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West Hall boys basketball coach no longer at school over alleged relationship with student
Zac-Swansey
Zac Swansey

Zac Swansey, West Hall High School’s head boys basketball coach, is no longer working at the school following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a female student, Hall County Schools officials said.

“In recent days, rumors had surfaced within the school suggesting an inappropriate relationship between Coach Swansey and a current female student at West Hall High School, which prompted the investigation,” a school system press release states.

Gordon Higgins, Hall County Schools spokesman, said Swansey was told he would be fired and submitted a letter of resignation before leaving the school Monday. Higgins said the Hall County school board would decide May 16 whether to accept the resignation or move for termination.

Monday’s turn of events came after a school investigation. The matter has been referred to local law enforcement, officials said.

Higgins said the school’s investigation found that it may have been a “short-term relationship.”

Swansey, also an online learning teacher, had served as head coach for one year. He also supervised in-school suspension at West Hall at times, Higgins said. Earlier this year, the coach led the Spartans to their first playoff appearance since the 2010-11 season.

A call to Swansey seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Previously, he had been an assistant coach and staff member at Johnson High for two years.

Nicole Bailes, Hall County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman, said her office has just learned of the case, and it has been assigned to investigators.

“We will need an opportunity to conduct a full investigation before (commenting) further on this matter,” she said.

Higgins said Hall County’s coaches and teachers are highly trained professionals who understand their role of leadership. When something like this happens, it is extremely disappointing, he said.

“That trust and confidence is violated in a most egregious manner,” Higgins said.

West Hall Principal Scott Justus, who led the school’s investigation, referred a request for comment to Higgins.

Swansey played basketball at the University of Georgia, hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in an SEC tournament win against Kentucky en route to the Bulldogs winning the conference tournament in 2008.

He played his first two seasons at high school basketball at Flowery Branch, scoring a school-record 1,400 points.

Many fans remember his Lanierland semifinal game as a sophomore against Johnson in 2005, when he scored 48 points, seven less than Marquise Wright of Johnson.

Then he played his final two years for Dunwoody, leading the Wildcats to a Class AAA state title as a junior and a semifinal appearance as a senior.

He was an all-state pick his senior year of high school and finished his career with a school-record 2,368 points at Dunwoody.