* Updated at 3:09 p.m. with name of interim head coach.
In the wake of a student-athlete’s accusation of “inappropriate contact” during practice, head varsity football coach Chad Reed resigned Wednesday and the school has appointed assistant coach Shontae Pouncey as the interim head coach.
conducted an internal investigation, led by Dr. Susan Hixon, the administrator for high schools. She met with the player’s parents and Reed, who has taught three years with the district, according to Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu.
The Dons, who were 3-7 last season under Reed, open the 2011 football season Friday night at Gabrielino High School in San Gabriel at 7pm on Friday, Sept. 2. Sieu confirmed the team will play under the leadership of interim head coach Pouncey -- a local who played football for Artesia High School in the early 90s.
The rest of the coaching staff will remain intact, Cerritos athletic director Robert Adams told Patch Thursday afternoon.
Sieu confirmed the charges from the parent and that according to the complaint, the player stated in an email that Reed started to scream at him during a practice drill using profanity and proceeded to throw a football "straight at my face." In a second incident, the player alleged that Reed "hit me upside the head with my back turned to him,"
“I want to make sure I protect the students as well as the staff member,” Sieu said. “We try to deal with it, investigate it and listen to both sides of the story and come to a reasonable resolution, and I think we did.”
Reed, who is a P.E. Teacher at the school, will remain teaching on the Cerritos High campus. Reed did not answer phone calls to his personal cell phone number.
