Officials have permanently suspended an Idaho high school wrestling coach for punching an opposing wrestler during a match last weekend.
Reported by the Idaho Statesman.
However, the situation is a bit unique considering the coach’s son was the other wrestler in the match and coach Russell Brunson said he was trying to protect his son from choking.
What are the details?
The Statesman said video of the incident shows Brunson, an assistant coach at Rocky Mountain High School, getting on the mat during the Skyview Duals game in Nampa, Idaho, on Jan. 20, and hitting the Nyssa, Oregon, native. He said he is seen on video punching the freshman at least three times.
Officials had to stop the match to remove Brunson from the mat, the paper said.
Niki Scheppers, a spokeswoman for the West Ada School District in Idaho, told the Statesman that Brunson was not ejected from the tournament.
“What would you do if your child was choking?”
Brunson wrote a letter on Jan. 22 to the District 3 Board of Supervisors, the local division of the Idaho High School Activities Association, the Statesman said.
Brunson said she thought her son was in an illegal chokehold and feared he was going to pass out, the newspaper said.
“As a coach, the normal reaction would be to yell and point it out to the referee, but as a father, my reaction was a step too far,” Brunson wrote, the Statesman reported. “What would you do if your child was about to suffocate, just two feet in front of your face? If you had more time, you probably would have made a better decision. But with everything going on, you panicked, It was over in less than three seconds.”
Scheppers told the newspaper that Brunson resigned from his position as a volunteer coach on Jan. 21 and that the board of administrators on Jan. 23 issued a lifetime ban on him from coaching any sports or activities at a high school in Idaho. . The board also banned Brunson from participating in state high school sporting events for the remainder of this school year and the 2024-2025 school year, the Statesman reported.
According to the newspaper, board president Craig Woods wrote in a letter to Rocky Mountain on January 23 that, “The board felt that Coach Brunson’s conduct was egregious and unacceptable,” adding, “The board felt that Coach Brunson’s conduct was egregious and unacceptable. There is no place for this type of behavior in athletics. It will not be tolerated.”
Scheppers told the Statesman, adding that Brunson plans to appeal his ban from attending the event. The paper reported that Brunson’s son will finish his senior season next month.
The Statesman said Mr. Brunson declined a request for an interview on January 24, but provided a statement to the paper.
“There is no excuse for my actions on January 20th. I should never have gotten on the mat and tried to disrupt a wrestling match. A child was in danger,” he said in a text message, according to the Statesman. “I saw it fall into the trap,” he said. He was in a dangerous position and reacted rashly. [Nyssa wrestler’s] My family directly apologized sincerely for my inappropriate treatment. ”
Criminal liability?
The newspaper added that the Nyssa School District in Oregon has not ruled out criminal charges.
“We are working with the family, athletic association, school district officials and, as appropriate, law enforcement to investigate this incident,” said Nyssa Athletic Director Joshua De Anda. Athletic Director Joshua De Anda wrote in an email to the Statesman. “Nyssa High School and the Nyssa School District are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.”
The West Ada School District is also investigating, Scheppers added. Nampa police have also started an investigation. Big Country News reported.
Branson apologized in a letter to the board and wrote that his actions were not premeditated, the Statesman said.
“My initial reaction (as you can see in the video) was correct,” Branson wrote, according to the paper. “I screamed that he was choking and tried to show the referee. But at the last second I was wrong. I don’t know what happened. I was scared and instinctively I wanted to push the other child away from him so he could stop choking and breathe. If I could go back in time and relive those two seconds of my life, I would. But unfortunately it was too late. is.”
anything else?
At the end of the article, the Statesman embedded Brunson’s message board letter, which included a link to a video of the incident that Brunson said he had taken from his cell phone, and included a link to a video of the incident that Brunson said was taken from his cell phone. It’s so you can see the point of view.” ”
The web address listed in the letter is
www.RussellBrunson.com/thevideo. The main part of the Internet address (excluding the “thevideo” extension) is used for Brunson marketing and sales. Website. Big Country News characterized Branson as a “social media influencer and billionaire.”
However, the full address —
www.RussellBrunson.com/thevideo – going to facebook post This article by marketing executive Marley Jacks includes a video from a secondary angle defending Mr. Branson and mentioning it in his letter to the board.
on the other hand, YouTube video In the incident, recorded from a high angle, Brunson can be seen throwing his right hand three times at the opposing wrestler, while in the clip below from an angle from the floor, Brunson opens his right hand and throws the wrestler three times. He is shown slapping twice and then throwing his right hand. .
Image source: Screenshot from Facebook video via Marley Jaxx
However, the clip ends in the middle of the second thrown hand. It is unclear whether the wrestler was contacted.
Image source: Screenshot from Facebook video via Marley Jaxx
The third thrown hand seen in the YouTube video is not included in the floor angle clip.
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