Proctor football coach resigns amid police investigation into student misconduct
The coach of the Proctor football team has resigned amid a police investigation into allegations of misconduct among players.
At its monthly meeting on Monday, the Proctor School Board accepted Derek Parendo's resignation from all positions with the district as part of the consent agenda. The school board did not comment on the incident nor Parendo's resignation.
Parendo, who is also a teacher, has been with the northern Minnesota school district for 21 years. He's been the head football coach since 2008 and is the assistant coach for the girl's basketball team, FOX 21 says.
Superintendent John Engelking said Parendo is currently on a "personal leave of absence" until the end of the school year, at which point his resignation will take effect, the Duluth News Tribune reports.
Proctor canceled the football season in late September amid the "student misconduct" investigation.
Details of the misconduct have caused speculation on social media, but school and police officials have not discussed details due to the involvement of minors.
Engelking said during the school board meeting there is "social media misinformation" about how the district isn't doing anything about the incident. He said they're prevented by state law from saying anything but he's "never taken anything more seriously."
"You need to know we are doing everything we can to support our kids and our staff," Engelking said.
To help students, the district is offering extra counseling and leadership forums, Engelking said. The Minnesota Department of Education is providing "anything" the district needs to support students with trauma and address social media "misinformation."
The district is also implementing a character-cultivating program for coaches and teams, Engelking added.
The Proctor Police Department is continuing to investigate the allegations. KBJR 6 says it was told recently the investigation will wrap up soon.
Bring Me The News has reached out to Engelking for further comment on Parendo's resignation.
