Former West High football coach Lamar Brown is taking Knox County Schools to court, claiming the district made him the “fall guy” after an internal review ended his run leading one of Knoxville’s powerhouse programs. Brown filed a civil lawsuit on Feb. 11, 2026, in Knox County Circuit Court, asking a judge to sort out his challenge to the district’s personnel decisions that cost him the head coaching job.
What the suit says
The complaint names Knox County Schools, the Knox County School Board, and Superintendent Jon Rysewyk as defendants and argues Brown was unfairly singled out following the district’s review, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Brown alleges in the filing that district leaders leaned on the administrative process to shift blame onto him instead of sharing responsibility for what the review uncovered.
District probe and reassignment
Knox County Schools wrapped up an administrative review in June 2025 that found a “significant lack of oversight” in the West football program. The district removed Brown from his coaching duties, reassigned him to a classroom teaching role, and told him he would not coach for at least two years, WVLT reported. Hoodline also covered the program turmoil and staff changes last summer in earlier reporting on the scandal.
Criminal charges against assistants
The district’s review came on the heels of criminal investigations into two assistant coaches. Assistant coach Chad Antwan Brooks was indicted on counts that included aggravated statutory rape and statutory rape by an authority figure, and Richard Scott Shaver was indicted on counts including sexual battery by an authority figure, according to WATE.
Community reaction and Brown's response
Brown and his attorney have consistently pushed back on the district’s moves. His lawyer, Jeff Hagood, said Brown “has absolutely done nothing wrong” and argued the reassignment would hurt the players and the broader West community, WVLT reported. With the new lawsuit, Brown is now asking a civil court to weigh in on those personnel decisions.
What comes next
The case will move forward in Knox County Circuit Court, where the district can file a response to the complaint, seek to have it dismissed, or gear up for discovery. Knox County Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the suit, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Whatever happens next is unlikely to be quick, and the legal fight could stretch out for months.
