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A high school girls' basketball coach in New York has been dismissed from his position after a shocking incident in which he was caught on camera pulling a player's hair.
The incident took place during the Class D New York State championship game between Northville High School and LaFargeville at Hudson Valley Community College on Friday, March 21.
Jim Zullo, the 81-year-old coach of the Northville High School girls' varsity basketball team, was filmed yanking the ponytail of his team's star player, Hailey Monroe, after the game ended in a loss.
The viral video, shared widely on social media, shows Monroe crying at the end of the match as Zullo approaches her from behind and pulls her ponytail. A teammate even attempted to intervene during the altercation.
According to reports, Monroe had fouled out of the game, adding to the emotional toll of the loss. The Northville Central School District has since responded to the incident with strong condemnation.
Official Response and Brett Favre's Reaction
The Northville Central School District released a statement describing the coach's behavior as "completely unacceptable." The statement continued, "This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District."
Zullo defended his actions by claiming that Monroe had directed an expletive at him when he instructed her to shake hands with the opposing team. The Monroe family has not yet issued a comment regarding the incident.
The incident has sparked outrage beyond the local community, drawing attention from high-profile figures such as NFL legend Brett Favre.
On social media, Favre commented, "This one really surprised me. No room for this, and good on the school for acting quickly."
Zullo had reportedly come out of retirement to coach the team, which adds to the surprising nature of the incident. The footage, taken from a Northville High School Network live stream, continues to circulate on various platforms, intensifying the backlash against the coach's actions.
As the dust settles, many are left questioning how such an incident occurred and how it will affect the school's basketball program moving forward.