Trinity Catholic High School not renewing contract of tennis coach following social media post with racial slur

by: KSN News

Posted: Jun 13, 2020 / 05:00 PM CDT / Updated: Jun 15, 2020 / 04:00 AM CDT

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KSNW) – A high school tennis coach for Trinity Catholic High School in Hutchinson will not have his contract renewed following a racial slur that was posted on his page.

The high school posted on its Facebook page Saturday that the school and the Catholic Diocese of Wichita were investigating Thomas Harris, listed as the tennis coach on the school’s website. The school has since posted that his contract will not be renewed for the 2020-2021 school years.

The school made this post on Facebook Saturday afternoon:

“After consultation with the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, the contract of our former high school tennis coach will not be renewed for the 2020-2021 school year. We stand by our mission statement at Trinity Catholic, which is to unite parish, home, and school into a Catholic learning community, dedicated to academic excellence and spiritual growth, while forming stewards and leaders who value diversity and service to God and society.”

A meme using a racial slur was posted on to the Thomas Harris Facebook page with the comment: “Here goes my chances of ever holding a position in public office.” On Saturday, an apology was written on the social media page, saying he is “sorry for the tasteless post.” By late afternoon Saturday, neither the original post or an apology post were public on the page. KSN has reached out to Harris for comment but has not heard back.

KSN also reached out to Trinity Catholic High School and the Diocese of Wichita but has not yet heard back. Both offices are closed on Saturday.

The full statement posted on Trinity Catholic High School’s Facebook page is below:

“We are aware of the situation regarding our tennis coach, Thomas Harris. Trinity Catholic and the Diocese of Wichita are investigating this situation. Appropriate action will be taken upon completion of this investigation. Please know that the actions and comments that were made do not reflect the mission of Trinity Catholic, which is to unite parish, home, and school into a Catholic learning community, dedicated to academic excellence and spiritual growth, while forming stewards and leaders who value diversity and service to God and society.”
Trinity Catholic High School