Appeals Court Upholds Trial Judge’s Decision to Reverse Coach’s Firing

An Iowa state appeals court has affirmed a trial court’s ruling that a school board lacked just cause for firing a high school basketball coach.   The board had fired the coach because of a history of intimidating behavior with his players and a specific incident that had occurred after he had been put on notice.   Plaintiff Dennis Cullinan was hired in 1996 as the Ames High School Basketball Coach. Shortly thereafter, complaints surfaced that necessitated a “Job Performance Memora