A middle school girls’ basketball coach in West Virginia has been charged with assault and battery of a student after an incident took place during last week’s game.
Sarah Bell, the coach of the Tygart Valley Middle School team, stepped in to separate two girls who had started a physical altercation in the middle of the game at Tygart Valley Middle/High School. According to 12 WBOY News, deputies reported that Bell, “grabbed a player by the throat,” when separating the student-athletes.
12 WBOY News also reported that “While pushing that juvenile back, Bell ‘drew back her right fist as if to punch the juvenile,’ according to the complaint.” That student-athlete later reported that she thought Bell was going to hit her.
The Randolph County Board of Education accepted Bell’s resignation at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Bell posted a $200 cash bond and pled ‘not guilty’ to one count of assault and one count of battery, both misdemeanors.
Parents and community members weighed in on the BOE Facebook post regarding Bell’s resignation. Many of them expressed outrage that Bell and not the students face punishment. Some questioned why it was Bell and not the referee to step in and break up the fight. The incident left many parents questioning what the right action would have been in that moment.
Bell’s resignation comes just days after another West Virginian teacher and coach was fired from Princeton High School. Wrestling coach, Travis Francisco, has been named in seven criminal counts and remains in jail on $250,000 bond after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
This week’s middle school girls’ basketball games at Tygart Valey Middle School have been canceled with no reschedule dates available.
