Bethel Schools Fires Coach For Post About George Floyd's Death

BETHEL, WA — Several reports confirm the Bethel School District has dismissed one of their wrestling coaches for a social media post he made about George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by police in Minneapolis.

On Monday, an officer arresting Floyd pinned him to the ground with his knee. A video of the arrest shows Floyd saying he cannot breathe multiple times as the officer continues to push him to the ground, until Floyd eventually stops moving.

On social media, coach Dave Hollenbeck shared a photo showing himself being pinned to the ground by another person's knee in an apparent attempt to mock Floyd's death, according to KING 5 News. In the picture, Hollenbeck can be seen smiling and the photo is captioned in part "Not dead yet."

As The Seattle Times Reports, the Bethel School district says they were made aware of Hollenbeck's post, and fired him Thursday.

“We have completed our investigation,” Bethel School District Spokesman Doug Boyles told the Times. “Dave Hollenbeck is no longer employed by the Bethel School District. His behavior was not consistent with our equity initiatives and nondiscrimination policies.”

The school district says Hollenbeck had just completed his first year as a wrestling coach for Bethel High School, and had not worked with the school since the season ended.

Speaking to KING 5, Hollenbeck defended his posts, saying he was trying to make a point about the media and coverage of race.

“I’m not an ignorant person. I understand the backlash,” Hollenbeck told KING. “I don’t believe this has anything to do with race."

All four officers on scene and involved with Floyd's arrest have been fired, and Friday morning the former officer who pinned Floyd to the ground, Derek Chauvin, was arrested and charged with murder.

Related stories:

Photos: Devastation In Minneapolis As Unrest Spreads Across U.S.

George Floyd Death: Former Cop Derek Chauvin Charged With Murder