A Marysville assistant wrestling coach has resigned from his position after he was revealed to have sent inappropriate text messages to a female student-athlete.
Ivan Mullet resigned from his position on the Monarch staff on Jan. 31 after a meeting with Marysville High School Principal Tom Cochran and athletic director Ryan Walker.
School officials indicated that the messages were not explicit or sexual in nature, no photos were exchanged and it does not appear the girl and the coach ever met outside of school-related functions.
Mullet, a 1987 Marysville graduate, had worked with the program since 2014 and had been a paid coach since 2015. He does not work for the district and is not a certificated teacher.
According to Marysville Superintendent Diane Mankins, the girl’s parents approached head wrestling coach Shawn Andrews on Jan. 28 with test messages they had found on her phone. Mankins said the parents expressed concern because Mullet allegedly made several attempts to meet with the teenager privately for meals and told her he loved her.
“He seemed to be laying the foundation for a possible inappropriate relationship,” Mankins said.
She said numerous messages were sent, but did not know how long the exchanges had been going on.
The superintendent said teacher and coaches are instructed that their communication with students is to be limited to issues concerning school or sports.
“It was not the type of text messages we would expect a coach to send a student-athlete,” Mankins said.
The district is in the process of submitting paperwork about the incident to the Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) Office of Professional Conduct. That office could make a final determination on permanently revoking Mullet’s ability to hold a Pupil Activity Permit, which is necessary to be a coach.
Mankins said the ODE, after the review, could revoke the permit, suggest corrective measures, or take no action. This would impact Mullet’s ability to be a coach anywhere in the state in the future.
The details of the incident have also been turned over to the Marysville Police Department, which Mankins said is common if there is any notion of inappropriate contact.
“That’s just our legal obligation,” Mankins said.
Mankins said district officials worked quickly once the details of the messages surfaced. She noted that Mullet had no contact with any student-athletes after the situation was brought to light.
“I think we dealt with it swiftly,” she said.
She also indicated that the incident shows why parents must actively monitor the social media and messaging activity of their children. She said school officials must also continue to work to ensure that teachers and coaches understand the line between appropriate and inappropriate conversations.
“Its a reminder that we need to keep educating,” Mankins said.