Illinois AD canned for sharing article about five-star WR Laquon Treadwell’s Twitter prank
Crete-Monee (Crete, Ill.) High's school board voted to replace its longtime AD after he posted a Chicago Tribune article outside his office about a Twitter photo prank played by football star Laquon Treadwell while on a college visit, according to the Tribune.
While visiting his future campus in late January, the Ole Miss-bound wide receiver posted pictures on his Twitter account of a couple coeds kissing him on the cheeks and what turned out to be his hand holding a stack of $100 bills. Naturally, Treadwell's photos -- similar to those posted by former Clemson recruit Will Bellamy in 2011 -- served up a dish of speculation that the internet ate up willingly.
"It was really nothing," Treadwell admitted in a February Tribune article about the ordeal. "I never took money from Ole Miss or anything. That (goofing around) was all it was."
Crete-Monee athletic director Gene Cahan, who has held that position for eight years and also served as the Warriors' baseball coach for the past 26 seasons, must've found some amusement in the entire scenario, since he posted that Trib article in a bulletin case outside of his office.
Three hours later, Treadwell asked Cahan to remove the picture, and the AD obliged, according to the Trib report. No biggie, right? Tell that to the school board, which voted 3-2 on Tuesday morning "to reassign Cahan next school year." Whatever that means.
"Never in my wildest dream after 29 years in district would I think this would happen," Cahan explained to the Tribune's Mike Helfgot. "Everyone admits there was no bad intent on my part. I didn't do it to embarrass Laquon. It was his words saying it was just goofing around. I only have positive things to say about Laquon. He is a great kid."
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior wide receiver led the Warriors to a 14-0 record and the Class 6A state championship (the school's first title) this past season, hauling in 81 catches for 1,424 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Tribune's 2012 Player of the Year, Treadwell also recorded 56 tackles and six interceptions as a defensive back. He is a five-star recruit who Rivals.com ranks as the top wideout in the Class of 2013.
All of that shows why there would be plenty of attention on anything related to Treadwell in or around Crete-Monee. The question is why an athletic director who had spent nearly three decades in the district would be forced out for what he thought was a well-meaning tip of the cap to one of the school's favorite sons.
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