Questions still linger after Cullman County Sheriff Matt Genry and Superintendent Shane Barnette confirmed an investigation into Paige Adams, the Cold Springs High School basketball coach who abruptly resigned on Wednesday.
"We have been made aware of the recent resignation of a Cullman County school employee. The circumstances surrounding the resignation are under investigation. We will consult the Cullman County District Attorney's Office & will provide more information at the appropriate time," Gentry told 1819 News in a statement.
The Cullman County Board of Education (CCBOE) released a statement on social media on Thursday afternoon, following nearly 24 hours of online speculation about the resignation.
"This is the first formal complaint I have received regarding this employee. As soon as the concern was brought forward, an investigation was immediately initiated. The employee chose to resign at that time," the statement read. "In accordance with standard procedure, all CCBOE materials were returned, and she was escorted from school property. The matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities, and I promptly called a board meeting to approve her resignation. Our sole focus is protecting the students of Cullman County Schools. We are going to do what is right, as we always have."
The use of the word "formal" in Barnette's statement has caught the attention of parents in both Cold Springs and Holly Pond.
Adams left Holly Pond High School as abruptly after just one season in 2017.
"It was definitely hard," she said. "I prayed about it a lot, and I felt like God was leading me into a different direction that I plan on pursuing. You have to do what's best for you and your family sometimes," Adams said following her resignation.
"I don't know any of the direct details, but Mrs. Adams did a great job coaching this year for Holly Pond High School, and she has been and will continue to be a great role model for the young people of Cullman County," Barnette told the Cullman Times, following the first resignation. "If she feels that she needs to take a step back from coaching, I fully support her. I further believe that she will continue to be a great teacher, and when the time is right, she will be welcome to coach again."
Coaching runs in Adams' family. Her role at Holly Pond followed two seasons as the varsity girls' assistant coach under Scott Adams, her father-in-law, according to a Cullman Times profile when she was promoted to the Holly Pond position. Her husband currently coaches at Cold Springs.
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