High School Girls Basketball Coach Under Investigation After Pulling Star Athlete's Ponytail After The Team Lost
The coach has already been terminated and says his behavior was "unacceptable."
FatCamera | Getty Images Signature | Canva Pro A former high school girls' basketball coach in upstate New York is under fire following a shocking incident caught on video in which he berated members of his team following a loss. A video of the incident has sparked outrage and has left some calling for assault charges to be filed.
The high school coach pulled an athlete's hair and berated her teammate for sticking up for her.
The incident occurred in Troy, New York, at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D Finals held at Hudson Valley Community College. The Northville High School varsity girls' basketball team lost 43-37 to their rivals La Fargeville at that final, leaving members of the team, including star player Hailey Monroe, visibly upset.
As Monroe cried on the sidelines, the team's award-winning coach Jim Zullo was caught on video walking up behind Monroe and violently tugging on her ponytail so hard it appeared to knock her off-balance.
Her shocked teammate, Ahmya Tompkins, who is also Zullo's great-niece, could then be seen intervening, only to be berated by Zullo in return, who was seen jabbing his finger in both girls' faces and yelling at them.
The coach was immediately fired over the incident, which he admitted was 'inappropriate.'
In a Facebook post shortly after the game, the Northville Central School District said it was "disturbed" by the incident and announced that Zullo had been fired because of his "completely unacceptable" handling of the situation.
“The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve," the district wrote. "This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District.”
Zullo, in turn, issued a statement of his own, expressing his regret over the incident, in which he offered his "sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools and our community." He added, "As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry."
An investigation is now under way, though no criminal charges have been filed.
In a statement of its own, Hudson Valley Community College confirmed that it had launched an investigation into the incident "in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies," though Troy police confirmed Saturday that no criminal charges had been filed.
Online, people have called for Zullo to face charges, however. Many have called the incident assault, and a poll by a local media outlet shows readers overwhelmingly feel Zullo should face criminal charges. Others have noted that after a distinguished coaching career that includes induction into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, Zullo will now instead be remembered for this incident.
In his statement, Zullo, who came out of retirement to coach Northville's team, acknowledged that the past year has been difficult for him and his family following his wife's passing and that his time coaching at Northville has been a bright spot during that struggle. "I know each [team member] will go on to do great things, and I wish them well," he added.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.