A high school basketball coach lost his job after he was caught on camera angrily pulling one of his player's ponytails on the sidelines.
On Friday night, 81-year-old Northville High School girls' basketball coach Jim Zullo was recorded puling his player Hailey Monroe's hair following a game. Monroe was seen crying on the sideline when Zullo approached her from behind and yanked her ponytail.
Monroe then appeared to walk off with a teammate when Zullo turned his aggression towards her. According to CBS 6 Albany, Monroe, a senior and the school's all-time leading scorer, had fouled out of the game that Northville High eventually lost.
Zullo told NEWS10 ABC that Monroe cursed him out after he told her to shake hands with the other team after the loss. Monroe and her family have not responded to Zullo's claims. The Northville Central School District released a statement to the community denouncing the actions of Zullo, while adding he was fired and would never coach in the district again.
"The Northville Central School District is aware of, and deeply disturbed by, the conduct of the Coach of the Girls' Varsity basketball team during the Class D New York State championship game. We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable," read the statement. "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. This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District."
Zullo apologized for his actions, according to NBC affiliate WNYT of Albany.
"I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools and our community," he said. "As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry."