Harford County high school fires 4 football coaches amid hazing investigation

Four coaches from the Harford Technical High School football program, including head coach Brad Hunt, are no longer coaching as the team is under investigation for an alleged hazing incident, Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) said.

The investigation by law enforcement and Child Protective Services temporarily paused the Harford Technical High School football season, and they were forced to forfeit a game. 

Details about the incident are limited at this time, but the Harford County Sheriff's Office said they are aware of and investigating allegations, including sexual assault.

Harford Tech principal Erin Mock wrote to families saying that those involved in the incident and those responsible for supervising have been identified, and are being disciplined within the school.

Meanwhile, Mock said the sheriff's office is continuing its investigation.

"Our goal is to ensure that the students who remain at Harford Tech understand that what occurred is not what any of us believe most Tech students to be," Mock wrote. "We know it is frustrating that we will never be able to share details about what happened or the actions taken in response to what happened. What we can share is that we are taking all appropriate disciplinary action to ensure the safety of the students in our school moving forward."

We know it will take time to heal. HCPS leadership is dedicated to ensuring steps are taken to support us as we restore our school community as best we can.

Coaching staff changes

Head Coach Brad Hunt was the only coach of the four fired coaches named by HCPS. The school district said Thursday that they could not discuss "specifics in personal matters" regarding the firings.  

Hunt was a Baltimore Ravens Coach of the Week honoree last season, according to a social media post by the team.

The school previously sent a letter to parents stating that it is "working towards new leadership on the coaching staff of the football teams."

On Sept. 9, school principal Mock emailed parents at the school about an incident, writing in part, "I want our families to know that we take every incident very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation."

The principal alerted parents that JV and varsity football practice would be cancelled that day. The next day, she announced that the week's game against Elkton was canceled.

The principal asked anyone with information on the incident to come forward.

A final email, sent on Sept. 12, told parents that football would resume on Monday, Sept. 15, writing, "Our first responsibility is to create an environment where safety, respect, and accountability are at the forefront of all we do."

Mock wrote on Thursday, "As was shared last week, the students who remain in the football program resumed operations this past Monday, September 15, 2025. We look forward to cheering on our Cobras tomorrow against the Edgewood Rams. We ask our athletes and spectators to continue being examples of sportsmanship and grace, especially in the face of adversity."

"It's dangerous"

Harford County residents said that taking action is the only way to make sure these hazing incidents don't continue.

"The thing is, we made sure that there was no such thing as hazing or anything like that back then," said Frank Figniski, a former Baltimore County baseball and badminton coach now living in Harford County.

Figniski said there is no excuse for hazing, no matter the sport. 

"The problem with that really is that it's dangerous, and we're talking about something that," Figniski said.

James Hammond and Carson Harting -- seniors and high school athletes at a different school in Harford County -- told WJZ that after learning about the incident, their coaches spoke to their teams about how they will not tolerate hazing

"A bunch of athletic programs you're talking about and saying, like, that's not okay, you can't be doing all that for, like, hazing stuff," Hammond said. "My coach told us that that's not what we're going to be doing. We should stay away from stuff like that, not get involved and stuff like that."

"No one really knows what truly happened, but everything or everyone just thinks, like, shouldn't happen in any school, with any student or kid," Harting added.

Football team allowed to play this week

The Harford County School District would not comment on the details of the incident or if it happened on school grounds.

"HCPS continues to investigate the individuals involved in the incident, along with law enforcement and Child Protective Services. Appropriate disciplinary action is being taken," the district said in a statement.

The team will play in this Friday's game against Edgewood, but it is not clear if all of the players will be allowed to participate.

"I have never been associated with hazing in high school. I'm aware of incidents in college, but I couldn't, you know, I got children," said Harford County resident Michael Diodato. "I couldn't comprehend, you know, what I would feel if I knew that my child was hazed playing high school sports."