New York girls' basketball coach cited for harassment after pulling player's hair during state final
A New York high school girls’ basketball coach, who was fired over the weekend for pulling the hair of one of his players after a loss in the state championship game, was cited this week for harassment in the second degree, according to officials.
Jim Zullo, 81, was fired from his job as head coach of the Northville High School girls’ varsity basketball team on Sunday after he was caught on video pulling the hair of a player, Hailey Monroe, after the Falcons lost the Class D state final to La Fargeville Central School on Friday night.
The Northville Central School District released a statement announcing the decision, and said it was "deeply disturbed" Zullo’s actions.
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"We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable. The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve.
"This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District," the statement continued. "We assure the public that this matter is being taken extremely seriously, and the District is actively addressing it. The District will be following up with the affected players and their families to provide support and outline the actions we are taking in response to this incident."
The incident occurred when both teams lined up for the post-game ceremony, which included handshakes between the players and an award presentation at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.
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On Monday, the Hudson Valley Community College Department of Public Safety released a statement confirming that Zullo met with officers and was issued an appearance ticket for harassment in the second degree.
He will be due back in court at a later date.
Zullo issued a statement over the weekend apologizing for his actions.
"I deeply regret my behavior following the loss to La Fargeville Friday night in the Class D state championship game. I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools and our community," he said in a statement obtained by WNYT.
"As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry. I wish I could have those moments back. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached girls basketball at Northville the past two years, especially last season, which was a difficult time for our family. I am super proud of every one of these young women and what they accomplished. I know each of them will go on to do great things and I wish them well."
Zullo had previously won a state championship with the Shenendehowa High School boys’ basketball team in 1987 and had advanced to the state final in each of his two seasons with the girls’ team at Northville.
He took the job there in 2023 at the urging of his wife, who was battling cancer at the time. She passed away during that season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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