FALMOUTH, Maine — UPDATE: John Fitzsimmons resigned as Falmouth High School's head football coach Thursday morning, according to a statement released by Superintendent Gretchen McNulty. Fitzsimmons chose not to return to his position after respecting his players' concerns, the statement read.
Falmouth High School students spoke out at a school board meeting Tuesday night urging administrators to remove their head football coach.
A student-led petition was signed by roughly 30 current students who play or have played for coach John Fitzsimmons. The petition states that the players are asking for a new coach next season due to "numerous" reasons including safety concerns and a loss of "respect" for their coach.
The petition, and a 41-page document, submitted by the student-athletes said they raised their issues with their coach with Athletic Director James Coffey at the end of the 2023 and 2021 seasons.
"Those are our players, our students, we support their voices in trying to implement that change," Falmouth Football Boosters Club Vice President Todd Ross said Wednesday.
Ross said players have been voicing their concerns over Fitzsimons for years now.
Matthew Grace, a sophomore football player, spoke in front of the school board and Superintendent Gretchen McNulty on Tuesday, and said he and his teammates are not adequately coached and their safety is not a priority. Grace, and other community members, also said they're worried about the future of the school's football program if changes are not made.
Falmouth players also spoke about the high number of injuries suffered on the football field this past season. The Navigators had to forfeit a game against Portland last fall due to only having 19 players available to play and the majority of them were freshman.
In the submitted document, the players claim the low roster number last season resulted in the 'strongest players' playing more than usual and some players felt compelled to play through injuries. The injuries also forced younger players to play more at the varsity level who maybe weren't ready for that level of physicality. A number of players decided not to play football for Falmouth due to Fitzsimmons remaining as head coach, the document showed.
While injuries in football do happen, Ross added, he's concerned about the future viability of the program as a whole.
"If you don’t have a viable high school program, that’s just going to trickle down to each level below that," he said. "[Kids] may choose a different sport, they may choose a different school."
Falmouth Football Boosters helps organize teams from K-12, a cheerleading, and flag football program.
Players also said they do not trust Fitzsimmons' skill or judgment as a coach. A number of former and current players, as well as a past assistant coach, submitted anonymous statements in testimony of that claim.
Superintendent McNulty told the players Tuesday that she would be at the high school Wednesday morning to speak further with them. NEWS CENTER Maine did not get any details on how those conversations went. However, McNulty sent a statement that reads:
"We in the Falmouth School Department highly value student input and respect our students’ perspectives. Members of the administration and board members are continuing to meet with students and coaches and will provide an update tomorrow."