He was dismissed from his CMS coaching job. Now he’s running for school board.
A man dismissed from his tennis coaching job at Hough High School last year is running for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education.
Ro Lawsin, a 53-year-old former Hough boys tennis coach, was dropped as coach in 2021 after an incident with an opposing player. He was previously named conference coach of the year twice in a three-year span.
“I’ve heard it all: I physically assaulted that player. There’s a police report. There’s a restraining order out on me,” Lawsin, a retired U.S. Air Force major, told The Charlotte Observer on Monday. “None of it’s true. Welcome to politics.”
During the regional boys tennis tournament in 2021, Lawsin says a player from Davie County High School directed an expletive at him after he encouraged a Hough High player who had just received help not allowed under state rules.
In an email obtained by the Observer, Davie County High coach Shane Nixon told his athletic director that the Hough High player’s father gave his son pointers during the match. That’s prohibited under North Carolina High School Athletic Association rules because it’s considered coaching. Lawsin at the time was on the sideline of a doubles match and not near the singles match.
After Lawsin came over and watched the singles match, cheering on his player, the Davie player said, “Coach, what, you’re going to f------ cheer for your player?” Lawsin recalled. Nixon and Lawsin both said Lawsin stood up and took a step toward the fence and the opposing player.
Nixon said in the email he told Lawsin to address him instead of the high schooler and encouraged Lawsin to act like an adult.
The Davie coach said he stayed between the high schooler, family members and Lawsin after the match ended.
Lawsin told the Observer he should’ve handled the comment at the regional tournament differently. Lawsin and a district official with knowledge of the incident confirmed Hough High officials “wanted to go in a different direction.” Lawsin is no longer coaching in CMS.
Lawsin says the incident fueled an already souring relationship between him and former Hough High athletic director Masanori Toguchi, who is now athletic director at Charlotte Country Day School. He did not return an Observer request for comment. Two district sources with knowledge of the incident told the Observer that Lawsin also got into arguments with the Hough High women’s tennis coach during the season.
Lawsin said there was one incident with the Hough High girls tennis coach who said the boys team was being too loud at practice. Lawsin also said he and Toguchi butted heads over the team having to wear masks while competing because of the pandemic.
“I’m anti-mask,” Lawsin said.
Lawsin coached the Hough High boys tennis squad from 2019 to 2021 as a non-faculty coach. A CMS spokesperson said non-faculty coaches for high school tennis and golf are paid about $2,100 a season in a one-time stipend.
Lawsin is a candidate in the crowded District 1 race, which also includes incumbent Rhonda Cheek, African American Faith Alliance pastor Hamini Fisher and former CMS teacher Melissa Easley. Bill Fountain, a frequent speaker at school board meetings, also filed to run in District 1.
Lawsin says he decided in November 2021 to run for school board for his children — he has twin boys who just graduated from Hough High and will attend N.C. State University this fall, and a 16-year-old daughter who will be a sophomore at Hough High.
“My dad gave up a career in politics in the Philippines for my mom and the four (of us),” said Lawsin, who is first generation Filipino. “He committed suicide in 2019. I’m living out the dream of my dad. He inspires me every day.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2022 at 12:04 PM.
