Player's father accuses St. Cloud football coach of battery

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — St. Cloud High School's football coach is under investigation, accused of battery on one of his own players, who happens to be the son of a police captain.

According to the school district, Ian Rinehart was kicked out of a game and then "acted out his frustration," so coach Brad Lennox kicked him off the team.

But Fran Rinehart, a captain with the St. Cloud Police Department, said his son was battered off the field by Lennox.

Rinehart said his son walking out of a locker room when the coach grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around and got in his face.

“In my opinion, when he went to grab him, he didn't have the right to do that,” Rinehart said.

The district removed the coach, investigated, and then cleared him of any wrongdoing.

But the criminal case is moving forward, and some are questioning why.

The president of the Osceola Education Association said Lennox would never hurt a student, and she's worried Rinehart could be using his position on the force to influence the case.

“This is the first time since I've been an officer of this organization that I've heard of an investigation going forward after the district closes theirs," said Apryle Jackson of the Osceola Education Association.

But Rinehart insists he's dealt with the issue on his own time and claims he's just a dad who wants justice.

“I go into this as a father, someone concerned about how his son was treated, and that's it,” Rinehart said.

Rinehart also said he never attended meetings at the school in uniform and told us he has no oversight in the division in charge of the case.

In the meantime, Lennox is back on the job. When WFTV reached out to him, the district said he had no comment.

WFTV