For the second week in a row, New Rochelle teachers rallied outside of City Hall in support of reassigned football coach Lou DiRienzo.

New Rochelle High School's longtime football coach was suddenly reassigned last week for violating school policy. While district officials remain tight-lipped about what the violation is, the sister and son of DiRienzo released statements claiming he helped a relative in distress leave school grounds with a parent.

The entire controversy kicked off during playoff season, and now comes on the heels of Saturday's state semifinal game.

Union leaders say the fight is about more than the coach -- it's about due process rights being violated by the district when they released the names of those involved before completing the investigation.

"We need to resolve this, we need the district to ensure that nobody else is going to have to go through this public humiliation, and a trial of speculation, and rumors, innuendo, while they conduct a lengthy investigation on unspecified allegations," says New Rochelle Federation of United School Employees President Martin Daly.

The district released a statement Friday denying the violation of due process and will be meeting with the coach and union leaders Monday morning.

 

 

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