NEW ORLEANS — A football coach is on leave pending an investigation at George Washington Carver High School. The acting head coach is accused of getting physical with a player during a game earlier this month.
Irene Amaker says the coach mishandled her son on the sidelines of a game on September 7th.
“The coach had verbally abused him and also assaulted him by grabbing him by the face helmet and slinging him, busting his lip,” said Amaker.
Amaker says the school did not notify her.
“Y’all are supposed to protect him at all times,” she said. “Even if he had a scrape on the elbow the nurse’s job is to call and say ‘hey mom your child has a scrape but he’s ok.’ When were you all going to do that? We shouldn’t have to call you all about this, it should have already been brought to us. So, it seems like y’all are hiding these things and trying to cover up these things.”
Amaker emailed officials at Collegiate Academies on the 10th and received a response from the district’s chief of staff on the 12th. In that email Read Irvin told Amaker “The interaction between the student and the coach was inappropriate and we will cooperate with any plans you have, including filing a report with NOPD.”
At the time of the email, the coach was still on the staff, he conducted a practice that evening and approached Amaker who was at the school to file a report with the police.
“He told me the things that I’m hearing are just rumors,” said Amaker. “When he said that it made me upset because now you are not taking accountability.”
In a phone conversation with WWL-TV’s Whitney Miller the coach says the allegations against him are false. He admits to interacting with Amaker’s son on the 7th but says it was not to the extent of what Amaker claims.
The New Orleans Police Department told WWL-TV there is an open investigation into the incident which NOPD determined to be “a miscellaneous incident.”
In a statement, A spokesperson for G.W. Carver High School told WWL the coach was placed on leave until an investigation is complete.
“Carver is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment for our student athletes. We are aware of an incident that occurred during Thursday's game and are investigating.”
The coach in question claims the allegations are a form of retaliation because he was recently named the interim head coach.
Amaker says that is false.
“He [Amaker’s Son] said ‘mom, there are so many things that are going on’ he said he didn’t want to say anything at the time because he didn’t want to add on to what was going on. It’s no retaliation at all. I don’t know him [the coach] personally or the other coaches, however I really don’t care about none of what is going on. My main thing is my child, he was assaulted, he was verbally abused. That is just that.”
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