Coaching in high school can be challenging. With school districts being more competitive than ever, coaches get fired easily for various reasons. While some of these reasons may be lawful, others seemingly are not. A job loss can be a difficult experience and cause significant challenges, but it can also raise a number of legal issues and questions regarding a coaches' rights. If a coach has been released, or fired, a high school may end up dealing with issues such as severance pay, non-competition agreements, wrongful termination claims, and much more.
Some coaches employment status is “at will”, meaning that an employee can be terminated at any time and for almost any reason. Still, there may be situations where a termination is illegal. Such terminations include:
• Is contrary to an employment agreement, like one that grants tenure or specifies the situations where one can be let go.
• Violates federal or state anti-discrimination laws, like those that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, age, national origin, disability, and religion.
• Retaliates against employees for exercising their rights, like reporting unlawful activities or dangerous work conditions.
If a coach believes that he/she was terminated for an unlawful reason, they may have a right to bring a claim for wrongful termination against their former employer. Legal remedies that may be available to coaches include money damages and possibly getting their job back. If a coach believes the termination or release is for an unlawful reason, they should talk to an attorney.
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