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St. Clair Shores high school football coach assaults parent on sideline during game

By and David Komer
Published  September 16, 2024 7:19pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

Assistant coach attacks parent at St. Clair Shores high school football game on video

The video shows the players trying to separate the two men.

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Video of an assistant football coach at a St. Clair Shores high school punching a parent on the sideline was posted online in a Facebook group.

It apparently showed Lake Shore High School assistant Rob McFarlin assaulting the parent at Friday's game at Warren Woods Tower High School.

The video showed the players trying to separate the two men - now both are banned from Lake Shore High School and its events.

"It sounds to me that two adults didn't make the right decisions," said parent Shannon Smith. "So just like anyone - there's a consequence to making the wrong decision."

"I feel like the coach was really trying to protect the people," said parent Elizabeth Goode.

Lake Shore parents were left concerned, but conflicted.

"It's a scary world right now, but the parent came down to the field," said Goode. "I would stand behind the coach - and I don't know him personally."

The school says the parent had exited the stands and entered the field and confronted the coach on the sidelines.

Coach Rob McFarlin said he would like to interview with us but needed to speak with an attorney first in case this becomes a legal issue - he did, however, release a statement.

McFarlin said, "I acted in defense of the students and coaching staff. Just before the incident seen on video, the parent came towards me, yelling and cursing about his son playing running back. He aggressively approached me and a few other parents. At first I thought he was heading back to the stands, but when I saw him moving towards the field wearing a black hood and with his hand in his pocket, heading toward the coaches and the kids, I acted to prevent any escalation of the situation."

But the school principal told FOX 2 that "Based on eyewitness accounts, the actions of the coach were not a matter of protection or fear of safety for students - it was out of frustration towards the parent."

Principal Janelle Bross added, "There is no tolerance for physical aggression or violence and that the actions of both men did not meet the expectations we have for members of our school community and therefore neither will be allowed on our property or at any future Lake Shore events."

Warren police are currently investigating.