Nearing trial, Cedarville coach charged with inciting riot quits

Kevin Lea, former football head coach at Cedarville High School.
Kevin Lea, former football head coach at Cedarville High School.

A high school football coach charged with inciting a riot after a game last fall has resigned.

Kevin Lea, the head coach at Cedarville High School, resigned earlier this month, said Superintendent Dan Foreman.

"He didn't give a reason at all," Foreman said.

The superintendent said he couldn't provide any more information Monday. When asked whether there was a resignation letter or any other documents regarding disciplinary action or Lea's departure, Foreman said he would have to confer with others before responding and that a response wouldn't come before today.

Lea didn't return a message left on his cellphone Monday, and W.H. Taylor, his attorney, didn't return a message left at his Fayetteville office.

Lea is scheduled for a District Court trial in Elkins on March 1.

He was arrested Oct. 21 and charged with inciting a riot, second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, failure to disperse, obstructing government operations and two counts harassment. All charges are misdemeanors. Lea is out on $8,800 in bonds.

The charges stem from events at an Oct. 16 game between Elkins and Cedarville.

Two Elkins police officers suffered minor injuries in the fracas that started when one of of the officers tried to escort Lea off the field after a fight between the teams' players during the final minutes of the game.

Sgt. Troy Reed, an Elkins police officer, said in a police report that the fight among players resulted in a penalty against Cedarville for unsportsmanlike conduct. Lea began screaming and cursing at the referees, according to Reed's narrative in the report. Referees then signaled the end of the game and Elkins was declared the winner, 16-6.

The police report said Lea then yelled at Elkins Coach Thurman Shaw, using profanity before and after a reference to Shaw being "black."

Shaw and his players left the field after being asked to go, according to the report. Lea walked back onto the field with his players while still yelling, the report said.

School resource officer James Todd asked Lea to leave and to take his players with him, according to the report. Todd said he reached for Lea's left elbow to escort him off the field, according to the report. Todd said Lea shoved him, cursed him and said, "I'm not going" and "don't touch me," according to the report.

"Lea swung his arms to keep me from grabbing him," according to Todd's report. "I was then surrounded by Cedarville football players, being shoved and taunted."

Elkins fans saw what was happening on the field and many left the stands to help the police, Reed said in his report.

In December, Foreman said Lea was still the team's head coach but that assistant coach Max Washausen had been serving as interim head coach since the Elkins game.

Besides coaching football, Lea also taught four health classes a day during the fall semester, according to the school's online schedule.

Lea is the son of state auditor Andrea Lea.

Metro on 01/26/2016

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