We, the undersigned, are members of the Glastonbury High School football community—students, parents, alumni, and supporters—who are deeply concerned about the conduct of the head coach of the GHS football team, [Redacted].

This petition is particularly personal for me, as my son recently experienced a deeply distressing encounter after practice where Coach towered over my son, with clenched fists and screamed, "If I wasn't so afraid of being fired or arrested, I would show you how little of a man you really are," and then spat at my sons feet before walking away. This incident is one of many that exemplify a pattern of abuse over the years that has no place in our school.  

This inappropriate and violent behavior not only reflects an alarming lack of control but also constitutes a form of bullying, harassment, and what can be construed by many as assault by a coach to a player. Such behavior creates a hostile environment for our young athletes, undermining their confidence and love for the game.   This is one of countless instances of abuse by [Redacted] to a player – one current player stated "Not only does verbally hurt people, but also comes close to physically acting on players very often.” And “At least eight players have discussed their loss of interest and desire to play football as a result of [Redacted], despite their lifelong passion and even love for the game - not including [REDACTED] son, who had the strength to step away from the program, which many people do not.”

This recent encounter was the breaking point for my son, who has had a strong passion for football since started playing in third grade. After repeated inappropriate and violent threatening behavior towards not only my son, but teammates as well, chose to turn in jersey during senior year. The emotional impact of playing for a coach who consistently harasses and demoralizes players has overshadowed love for the game.

In an attempt to continue the abuse, during a team huddle, the coach announced "one kid couldn't handle the sport and wasnt made for football. If you can't handle it either, you can walk out too." 

Under [Redacted] leadership, the atmosphere has shifted dramatically. The violent threats and pervasive negativity have created a toxic environment, one where fear of retaliation looms over every practice and game. behavior is inappropriate, violent and threatening.  is in a position of power and it has become the norm that abuses power regularly – my sons incident with him should have been enough to terminate him.

Coaches are meant to be mentors and role models, yet [Redacted] has consistently created a toxic environment for our student-athletes, leaving many feeling demoralized and fearful. The toll this has taken on players throughout the years cannot be understated, and it is vital that we take a stand against such behavior.

[Redacted]has told players “You are nothing without me” on a regular basis – the truth is… these boys are everything, in SPITE of him.  We have incredible talent on the team but the team is dwindling all due to [Redacted] aggressive and threatening behavior. (9 players have quit this season alone)

It is time for change. Our athletes deserve a supportive and respectful environment where they can grow and thrive. We urge the administration to take our concerns seriously and consider Coach [Redacted] termination for the well-being and safety of our students. We ALL have a duty to protect our children. [Redacted] is a liability and needs to be terminated immediately.

I want to be clear – this isn’t about playing time or someone yelling at our boys. This is so much bigger than that… and it’s only getting worse.  We will continue to escalate until our boys are safe and they will never be safe under [Redacted]. This is about ALL of our sons.

Please don’t let the fear of retaliation stop you from standing up for what is right. You can sign anonymously by hiding your name and email address when signing. Your voice matters, and enough is enough.

(This petition has been redacted by Change.org due to privacy issues)