Beaufort Co football coach back at work 2 days after allegedly assaulting a student
An acclaimed May River High School coach was back at school Friday — two days after being placed on paid administrative leave for allegedly assaulting a student, according to school district officials.
May River High School’s head football coach Rodney Summers was put on leave Wednesday while administrators reviewed a “personnel matter”, according to Jim Foster, spokesperson for the Beaufort County School District.
Earlier that morning, an 18-year-old student reported to Bluffton Police that Summers assaulted him, according to a report filed with the police department.
The student told officers that on Wednesday morning he entered school through a side door that was propped open by the gym and began walking down the hallway.
When other students followed him through the door, Summers took notice and instructed them to turn around, exit the school and re-enter through a proper door, the report said.
The student allegedly kept walking down the hallway, but when Summers made a comment about him not listening, he turned around, exited the door and slammed it shut.
The door partially shut on Summers, and he then shoved the student and began yelling obscenities at him, the report said.
“The video footage confirmed Rodger’s statement,” the deputy wrote in report.
The student was uninjured and told officer that he did not want to pursue charges.
He did, however, want to “make administrators aware” and “make sure that Summers knew what he did was not appropriate,” the report said.
Summers provided a written statement to school administrators stating that he tried to stop the student from walking further down the hallway by putting his arm out, the report said. When the student tried to slam the door on him, he asked the student “Are you f---ing serious?” and attempted to grab him by the handle of his backpack, the report said he wrote in his statement.
May River Principal Todd Bornscheuer disputed the claim made in the police report. According to Bornscheuer, Summers’ statement did not say he used any obscenities.
A copy of the written statement was not available Friday evening.
Summers was hired as a physical education teacher and head football coach at May River High School in August 2016.
May River had its best football season in school history last year, and as a result, Summers was named the Class 3A Lower State Coach of the Year by the SC Football Coaches Association as part of the Palmetto Champions Team.
When reached by phone Friday, Summers said Wednesday’s incident was “all a misunderstanding,” saying that it had all been resolved.
This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 2:22 PM.
