Highlands basketball coach resigns amid hazing allegations

The Highlands High School varsity boys basketball season will continue despite the resignation of its head coach, Bill Flow.

Flow, hired this summer, submitted a letter of resignation Monday, citing personal reasons, school officials said. He remains a teacher at the high school.

The departure comes on the heels of an investigation into an alleged hazing incident this month that possibly involved a handful of varsity players.

Neither Flow nor athletic director Katie Jo Stobert responded to TribLive requests for comment.

Superintendent Monique Mawhinney confirmed the district recently received information about alleged hazing and bullying in one of the athletic programs.

“Following board policies and procedures, the district immediately launched a thorough investigation,” Mawhinney said.

Details of the incident have not been released, as the investigation is ongoing. She said the district is committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for students.

“Hazing, bullying and any behavior threatening our students’ physical or emotional safety will not be tolerated, and appropriate action will be taken for any founded claims,” Mawhinney said.

She did not say how many students were involved in the alleged incident or if punishments had been handed down.

District Solicitor Anthony Giglio did not return TribLive calls seeking comment.

TribLive reached out to all nine school board members. Autumn Monaghan, the only person to respond, said she was unable to comment.

Harrison police Chief Brian Turack said his department will be consulting with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on possible charges.

Mawhinney thanked middle school basketball coaches Mike Foster and Steve Bielak for stepping up to serve as interim high school coaches.

They will lead the team until the district hires a new coach, she said.

Foster and Bielak took over last week when the team traveled to Hampton on Dec. 10 with a scaled-back roster of only 11 players in the scorebook. The Rams started the season with 17 players.

The entire junior varsity and varsity teams were sidelined for regularly scheduled games Tuesday. Matches against Mars were postponed, according to the district’s athletic website.

Games will resume Friday, when the Rams travel to face Knoch at 7:30 p.m.