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Westwood Track Coach Fired Over 'Shirtless Runner' Rule

WESTWOOD (CBS) - The Westwood boys track team competed Thursday without their head coach Tom Davis.

Davis was fired in front of his players last week.

"It was really dramatic fashion," said Davis. "They escorted me off the premises as if I was a threat to the kids, which is amazing given the (athletic director)'s background."

WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports

Coach Davis says he stepped in after athletic director Karl Fogel got into a heated discussion with one of the runners, because his shirt was off during practice.

The shirt controversy started two weeks ago when someone complained to the school about the boys track team running without shirts.

The school department made it very clear they didn't like that, and told the coach someone may be kicked off the team. But there was no official rule set.

"It was such a messed up situation," said Davis. "There was never a rule enforced. The first instance that there was a rule, it was confrontational. That's unacceptable."

The school said that "Friday's decision to relieve Mr. Davis of his duties was not the result of a single incident, but rather the regrettable outcome of an ongoing discussion." They did not elaborate on what that ongoing discussion may have been.

Davis though, says Fogel was the problem. "(He) comes at me, bumps me chest to chest, spit coming in my face..." he claims.

And according to former coach Dick Sullivan, there's a history. Sullivan resigned as head track and football coach at Westwood two years ago. He also got into a heated discussion with Fogel.

"It's not the first time or the second or the third time," said Sullivan. "I wonder what the school administration is thinking by supporting the athletic director."

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