Hallsville residents demand basketball coach to be reinstated at board meeting
HALLSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)
During a Wednesday night Board of Education meeting, Hallsville residents demanded the district to reinstate a coach who was put on leave.
Varsity boys basketball head coach Brandon Crites was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 2.
District spokesperson Kari Yeagy wrote in an email to ABC 17 News on Dec. 10 that Crites was placed on leave “pending an ongoing investigation conducted by an external agency.” Multiple local law enforcement agencies have told ABC 17 News since Dec. 10 that they were not investigating Crites.
Crites – who is not a teacher in the Hallsville school district -- had initially been removed from his coaching duties on Nov. 25. Documents provided to ABC 17 News indicate that he had been reinstated on Nov. 27.
The Hallsville Board of Education calendar shows that two special meetings were held on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 that listed “personnel matters” on its agendas. Wednesday night’s agenda also included “personnel matters” to be discussed during a closed session, though board members declined to comment on what occurred at the end of the meeting.
Attendees at a Dec. 12 Hallsville basketball game in Centralia had told ABC 17 News that some sort of incident may have occurred during a practice. Attendees at Wednesday night’s board meeting had reiterated similar sentiments during public comment.
The original incident allegedly involved a player posting a video on social media that included a slur. Crites allegedly gave a punishment that involved the contents of the video. Five attendees at Wednesday night’s meeting reiterated similar stories to ABC 17 News.
Three parents and State Rep. Cheri Toalson Resich (R-Hallsville) spoke in support of Crites during public comment. They were met with applause from those in attendance after each statement.
One attendee voiced frustration that the initial statement from the school led to “increased speculation” on the incident. That attendee demanded a public apology and claimed Crites was trying to teach players about “inappropriate use of social media.”
