SAUGUS, MASS. (WHDH) - A Saugus football coach is fighting for his job after he was fired this week after the school district says he let one of his player’s practice in his underwear.
Anthony Nalen, the head varsity football coach at Saugus High School and teacher at Belmonte Middle School, was relieved of his coaching duties Tuesday.
Nalen appeared in court Thursday to contest the school district’s decision to fire him as coach of the varsity team. A judge is still deciding if he will be allowed back on the field.
Nalen was initially suspended for four weeks after the Saugus school district accused him of letting a football player practice in his boxer shorts last spring.
The school district alleges it’s a hazing incident, but a police investigation found no criminal wrongdoing.
Despite that, Nalen’s attorney, Michael Castano, said he was unexpectedly handed a slip Tuesday, notifying him he was fired from the team.
The school district says their investigation found evidence of negligence.
Castano and some parents and students say otherwise.
“There’s nothing going on here. Reinstate the coach,” Castano argued in court Thursday. “You’re only hurting the kids right now and you’re hurting my client’s reputation, damaging him, and causing him emotional distress.”
“He does everything for us. Outside of football, he spends his own money on us. He should be our coach. He should be reinstated. He did nothing wrong,” said football player Christian Correia.
Despite being fired as coach, Nalen is still employed as a teacher at the middle school.
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