Two Alabama high school football coaches resigned amid an uproar caused by disturbing practice videos that spread rapidly online, Breitbart reported.
Drew Gilmer, the head coach, and Adam Helms, the defensive coordinator at Hoover High School, made their exit following the unveiling of footage showing them engaging in inappropriate conduct with players.
The public's outcry and legal scrutiny surrounding the revelations led to their premature career conclusion at the high school.
Earlier this week, disturbing content surfaced on the internet, one particular video depicting a coach forcibly removing a student's helmet and another involving inappropriate gestures towards a player's face. These actions sparked immediate concern and resulted in the coaches being placed on administrative leave by Tuesday, only a few days after the videos first appeared.
Further footage showed a more aggressive incident where a coach pulled off a player's helmet and threw it, causing the teenager to topple over. These visuals alone fueled widespread distress within the community and among stakeholders.
The Hoover City School System, while refraining from naming individuals, recognized the severe impact these incidents had on all involved. A statement confirmed the immediate focus on safeguarding student and staff well-being.
Amidst growing outrage, the school system has emphasized its intention to extend its full support to affected football players and their current coaching staff, reinforcing their commitment to safety as paramount.
Alabama State Representative and attorney Juandalyn Givan, stepped forward to represent one of the players at the center of the controversy, specifically implicating Drew Gilmer in the inappropriate actions. The police have triggered an investigation with special emphasis on these grievances, led by the Hoover Police Department's Special Victims Unit.
"A video has gone viral depicting acts by the Hoover High School head football coach Drew Gilmer," stated Givan. "The acts committed are extreme and beyond bounds of decency expected from an educator," she added, highlighting the severity of the misconduct involved.
Public and legal backlash followed swiftly, with the community and parents demanding accountability and assurances that such behavior would be decisively dealt with.
"We are here as legal counsel for a family whose child has been subjected to an unacceptable ordeal," Givan commented, framing the legal angle her representation would pursue.
She pointed out the inappropriate physical contact described in the videos, which she deemed not only unlawful but also morally reprehensible.
"It has everything to do with what was depicted on the video, in an instance, that left pause and concern... not just in Alabama, but throughout the sports industry as a whole," Givan explained, indicating the potential broader implications of such behavior in sports.
Givan's charge against the coach suggested a violation not just of legal standards, but of the trust placed in educators by students, parents, and the community.
