A wrestling coach has been placed on leave following an incident in which students allege he may have threatened them with a gun.
Byron Center School's Superintendent Dan Takens says, "He's denying that that occured."
Wrestling coach James Maxim has been placed on leave following the complaint. The allegations say that after encouraging students to attend a sleepover at his house, Maxim had a gun out during the sleepover, and may have threatened some of the students.
Takens says he was first made aware of the allegations on Friday, when a parent came to the administration upset that the coach had a sleepover at his house, and that there may have been a gun there. Parents told administrators that they were told Maxim had a gun on him, and was pointing it at students.
"I went to my son and I asked him," Scott Gnass said. Gnass's son is on the team and he says he attended the sleepover. He asked his son "did coach pull a gun and threaten you and he said 'no'."
Scott Gnass, who also wrestled for Maxim, says the coach wouldn't do such a thing. Gnass says the accuser has a personal vendetta against the coach and her son didn't even attend the sleepover.
Maxim told FOX 17 that these accusations have caused "a great deal of harm" to he and his family. He says he has a passion for the sport, and understands the process the school is taking. He says the allegations simply are not true.
Administrators say that Maxim denies the gun allegations, but all agree there was a sleepover at the coach's house -- which students were encouraged to attend -- before an out-of-town match.
