Newberry High School (NHS) has brought back Ed Johnson as football coach, Main Street Daily News reported.
“Coach Johnson has resumed his role as head football coach as of this morning,” Newberry Athletics Director Brian Roundtree wrote in an email.
Mr Roundtree asked NHS Principal James Shepherd for more information, but he did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The return ends a crazy 24 hours for the Newberry High School athletic department.
WCJB reported Tuesday that the NHS fired Johnson following the Jan. 31 complaint.
“I was shocked,” Johnson told WCJB.
Shepard immediately reported the complaint to human resources, and the investigation was closed last week, the report said.
The school has not released details of the investigation, but it is expected to become public record on March 18, according to WCJB.
WCJB also reported that Johnson continues to work as a physical education teacher, but it was unclear whether he is still the school's varsity softball coach.
“At this time, he is only returning as a football coach,” Roundtree wrote in response to a question about Johnson's status as softball coach.
Many people, including parents, signed an online petition to show support for Mr Johnson.
Johnson did not respond to requests for comment on this story.
Newberry hired Johnson in 2019 after a 1-9 season in 2018.
Since then, he has achieved many successes.
The Panthers have made the playoffs in all four seasons, including a 9-3 record and a berth in the district semifinals this November, but Hawthorne, the eventual state champion in the Class 1R district, The game ended with a 27-7 loss. 4 Semifinals.
Newberry went 37-18 in Johnson's five seasons as head coach.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and may be updated.
