New York girls' basketball coach cited for harassment after pulling player's hair during state final

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A New York high school girls’ basketball coach, who was fired over the weekend for pulling the hair of one of his players after a loss in the state championship game, was cited this week for harassment in the second degree, according to officials. 

Jim Zullo, 81, was fired from his job as head coach of the Northville High School girls’ varsity basketball team on Sunday after he was caught on video pulling the hair of a player, Hailey Monroe, after the Falcons lost the Class D state final to La Fargeville Central School on Friday night.

Jim Zullo, left, coaches Northville High School girls at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, on March 4, 2024. (Sam Zullo via AP)

The Northville Central School District released a statement announcing the decision, and said it was "deeply disturbed" Zullo’s actions.

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"We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable. The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve.

"This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District," the statement continued. "We assure the public that this matter is being taken extremely seriously, and the District is actively addressing it. The District will be following up with the affected players and their families to provide support and outline the actions we are taking in response to this