MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A LeMoyne-Owen college coach was fired after hitting a student, but he told WREG there’s a lot more to the story.
Raheem Shabazz just joined the college as the strengthening and conditioning coach and assistant basketball coach in May.
Shabazz was fired by for hitting a student Friday in one of the dorms.
He told us it all started with an iPad he accidentally left in the weight room.
“I decided to turn on my “Track My iPhone” app, because I totally forgot about the app. I’ve never had to use it. It tracked it back to campus.”
He followed it back to one of the dorms.
Someone told him a certain student may have it.
Shabazz said he confronted the student, and he confessed to taking it.
“I said, ‘Why did you steal my iPad man?’ All of the sudden, he gets belligerent saying, ‘Well, I told you I stole it. What do you want me to do?’ And as he’s doing that, he’s reaching behind his back. I don’t know what this kid is going to do. I protect myself. I hit him, knock him down, he falls into his refrigerator. I grab my iPad and I leave.”
Shabazz still is not sure if the student was armed, but said he was not going to take any chances.
He said he told school officials what happened right away and the school contacted police.
Monday morning, the college fired him.
LeMoyne-Owen refused to go on camera, but sent this statement:
“An altercation between a LeMoyne-Owen College employee and a student occurred Friday, Sept. 25. The safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is a top priority. College officials immediately launched an investigation upon notification of the incident. Based on the findings of the investigation, the college terminated the employee effective this morning. College officials also are cooperating fully with the Memphis Police Department in its ongoing investigation of the incident.”
Shabzz said he is not going to fight the termination, but losing his players hurt worse than losing the job.
“I gave LeMoyne everything that I had, from my heart. I literally wanted to help change the culture of that university.”
Shabazz was never arrested or charged, nor was the student.
WREG also tried to reach out to the student he claims stole his iPad, but our messages were not returned.
