A Martinsville High School athlete has become the center of controversy after being suspended for allegedly cursing at and threatening a coach, all without his parents being informed, according to a Facebook post by his mother, Constance Plunkett.
The incident, which reportedly started after the student performed a celebratory backflip following a game, has ignited a broader conversation about communication failures and discipline within Martinsville City Public Schools.
In her Facebook post, Plunkett expressed shock and frustration over how the school handled the situation. She wrote,
“Saying my child is suspended from a game for cursing and making threats towards a coach and NEVER contacting a parent is diabolical,”
Constance Plunkett
She emphasized that she wasn’t defending her son’s alleged behavior but wanted accountability and transparency from school officials. Plunkett continued,
“We were NEVER notified,” . “Not sure if that’s the full extent, but again, because we were NEVER contacted. MHS Administration, athletic director, and coaches need to do BETTER!!”
Constance Plunkett
According to Plunkett, the dispute may have been triggered when her son performed a backflip after the team’s loss, an act that some coaches reportedly viewed as inappropriate.
However, details remain unclear since the parents were allegedly excluded from all communication regarding the disciplinary action.
The post quickly gained traction, grabbing strong reactions from community members, former players, and local parents who shared their own frustrations with the school’s handling of student-athlete discipline.
ML Venable, a graduate of Patrick & Henry Community College, wrote,
SMH. A freaking backflip? They gone chase the best player they had in years away to another school. And no one will be to blame but themselves. Tell the goat to keep his head up.
ML Venable
Another commenter, Travis Tarpley, a personal trainer at The Fit Club Danville, said,
They better protect the investment!
Travis Tarpley
Shanae Wilson from Martinsville, Virginia, shared her disbelief, writing,
So he was telling me about this when he came over here and I was like really??!!! A backflip tho??!!! Smh they will act like the players are so easily replaceable trust me I know they tried it with Ray and I had to go above their heads! Before the school day was out they was calling to apologize to me! They get on my nerves with the foolishness!
Shanae Wilson
Questions about the school’s protocol for handling such disputes were also raised. LJ Flintall asked,
Did they think it was acceptable to simply talk to the kid without his parents present?
LJ Flintall
Several other commenters pointed to what they see as a pattern of mismanagement within Martinsville schools. CJ Patterson, a graduate of Regent University, wrote,
Martinsville about to mess a up and they deserve it
CJ Patterson
Tracy White wrote,
Matters like this need to be told to the school board. Because the deny things like this happen. I made a choice to move so that my child could attend the Henry County Public Schools. I am completely satisfied with my choice. Martinsville City Public Schools don’t understand that if they don’t have kids to educate they don’t have a job…
Tracy White
Others, like Treasia Fludd, expressed concern that this communication breakdown could have long-term consequences for the program: “They going to lose their best player for the lack of communication. SMH!!!”
Many in the Martinsville community are questioning whether punishment fit the alleged misconduct or if it was an overreaction by frustrated coaches following a loss.
Plunkett stated that she had already discussed the issue with the school board, but still received no contact from administrators or staff.
While Martinsville High School and its athletic department have not publicly commented on the incident, the story continues to spread across social media, prompting calls for greater transparency and parental inclusion in disciplinary decisions.
