Former Moore HS basketball coach sues JCPS for wrongful termination after assault charges dropped

LOUISVILLE, Ky., (WDRB) – The former Moore varsity basketball coach cleared by a grand jury in April of assaulting and strangling a student has filed a wrongful termination against Jefferson County Public Schools, claiming all he did was break up an altercation between two of his children.

Richard Gatewood was arrested at Moore High School Feb. 7 after allegedly getting into a verbal argument with a middle school student in the gym, slamming the boy down and placing him in a chokehold, "effectively strangling him," according to an arrest report.

JCPS Spokeswoman Carolyn Callahan has said as of March 2, Gatewood is no longer a JCPS employee. Callahan could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Jefferson Circuit Court, Gatewood and his attorney allege his son, a middle school student at the school, was playing basketball with his younger brother and “became extremely rough.”

Gatewood alleges he was struck by his son after intervening to remove him from the gym. He said he did not strike the child, according to the suit.

But as a result, Gatewood said JCPS improperly terminated him, claiming he was guilty of negligence, insubordination and misconduct, among other things. Gatewood argues he was asserting his parental rights to discipline his child and “bring him under control," according to the lawsuit.

Police were notified by a school staffer. The incident was caught on school video and Gatewood admitted to "striking and slamming" the juvenile, according to a police report.

But on April 18, a Jefferson County grand jury issued a "no true bill" on assault and strangulation charges, dismissing the case.

The lawsuit is requesting a determination that Gatewood did not act improperly and that he was wrongly fired, as well as unspecified monetary damages.

Gatewood coached the varsity Moore basketball team and was a school administrator.

Gatewood was hired in March 2022. He previously coached at Moore a decade ago. After the 2012-13 season, Moore went 23-8 and Gatewood was named Sixth Region Coach of the Year, according to a Courier Journal article.

Gatewood took over a Moore program that went 6-22 last season and hasn’t reached the Sixth Region Tournament since 2019.