ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. — Southern Alamance High School's football coach who was suspended from teaching has been reinstated as a teacher at a different school.
ABSS said the board of education approved Walter Hessenthaler's reassignment to Alamance Virtual School in a closed session Monday night.
The district said Hessenthaler's coaching duties will not be reinstated at this time. ABSS said coaching is considered an 'added duty,' where there is no formal process of removal or possible approval to come back.
Hessenthaler, better known as Coach Fritz, was removed from his role as head football coach at Southern Alamance in November. He was also suspended from teaching without pay.
Last month, WFMY News 2 spoke to students and parents who attended a rally in support of Hessenthaler. They said it all started due to rumors about him being violent with a senior football player Chandler Clontz.
Clontz admitted the coach grabbed his collar, but said it's just Hessenthaler's coaching style.
“When he yelled at me that night he goes, 'Why are we not trying?' He says that because he knows that this year's team has the talent to go all the way this year and win it all," Clontz said. "I was not upset about it because I knew that because we played Western, and we played really bad, I knew he was going to yell at us and it was not really an upset thing. I wouldn't have told my mom because it was not that serious and I knew what to expect. I'm a four-year varsity starter. I know it's to be expected of me and I wasn't doing it."
Clontz's aunt, Susan Shronce-Hudson, who is a Southern Alamance mother herself, said she was upset at first hearing about the rumors, but as soon as she had a conversation with her nephew, her position changed, as she now wants to see Fritz get his coaching duties back.
"It upset me when I heard the lies. When I talked to Chandler, he told me really what happened. No, I was not upset. I think that it needed to take place. There was nothing wrong. I mean I just watched a football game last night where the coach grabbed the boy's helmet at eight years old. Okay? What’s the difference in that? I mean it’s tough love. When a true coach sees potential in their athletes, that’s what Coach Fritz does," Shronce-Hudson said.
After the school administration heard rumors of the encounter between the coach and player, the district said a three-day investigation took place.
In a statement, ABSS said:
We believe it is necessary to provide clarity regarding the recent removal of the Southern Alamance High School Head Football Coach. On the evening of October 30, ABSS administrators were alerted by the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office of some concerns related to a staff member, Walter Friedrich Hessenthaler, at Southern Alamance High School.
Staff immediately opened an investigation which included multiple interviews and conversations with students, staff, administrators, and families. These interviews continued over three days.
As a result, he was removed from his coaching position on November 3. There is never a good time to release information such as this. However, we completed the investigation process by notifying those impacted as soon as possible.
Additionally, we advised the Sheriff’s Department of our findings as a follow-up to their initial notification.
ABSS puts the highest priority on student safety and well-being while also holding our employees to the highest possible standard in professional conduct. Since Superintendent Dr. Butler announced this strict stance against misconduct last September, we have acted on numerous reports resulting in student long-term suspensions and appropriate consequences for staff.
We will continue to uphold high standards across the District and provide a safe, nurturing environment for all students.