A western Iowa school district at the center of an assault investigation surrounding its high school wrestling team is losing two administrators.
Tuesday night, the Hinton School Board accepted the resignations of middle and high school principal Phil Goetstouwers and athletic director Brian DeJong, who is also an elementary school principal. Officials didn’t give reasons for the resignations, effective on June 30.
The Coralville Police Department launched an investigation after players said older teammates tasered them at a hotel during the state dual wrestling tournament last month. A video circulating on social media showed a player being held down on a bed during the attack.
A police spokesperson says additional information will likely not be released because all involved are juveniles.
The public wasn’t allowed to speak at the special meeting, but afterward, one woman who identified herself by only her initials, D.H., said her son was one of seven freshmen targeted.
“It has torn a lot of things apart. A lot of things have been unraveling more and more” she said. “And it's going to hit the Hinton community hard. It's going to be getting worse before it gets better.”
She said a lot of people with students in the school district say not enough was done after the incident came to light.
“There are still a lot of people who need to be held accountable, and we still don't have answers,” she said. "We’re still waiting on the coaches, and nobody's coming forward.”
Hinton’s head wrestling coach, Casey Crawford, is still on paid administrative leave. Superintendent Ken Slater told IPR News the suspension will remain “until it's not.” However, parents say Crawford is still being allowed to teach math. An assistant coach was suspended with pay but allowed to return in time for the state wrestling tournament.
Parents spoke out for and against Crawford during a heated and emotional school board meeting on Feb. 12. One parent claimed Crawford told the team to delete everything on Snapchat in order to hide evidence in the case. The parent also said he initially reprimanded his son for not stopping the assaults but later found out his son was also victimized.
The school district suspended wrestlers involved in the assault but wouldn’t provide specific details, citing confidentiality concerns. After a closed-door meeting on Feb. 15, officials announced two students were “reassigned” without releasing more information.
