By DONNA THORNTON, Editor
The Marshall County school board fired an Asbury High School math teacher/coach who was the subject of an investigation that began late last year after allegations of a possible “inappropriate” relationship with a student.
The coach had been placed on administrative leave by the school district as it investigated the allegations. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office investigated and found no evidence to warrant any criminal charge. However, the school district’s probe apparently found ethical issues.
At the board’s last meeting, teacher/coach Kyle Rusk was listed as a non-renewal among personnel actions.
Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said investigators in his office and the Marshall County district attorney’s office found no inappropriate contact between the female student and the coach. He said there were questions about ethical conduct that the school board continued to examine.
Sims said from his standpoint, the administrators at the school and at the county board handled the situation correctly.
Marshall County Schools Superintendent Cindy Wigley issued the following statement:
“I, along with the Marshall County Board of Education, referred this case to the Alabama State Department of Education to consider facts and decide further action as appropriate. The State has taken action and the Marshall County Board of Education has terminated the teacher/coach.
“When I was first notified of the incident in December, I immediately placed the Coach on leave and reported the incident to the State Superintendent, as required by law. I also ensured a DHR report was properly made.
“I personally appreciate the Sheriff conducting a criminal investigation. I also realize the limits and guidelines of state statutes and judicial precedent for criminal charges. However, this matter also involved additional considerations under the authority of the Alabama State Department of Education, including the Alabama Educator Code of Ethics and standards of ethical professional conduct required to hold a valid teacher certificate.
“The Alabama State Department of Education has begun the process of revoking the teacher’s teaching certificate. Educators are held to a higher standard and are expected to uphold the professional and ethical responsibilities entrusted to those who serve students.
“We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students.
“Multiple lines of evidence were reviewed, not just one isolated incident. The review process included the totality of the information available in determining appropriate action and accountability.”
Tabatha Ward, who identified herself on Facebook as the mother of the unnamed female student, posted about the matter after Wigley made a statement, about what she called “wrongdoing” by Asbury High School principal Clay Webber and the coach.
Webber is challenging Wigley for the superintendent’s job. Both are on the runoff ballot for the Republican nomination Tuesday.
Ward wrote in her post that Webber intentionally withheld information about Rusk and her child from Nov. 18, 2025 — that he “sat on” the report until Dec. 18. She said in the principal’s investigation of the allegation, he spoke only to the coach, not to her or her daughter. She said she met with Webber on Dec. 11, after she was first made aware of the allegation.
This is the genesis of the allegation, according to a statement from Sims’ office Jan. 5:
“On the night of Nov. 15, 2025, an Asbury High School staff member witnessed comments made by two students alleging an inappropriate relationship between a coach and a student. The staff member immediately contacted the Assistant Principal that evening and met with the AHS Principal and Assistant Principal the following morning.
“Reports indicated that school administrators subsequently met with the coach. On Dec. 17, the AHS Principal notified the Deputy Superintendent of the situation and reported that a report had been submitted to the Department of Human Resources. Following an update from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, the Superintendent placed the coach on administrative leave pending further investigation. The Alabama State Department of Education was also notified the same day.”
In Facebook posts, Ward objects to the idea there was nothing inappropriate, saying the coach’s wife sent him text messages, while pretending those texts were from her daughter.
“When the sheriffs office determined nothing criminal had been done and then included no evidence of anything inappropriate in their statement … I was furious!” Ward posted on Facebook. “There was absolutely evidence of wrongdoings and inappropriate behavior by the coach/teacher and his wives (sic) even if it wasn’t criminal.”
“This is when as a parent I started seeking answers for why the intent that was evident in the coaches/teachers text with his wife (while she pretended to be my child) wasn’t criminal and why the wife pretending to be my child wasn’t an criminal act,” she wrote in a May 31 post.
Ward stressed there was never anything inappropriate between her daughter and the coach — something the Sheriff’s Office said it its Jan. 5 statement, that there had been no inappropriate behavior on the part of any student.
She posted that her family “has finally gotten half the justice we deserve.” She said she confident Webber will be held accountable “for not taking the situation serious, not reporting properly per the code of ethics protocol,” and for, according to her, “the lies that he included in his report once he finally report it.”
Webber told 1819 News he was left out of the loop regarding the coach’s termination.
“I was given no communication regarding the decision to non-renew the non-tenured coach/teacher,” Webber said.
“The superintendent and Marshall County Board of Education made that decision. As the principal, I was unaware that this employee would be terminated without my input or knowledge until I saw the board minutes.”
Daniel Taylor of 1819 News contributed to this report.
Asbury High School. GOOGLE MAPS
