CHICAGO (WLS) -- The girl's high school basketball coach at Christ the King College Prep in Chicago's Austin neighborhood has been fired after a physical confrontation on the sidelines was captured on video.
Someone in the stands took video of Coach Edward Douglas apparently targeting a player with expletives and more at last Thursday's game.
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"For him to knock her hands down and push her face, was just, it was shocking, it was just, wow," said Michael Airhart, a spectator.
"You're trying to teach them how to be competitive and how to play but you're verbally abusing them and you're physically abusing them and it's wrong," said Andrew Holmes, a community activist and spectator.
The school's spokesman said the coach was fired Monday and released a statement saying in part: "We have met with the student, her parent, her teammates and their parents, and have communicated with all of our students and parents. The well-being of our students is our highest priority."
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"I was heartbroken," parent Melloney Emanuel said. Her daughter doesn't play basketball at Christ the King, but Coach Douglas was her daughter's coach in elementary school. "He's a tough, tough coach. I think that's what these schools need now, a tough coach. A young, black coach who absolutely loved my kids."
ABC7's attempts to reach Coach Douglas were unsuccessful.