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Western Reserve football coach placed on administrative leave

BERLIN CENTER — Western Reserve football coach Andy Hake was placed on paid administrative leave on Monday.

The coach is accused of smoking a vape cartridge containing THC, the compound found in marijuana which causes a high, during school hours, WKBN First News reported on Monday.

A disciplinary letter from the school district to Hake stated that the incident took place on the morning of Jan. 9 at the middle school.

In the letter, middle school principal Mike Sauner said he entered the men’s staff restroom in the middle school hallway and noticed a powerful smell of marijuana. Sauner then contacted the school’s resource officer and the officer confirmed the odor. High school principal Dallas Saunders was also called upon to identify the smell.

The administrators, including superintendent Douglas McGlynn, and the resource officer then reviewed video from a camera pointing near the restroom. Sauner also talked to a few teachers and noticed the odor on Hake.

After review of the video, the group noticed that Hake was the last one to use the men’s staff restroom. The letter stated Hake entered the restroom for a brief moment approximately two minutes after the bell rang to start the second period. Hake then left the restroom to teach and supervise his students.

A decision was then made to remove Hake from the classroom and to question him. Hake admitted to having a vape pen but it was not clear what substance was in the pen. The resource officer retrieved the device from Hake’s classroom and a glass container with some sort of tan substance.

According to the letter, Hake admitted to having the vape pen and THC on him and that “he screwed up.” The letter stated that Hake said multiple times that “he was sorry,” “he was wrong” and “he knew he shouldn’t have marijuana on him.” The letter also stated he asked if “there was anything we could do?” ending with him pleading not to be fired.

The superintendent immediately removed him from the school and relieved him of his duties for the day. He was not allowed to drive home.

Hake just completed his 11th season as varsity football coach of the Blue Devils. He has a record of 103-23.

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