Punished Elk River Coaches to Return to Field

ELK RIVER, Minn - The coaches who were put on administrative leave in Elk River will return to the field on Friday.

The announcement was made at a school board meeting on Tuesday. Head coach Mike Cross, assistant coaches John Pink, Brad Olson, Mark Leland and Rick Michalak will return now that the hazing investigation has officially ended.

The board wouldn’t reveal why they were being punished or what kind of discipline they will receive due to employee privacy.

The coaches didn’t attend the meeting but the union representative said the coaches didn’t know anything about the hazing.

The Elk River school board decided to kick four players off the team for the season, suspend five players. At least one parent came forward last week saying upperclassmen players were beating and poking under classmen players with mop and broom handles in the school's wrestling room. Some thought it would go away when the students involved refused to press charges and participate in the investigation, but it didn't.