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Hickory High School head boy’s basketball coach Shawn Johnson has been dismissed from his job two months after he was arrested on charges of having sex with a student, a schools spokeswoman said Tuesday.
Johnson, 38, had been on paid leave since June 1 as police and school officials investigated the allegations. He also faces charges of taking indecent liberties with two other students. Johnson remains in jail.
Johnson was dismissed Monday “based on the severity of criminal charges (against him) combined with the findings of our internal investigation that suggest that Coach Johnson had violated the policies of the Hickory Public Schools Board of Education,” said schools spokeswoman Beverly Snowden.
A resolution, which Snowden said was approved unanimously by school board members, accused Johnson of immorality, insubordination and failure to fulfill duties and responsibilities imposed under state statutes.
The decision on Johnson’s dismissal came on the same night that Hickory school leaders named Lavell Hall as the interim boy’s basketball coach at Hickory High for the upcoming season.
Hall formerly worked as basketball coach at Lincolnton High School and was an assistant coach at Appalachian State University. He also previously served as director of athletics for Watauga County Schools and was most recently executive secretary of the Northwestern 3A/4A High School Athletic Conference.
Hall, a native of Lincolnton, was inducted into the Lincoln County Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year.
“Coach Hall offers excellent coaching credentials along with wisdom and maturity built upon years of experience,” Superintendent Walter Hart said in a press release. “His competence, combined with his genuine care and concern for young people, meets the needs of the program at Hickory High. I applaud his willingness to help the team during a challenging time of transition.”
