Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

Youth Football Coach Fired for Disciplining a Bully

"I couldn't sit back and do nothing"
Share Tweet
By Dan Andros
Managing Editor

October 7, 2016

He was trying to do the right thing.

But Todd Kennedy is now the former volunteer coach of a Connecticut youth football team, after being fired for teaching his players that bullying is wrong.

Kennedy had previously talked to the team about bullying after reports that some on the team were bullying others. When he heard it had happened again, he asked the boy in question about it in front of the team.

The boy denied the accusation, but Kennedy instructed him to run a couple of laps around the field anyway. The boy did so, and Kennedy complimented him on doing the laps without complaining.

The league board took issue with how Kennedy handled the incident, initially suspending him. One board member asked “why did you feel that you were qualified to handle this bullying incident?”

“I’m like, because I’m a father,” said Kennedy.

He was unceremoniously dumped, without a chance to address or explain to the team. Suddenly, their beloved coach was just gone.

Ages on the team range from 4th to 6th grade.

At least one parent was not happy.

Shannon Riso spoke with News 8 “Bullying is okay – that’s the message I got. That’s why my son is not going to play for them. I want him to be around better role models than that.”

Kennedy took to Facebook to explain himself further:

“I couldn’t sit back and do nothing for the young man who was being bullied. My parents did not raise me like that. They always taught me to help someone in need. There is nothing worse to witness a stronger person pick on a weaker person. I have always stepped in when I have seen things like that. And I always will.”

Want more stories like this? Sign up for our email newsletter.

Watch the report:

Latest

  • News

    Actor Mark Wahlberg Reveals Why He Moved Family Out of Hollywood: ‘It’s Really Giving the Kids a Chance to Thrive’

  • News

    Good Samaritan Spots Smoke Coming From Home, Immediately Jumps Into Action to Save Woman and Her Dog

  • News

    Formerly Gay Man Could Go to Jail After Sharing Testimony of Finding God, Embracing Bible: ‘I Don’t Have to Wear That Label Anymore’

  • News

    ‘Doomsday Clock’ Ticks: Elon Musk, Experts Sound Alarm on AI, Potentially ‘Catastrophic Scenario’ Suggest a ‘Pause’

  • News

    ‘Just Pray’: Melissa Joan Hart Describes Helping Kindergarteners Escape Nashville School Shooting


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Actor Mark Wahlberg Reveals Why He Moved Family Out of Hollywood: ‘It’s Really Giving the Kids a Chance to Thrive’
  • Good Samaritan Spots Smoke Coming From Home, Immediately Jumps Into Action to Save Woman and Her Dog
  • Formerly Gay Man Could Go to Jail After Sharing Testimony of Finding God, Embracing Bible: ‘I Don’t Have to Wear That Label Anymore’
  • ‘Doomsday Clock’ Ticks: Elon Musk, Experts Sound Alarm on AI, Potentially ‘Catastrophic Scenario’ Suggest a ‘Pause’
  • ‘Just Pray’: Melissa Joan Hart Describes Helping Kindergarteners Escape Nashville School Shooting

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • culture
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?