Still no word on why Firelands head wrestling coach put on leave

The circumstances surrounding a Firelands school district coach's administrative leave weren't any more clear Friday, a day after news broke that head wrestling coach Josh Walbom was under investigation over "allegations of misconduct." The school district and the Lorain County Sheriff's Office are investigating. The district said its policy is to place staff members who are under investigation on administrative leave, and a statement was posted on the district's website this week announcing both the investigation and Walbom's leave. A message seeking comment on the law enforcement investigation was left with the sheriff's office. The incident that sparked the investigation allegedly occurred during a practice Nov. 23. Walbom was hired as Firelands' wrestling coach in 2017. Attorney Giovanna Bremke released the following statement on behalf of Walbom on Friday: "Josh has long been a supporter of the Firelands community and well-respected wrestling coach. Unfortunately, he was placed on leave immediately with no investigation from the Firelands administration regarding a conditioning drill. The school acted on the statements of a child which have been proven inaccurate. Josh looks forward to returning to the wrestling program." In a further statement emailed to The Chronicle-Telegram this week, Firelands schools Superintendent Mike Von Gunten said Firelands "takes any allegation of misconduct seriously." "When such allegations arise, it is our policy to place the staff member on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement to cooperate with any investigation," he wrote. "The safety of our students is our top priority and Firelands Local Schools will continue to encourage students and all stakeholders to report any such allegations to be investigated," Von Gunten wrote. "Please understand that for student and staff privacy, I cannot comment further at this time." Von Gunten said he had no further comment Friday. The Firelands Board of Education meets 7 p.m. Monday at the board offices, 112 N. Lake St. in South Amherst. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him @daveobrienCT on Twitter. ***The full text of Von Gunten's original statement, which was posted on the district's website, follows: "Dear Parents, I am writing to inform you our Head Wrestling Coach, Josh Walbom, has been placed on administrative leave while the district and law enforcement investigates allegations of misconduct. When such allegations arise, it is our policy to place the staff member on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation. I want to assure you that our priority is always the safety and welfare of our students. Please know that Firelands Local School District takes any allegation of misconduct seriously. As always, we encourage students and all stakeholders to report any allegations of misconduct. Please understand that for student and staff privacy, I cannot comment further at this time. In the interim, all scheduled practices and meets will continue as planned. Thank you, Mike Von GuntenSuperintendent"