Ex-Hempfield basketball coach retires from guidance counselor job after investigation

Former Hempfield Area High School boys basketball coach Bill Swan will retire from his guidance counselor role in June, following approval by the school board Monday night.

Swan was placed on paid administrative leave from his coaching and guidance counselor positions Jan. 14 as the school district investigated an allegation that officials refused to disclose.

The district has concluded that investigation. Superintendent Mark Holtzman declined to share specifics with a TribLive reporter last week.

The board voted to accept Swan’s resignation as coach on Jan. 21. Swan’s retirement as guidance counselor will go into effect June 2.

“I’m very honored to have served 36 years in public education, and I’m looking forward to retirement in June,” Swan told TribLive Monday night.

He declined to comment on the investigation.

The board also voted Monday to accept Swan’s supplemental contract resignation from his guidance counselor job, effective Jan. 22.

District Solicitor Krisha DiMascio and Assistant Superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht declined to answer questions or comment about Swan Monday night. They also declined to elaborate on what the supplemental contract entailed.

Holtzman attended the meeting virtually and could not be reached for comment Monday.

State police investigated a complaint made about Swan, according to Trooper Steve Limani. The details of the investigation were passed along to Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office, Limani said.

Ziccarelli’s office did not file criminal charges against Swan, spokesperson Melanie Jones said.

“(The investigation) is concluded unless more information comes to light,” Jones said.

Ziccarelli’s office declined to share details of the investigation because no charges were filed, Jones said.

The representative for the Hempfield Area teachers union did not respond to a request for comment Monday evening.

Swan received $92,791 in compensation during the 2022-23 school year, according to an online database of Pennsylvania education spending.

The school postponed a basketball game last month after Swan’s placement on administrative leave. Assistant coach Mark Katarski filled in as interim coach for the final eight games of the season. It was his first season with the Spartans.

Swan first joined Hempfield in 2001 but was fired in May 2009 after a player’s father complained to the school board that the coach had benched and cursed at a player during the 2008-09 basketball season. The district hired an attorney to investigate the complaint.

Greg Meisner, the athletic director at the time, completed a 13-page evaluation of Swan in 2008, which resulted in the board ordering Swan to take anger management classes.

Swan later filed a grievance against the district, which settled with Swan in September 2010. The district paid Swan $14,000, contributing to a nearly $22,000 payment for the legal proceedings.

In the settlement, Swan agreed not to apply for a future Hempfield coaching position or file an age discrimination lawsuit against the district.

He was rehired as high school boys head basketball coach in August 2014, according to school board meeting minutes.

Diane Ciabattoni, who has served on the school board for about 32 years, said Swan did not apply for the coaching position but was asked by the district to return to the job.