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Andover High School Students Walk Out To Protest Hockey Coach's Firing

ANDOVER (CBS) – About 200 students walked out of Andover High School Tuesday morning to protest the school's decision to get rid of its hockey coach.

Chris Kuchar's contract was not renewed for next season, despite the fact that many in town credit him with turning the boy's hockey program around in recent years. His assistants were also let go.

Students stepped out of class briefly Tuesday, chanting "respect our coaches" to show their opposition to the move. A day earlier, someone painted the same phrase on a large rock outside the high school.

andover high school protest
Andover High School students walked out of class to protest Chris Kuchar's firing Tuesday. (Courtesy photo)

Student Matthew Schuhwerk said, "Some of the administration didn't like him -- he turned our program around."

"We just want to make sure that everybody knows that this administration is not doing their job right. They keep firing coaches, they keep letting them go for no reason. They still haven't even given us a reason why," hockey player Alex Weinreb told WBZ-TV. "We had to find out that our coach was not coming back over Twitter."

"They're coaches, they're taking time out of their lives, they're taking time away from their families," said another player.

In a Facebook post after the protest, Kuchar wrote "Humbled. Grateful. In awe."

There has been no comment yet from principal Philip Conrad or athletic director Bill Martin.

"Students were outside of the building for approximately 45 minutes, and safely reentered the school. APS and AHS respect students' right to voice their concerns," a spokesperson for Andover Public Schools said in a statement to WBZ.

Chris Kuchar
Chris Kuchar in February 2018. (WBZ-TV)

Back in early 2018, Kuchar and two assistant coaches were cleared of any wrongdoing by the state Department of Children and Families following allegations that he mistreated players and deprived them of food and water as punishment for poor performances.

According to the Eagle-Tribune, Andover Superintendent Sheldon Berman wrote a "lengthy letter" in 2016 to the principal and athletic director that Kuchar "be fired for mistreatment of his son" who was playing for Kuchar at the time.

Members of the hockey team told WBZ-TV they are meeting with school officials at 7 a.m. to discuss the current climate.

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