News Summary
Significant changes in West High School’s football coaching staff follow an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, raising safety concerns within the program.
Knoxville — An internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving football coaches at West High School has led to significant changes in the coaching staff, according to findings released by Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk. The investigation was initiated after allegations surfaced on April 3, prompting a thorough administrative inquiry into the actions of coaches, athletics directors, and principals at the school.
As part of the investigation, it was discovered that there was a severe lack of oversight within the West High football program. Multiple assistant coaches who were hired and supervised by head coach Lamar Brown faced allegations of criminal activity and gross misconduct. Notably, several staff members failed to report the misconduct to law enforcement or the Department of Children’s Services, which is a violation of Knox County Schools (KCS) policies. These findings have raised serious concerns about the safety of students within the athletic program.
In response to the investigation, several consequences were enacted:
- Chad Brooks, a teacher and assistant football coach, received a written reprimand and had his contract not renewed.
- Richard Shaver, a non-faculty assistant football coach, resigned from his position.
- Shetaria Neal, an educational assistant, was terminated from her role.
- Lamar Brown was relieved of his coaching duties and reassigned as a teacher, though he did not face criminal charges.
- Kelley Carr, a teacher, also received a written reprimand and was reassigned.
Additional investigations uncovered previous undisclosed incidents related to athletics at West High and other Knox County schools. Dr. Rysewyk emphasized that KCS has a zero-tolerance policy for any inappropriate behavior and considers student safety a top priority. The school district plans to implement more stringent hiring practices for coaching candidates over the next two years, as well as enhanced training requirements for all West High staff regarding Title IX violations and proper student-staff relationships.
The review also includes significant updates to the district’s athletics handbook to improve policies and practices. The emotional toll this situation has taken on students and families has been acknowledged, with officials expressing concern about the trust families place in schools to keep their children safe.
While the administrative investigation by KCS has concluded, criminal investigations by the Knoxville Police Department are still ongoing. Chad Brooks was arrested on May 9, facing charges of aggravated statutory rape by an authority figure. Richard Shaver was indicted on May 21 on multiple counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and attempted sexual battery.
The handling of these incidents by KCS has drawn backlash, with Brown’s attorney asserting the coach’s innocence. In light of these developments, Barron Chandler has been appointed as the new head football coach, tasked with restoring stability to the West High football program during this turbulent time.
Superintendent Dr. Rysewyk reaffirmed the commitment of KCS to prioritize student safety in all administrative actions and program oversight, emphasizing that the district is taking necessary steps to ensure such incidents do not occur in the future.
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Additional Resources
- WATE: Knox County Schools Superintendent to Discuss West High School
- Wikipedia: Title IX
- WBIR: West High Investigation
- Google Search: West High School Knoxville
- Knox News: West High School Names New Football Coach
- Google Scholar: Coaching Misconduct
- SI: West High Names New Football Coach Amid Investigation
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Football (Sport)
- WYMT: School District Investigating Coach Video
- Google News: Knox County Schools
