The dismissal of a high school basketball coach in Long Beach, Mississippi has led the jilted coach to file an age discrimination lawsuit against the school district.
Plaintiff Joel Boone, who is in his mid-70s, claimed in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Gulfport that the athletic director said that he wanted someone “younger” to build the program.
Boone, who is represented by Watson & Norris law firm in Jackson, is seeking reinstatement, back pay, damages and attorney’s fees.
The school district, which is the defendant in the case, hired Boone in August 2016, as a coach and part-time physical education teacher.
In the spring of 2017, he said, then-Athletic Director Forrest Williams allegedly told Boone that he was “looking for someone ‘younger’ to build the program.” The plaintiff added that several parents were told the same thing by the AD.
At around the same time, when Boone returned from spring break, he was told that his teaching position was being eliminated. In addition, a job description for a “full-time” coaching position was posted. Boone, who has more than 600 victories and a state championship on his resume, claimed he was not given a chance to apply for the full-time coach’s job.
The school district went on to hire 28-year-old Brandon Cobb to run the program.
