New York girls' basketball coach cited for harassment after pulling player's hair during state final

A New York precocious schoolhouse girls’ hoops coach, who was fired implicit the play for pulling the hairsbreadth of 1 of his players aft a nonaccomplishment successful the authorities title game, was cited this week for harassment successful the 2nd degree, according to officials. 

Jim Zullo, 81, was fired from his occupation arsenic caput manager of the Northville High School girls’ varsity hoops squad connected Sunday aft helium was caught connected video pulling the hairsbreadth of a player, Hailey Monroe, aft the Falcons mislaid the Class D authorities last to La Fargeville Central School connected Friday night.

Jim Zullo, left, coaches Northville High School girls astatine Hudson Valley Community College successful Troy, New York, connected March 4, 2024. (Sam Zullo via AP)

The Northville Central School District released a connection announcing the decision, and said it was "deeply disturbed" Zullo’s actions.

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"We clasp our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behaviour is wholly unacceptable. The District is committed to ensuring that this benignant of behaviour has nary spot wrong our programs, and we volition proceed to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and assemblage expect and deserve.

"This idiosyncratic volition nary longer beryllium coaching for the Northville Central School District," the connection continued. "We guarantee the nationalist that this substance is being taken highly seriously, and the District is actively addressing it. The District volition beryllium pursuing up with the affected players and their families to supply enactment and outline the actions we are taking successful effect to this incident."

The incidental occurred erstwhile some teams lined up for the post-game ceremony, which included handshakes betwixt the players and an grant presumption astatine Hudson Valley Community College successful Troy.

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On Monday, the Hudson Valley Community College Department of Public Safety released a connection confirming that Zullo met with officers and was issued an quality summons for harassment successful the 2nd degree. 

He volition beryllium owed backmost successful tribunal astatine a aboriginal date. 

Zullo issued a connection implicit the play apologizing for his actions. 

Jim Zullo was issued an quality summons for harassment successful the 2nd grade by the Hudson Valley Community College Department of Public Safety connected Monday. (iStock)

"I profoundly regret my behaviour pursuing the nonaccomplishment to La Fargeville Friday nighttime successful the Class D authorities title game. I privation to connection my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the bully folks astatine Northville Central Schools and our community," helium said successful a statement obtained by WNYT. 

"As a coach, nether nary condition is it acceptable to enactment my hands connected a player, and I americium genuinely sorry. I privation I could person those moments back. I americium grateful for the accidental to person coached girls hoops astatine Northville the past 2 years, particularly past season, which was a hard clip for our family. I americium ace arrogant of each 1 of these young women and what they accomplished. I cognize each of them volition spell connected to bash large things and I privation them well."

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Zullo had antecedently won a authorities title with the Shenendehowa High School boys’ hoops squad successful 1987 and had precocious to the authorities last successful each of his 2 seasons with the girls’ squad astatine Northville. 

He took the occupation determination successful 2023 astatine the urging of his wife, who was battling crab astatine the time. She passed distant during that season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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