Pine Tree Football Coach Resigns

LONGVIEW — The Pine Tree School District’s Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, Derek Fitzhenry, has resigned. School trustees have unanimously accepted the resignation. The announcement from school board president, Charley Peck, came shortly after 4:20 Friday afternoon. According to the separation agreement, the school district will pay Fitzhenry $40,000.

A swirl of controversy has surrounded Fitzhendry. According to KETK, he had been accused of pushing a student at a game, for which he was put on paid administrative leave shortly before being reinstated. Three football players, were also arrested in September after school officials caught them with marijuana on school grounds back in June. The three athletes had played in every Pirate football game up until that point. Fitzhenry also admitted to altering the online version of the Pine Tree Athletic Department’s handbook which allowed a player charged with sexually assaulting a minor to play in the Pirates’ game against Nacogdoches. It was later learned that Superintendent T.J. Farler was unaware of the changes. Fitzhenry blamed the alteration on a �clerical error�; the handbook has since reverted to its original form.