Orchard Lake St. Mary's baseball coach fired for alleged inappropriate contact with students

FOX 2 (WJBK) - A prominent Metro Detroit high school baseball coach has been fired, accused of inappropriate contact with students.

Matt Petry has been fired from Orchard Lake St. Mary's - where the school claims he violated the school's employee conduct policy.

Sources tell FOX 2 he's being investigated by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office over claims he requested inappropriate photos from students via phone or text.

Matt Petry is the son of former Detroit Tigers standout pitcher Dan Petry, a champion on the 1984 World Series team and current analyst.

In a news release sent out today, the school's administration said it learned of the violation Monday and fired Matt Petry immediately.

Orchard Lake St. Mary's was all-boys until 2020, when the school began admitting female students for the first time in 135 years.

In 2022, Orchard Lake went 44-0 and won the Division 1 state baseball championship, Matt Petry's third as coach.

Stay with FOX 2 for more on this developing story.

Below is the full statement that school leadership released:

Thank you for your inquiry.

The Orchard Lake Schools has terminated Mr. Matt Petry, who served as St. Mary's Prep Head Baseball Coach and Director of Admissions.

We learned on September 25, 2023, that a violation of our employee conduct policy had occurred. Our administration then terminated Mr. Petry’s employment that same day.

OLS has written policies that require communication outside the classroom with students via phone or text are solely for school and education-related matters. Mr. Petry's termination was a result of not adhering to this policy.

Please know that this is a private employment matter. Therefore, we are unable to provide further details at this time.

The St. Mary’s Prep Administration