ongoing investigation: “Some of those ‘persons of interest’ were seen walking into the Central Detective Division late last night with their lawyers. No arrests had been made in the case as of last night.”
