Curie Players on the Curie Metropolitan High School basketball team took to the court after Mike Oliver was removed as the team’s coach, and they were looking to make a statement amid the controversy at the school.
The Condors did just that on Thursday night, winning in blowout fashion.
“The boys won just to show we’re upset, but we’re going to keep working because that’s what he put in our heart,” Peter Hammond, a dad of one of the players on the team, said.
Hammond was talking about Oliver, who was removed from his position after allegations were made that he had a physical altercation with a student.
“He’s a great guy. I’ll tell you no one else believes it but the person that accused him. I hope he’s exonerated,” Hammond said.
Oliver told the Associated Press that the allegation stems from his work as a security guard at the school.
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“It’s all false accusations,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The investigation comes as the Condors look to continue a remarkable season. Thursday’s win pushes their record to 22-1 on the season, and the team is hoping they can keep up the great play with assistant coach Larry Wallace at the helm.
“He’s a second dad to some, father figure to most, and they’re being traumatized by this,” Darren Tillis, a Curie alum and former teammate of Oliver’s said.
For now, the investigation remains ongoing into the accusations against Oliver, and those close to the school are hopeful that he will be back soon.
“We love coach Michael,” a mom of one of the players said. “We love him and we want him back.”
