Rockwall ISD has reinstated a Heath High School coach who was put on administrative leave last week over a photo with players making offensive gestures.
Marco Duran was seen in a photo -- which Rockwall ISD said was taken in December and posted to social media late last month -- standing behind a group of members of the girls varsity soccer team. All but one of the girls were raising their middle finger in the photo.
It was accompanied by a vulgar caption about someone from Tyler Lee High School, who Heath beat on Jan. 30. Duran was not raising his middle finger in the photo.
The district called the photo “disturbing” and Duran was placed on administrative leave Feb. 1 while an investigation took place.
On Friday, the district said Duran had been reinstated, concluding that he “was unaware of gestures made by the students” at the time the photo was taken.
“The coach was placed on administrative leave last week and appropriate action was taken in accordance with the district’s employee handbook,” Rockwall ISD said in a statement. “Student involvement was appropriately addressed last week. Rockwall ISD has a high expectation of character, leadership and excellence for our athletic programs.”
Coaches within the district will have meetings with student-athletes to address “respectful behavior and appropriate social media use,” the district said.
Student discipline is private information and was not released by the district.
