Arkansas High School Track Coach Suspended After Confrontation Over Alleged Messages to a Minor

An employee of the Prescott School District in Arkansas has been suspended following a video that shows him being confronted over allegations of inappropriate communication with a minor.

According to a report by KATV ABC 7 News in Arkansas, the confrontation occurred during a track meet at Nashville High School. In the video, which was streamed live on Facebook and shared on other social media platforms by an organization named "Preds vs. Prey," two men approach the employee on the football field and accuse him of sending sexually explicit messages to a 15-year-old girl via SnapChat. The caption under the video identifies the individual as Tony Price, a teacher and coach at Prescott High.

During the exchange, the employee appears to acknowledge the accusations in the video, after pulling out his phone and reviewing his SnapChat account with the person asking the questions.

District Responds, Removes Employee from Campus

Prescott School District officials moved quickly after becoming aware of the situation, prioritizing student safety while launching an internal investigation.

In a statement, the district said the staff member was immediately removed from the premises and escorted home by the district’s school resource officer. He was instructed not to return to campus pending a meeting with the superintendent.

Following that meeting, the employee was formally removed from campus as the investigation continues.

Officials Emphasize Student Safety Amid Ongoing Investigation

District leaders stressed that protecting students remains their top priority while they work to determine the facts of the case.

School officials said they are not currently aware of any Prescott students being involved in the allegations. However, they emphasized that the seriousness of the situation requires a thorough review regardless of that detail.

The district noted that its investigation remains ongoing, and no additional information has been released at this time. In addition, the school district has not publicly identified the individual.

According to reporting by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the staff member is being identified as a teacher and coach. A report by ArkansasVarsity.com has identified the individual confronted in the video as Tony Price.

The individual asking the questions in the video does gain the individual's attention by calling him "Tony." During the questioning, the interviewer tells the staff member, who stated that he is 57-years old in the video, that the alleged victim was a 15-year old girl and the allegations came to light when the girl's grandmother found her phone.

Full Text of Prescott School District Statement

The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our first concern. The District first became aware of a social media post that was made from a track meet at Nashville High School at which a staff member was confronted by two people who were evidently broadcasting live on Facebook. Once administration was made aware, the staff member was immediately removed from the premises, taken home by the District SRO, and notified that they were not to return until a meeting could be held this morning with the District Superintendent. That meeting was held and the employee has been removed from campus until the issue is resolved.

Our investigation into the incident is ongoing. At this time, we are not aware of any of our students being involved, but that does not decrease the seriousness of the accusation or the need to be fully investigated. Since this is a personnel matter, the District is very limited in what we can share concerning this situation. If and when additional information becomes available that we can share, we will release additional statements.

Developing Situation

The incident has drawn significant attention online due to the nature of the allegations and the public setting in which the confrontation occurred.

No further details have been confirmed as the investigation continues.