| UPDATE: CMCSS: Assistant coach left game on his own, amid behavior described as ‘defiant,’ ‘unreasonable’

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – An assistant football coach and SRO at Northwest High School has been put on paid leave during an investigation of a complaint of “proselytizing” during a football game Friday night that led to his removal from the contest.

Deputy Lawrence “Trey” Campbell was put on leave by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the school resource officers at Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools.

Friday night, Campbell, in his role as an assistant coach on the football team, was removed at halftime of the Vikings game against Davidson Academy by the Northwest principal. By some accounts, Campbell was holding a Bible and leading players in prayer.

However, CMCSS officials told Clarksville Now they were told it went beyond private prayer, and that they had received a complaint that Campbell was proselytizing to students in his official capacity as a school employee. Proselytizing is defined as working to convert someone to one’s faith. CMCSS is investigating the matter and had no additional comment on Monday.

In a statement to Clarksville Now, Sheriff John Fuson said, “The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office firmly stands behind any citizen who chooses to lawfully exercise their constitutional rights. This includes our employees.

“As a man of faith, I was equally concerned about the initial information regarding this and how it appeared to have been handled. With that, I also acknowledge that there are always two sides to consider. The incident involving Coach Campbell, in his capacity as a volunteer assistant coach with Northwest High School is being reviewed by CMCSS,” Fuson said.

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“With school safety being a top priority, I spoke with Deputy Campbell this morning regarding this. Given the level of attention that this has and will continue to receive, I felt it would be best to allow Deputy Campbell a couple of paid days off to process all of this. This is to help ensure that upon his return, he could continue his SRO duties without distraction. This will also allow CMCSS to complete its review.”

There are two SROs at Northwest, and Campbell’s assignment and status have not changed, Fuson said.

“Once the CMCSS review is complete, we will move forward in the most positive direction for our agency,” Fuson said.

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