MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — A citizen complaint against the former football coach at Northwest High School has been dropped. The assault charge was brought by Gaithersburg High School athletic director William Gant following a large brawl between the two schools after a game in September.
The Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office said the complaint was reviewed and prosecutors dismissed it on Friday. Hawkins called the dismissal a "small win" on social media.
Gant accused Travis Hawkins of not only not only hitting another employee, but failing to de-escalate a large brawl between players, according to court documents obtained by WUSA9.
The fight reportedly broke out on the field among players between Gaithersburg and Northwestern high schools, resulting in the game being called. The school board showed one minute and 15 seconds left on the clock in the third quarter when the game concluded.
As spectators were leaving off the field, another altercation erupted among police and spectators, which led to four juveniles and a 19-year-old facing charges. Three people, including a police officer and a school staff, were assaulted with injuries that were considered non-life threatening. Police dispersed the crowd and one person who was found with a knife was taken into custody.
Hawkins' position, along with an assistant coach position and the Gaithersburg High School Athletic Specialist position have been vacated since the fight on Sept. 16.
As for the rest of the 2022-2023 season, the people temporarily acting in those positions will continue doing so until the end of the season. Administrators plan to hire replacements later this year.
"A school and, by extension, its athletics have an identity that is deeply and emotionally personal for their respective communities," said school officials. "These decisions will understandably be viewed differently but we must come together at this time to heal and prevent further division."