A winning South Jersey high school football coach, much loved by his players and parents alike, is claiming school officials are trying to force him out because he has too many black players on his team.
Camden Catholic’s Nick Strom said school president Mary Whipkey and principal Heather Crisci, broke the news to him Friday afternoon that his contract as a history teacher would not be renewed. They also asked him to resign as football and golf coach.
Strom [photo, left], said: 
“I think this [is] from me not conforming with their viewpoints on what they want the student body and the football team to look like,” Strom told the paper.
“I’ve tried to build this program into one that’s based on kids being of ability, high character and high grades.
“From Day one, the administration told me they did not approve of the ratio of black to white students.”
The school authorities denied the accusations in a statement.
“On Friday, April 27, Camden Catholic High School notified an un-tenured faculty member that his contract would not be renewed for the 2018-19 school year. We do not comment on personnel matters, but it has come to our attention that he has chosen to muddy the reasons for his dismissal with baseless accusations against the school and administration. Any concern about racism or racial insensitivity is taken seriously and investigated fully.”
CBS in Philadelphia reported Strom was fired one day before he got tenure.
Is this even real? Winning NJ high school football coach asked to resign, claims school wanted fewer Blacks on his team! ‘I was fired because team had too many black players’: Nick Strom
History teacher and football coach Nick Strom alleges he was fired from his job at Camden Catholic High School, New Jersey because team had too many black players
Camden Catholic High School football coach, Strom said of his firing “I think this [denial of tenure], is from me not conforming with their viewpoints on what they want the student body and the football team to look like,”
“From day one, the [school] administration told me they did not approve of the ratio of black to white students” – Strom
Since Strom, 30, took over, Camden Catholic is 34-6, and 34-2 against South Jersey teams, but he was fired April 30, one day before he got tenure
Strom who filed accusations against the school and administration, citing concern about racism or racial insensitivity was fired one day before he got tenure
Students and parents protested outside the school Monday, beginning at 7:30 am
Students also walked out in protest
Winning New Jersey high school football coach, Nick Strom is claiming school officials fired him a day before he was to become tenured because he has too many black players on his ball team.
Camden Catholic High School students stand in protest after history teacher and football coach Nick Strom was fired
The embattled coach and teacher said there were occasions when he was asked whether a student came from a single- or two-parent household. Strom has told the school he won’t resign. Since Strong took over, Camden Catholic is 34-6, and 34-2 against South Jersey teams, according to the report.
Courier Post reported that students and parents protested outside the school Monday, beginning at 7:30 a.m. The Courier-Post also reported students walked out in protest.
The parents and supporters of coach Strom who gathered in the school parking lot Monday morning, where they met with President Whipkey, Principal Crisci, as well as, Athletic Director Derrick Levine.
Matt Janda, one of the parents said after the Camden High authorities, “Told us they wouldn’t answer any questions”.
“They just said they’d listen to what we had to say,” Janda said.
Thirty minutes later, the students walked out of the school in protest.
“It hit me so off guard, as much as Coach Strom has done for us. He’s paved the way for us these four years,” former football star Marcus Hillman said.
“He’s done an unbelievable job as a coach and a teacher here. It’s come out of nowhere. It hurts all of us to know that a man we look up to doesn’t have a job anymore.
“We felt like we needed to walk out of school to show that we’re all together and we’re with Coach Strom in a tough time for him.”
Strom said he plans to file a grievance with the union about the contract non-renewal, which came with a letter from Whipkey explaining the decision.
Parents and supporters protest sacking of coach Strom on at Camden Catholic High School on Monday
In a letter, Whipkey detailed the reasons for the non-renewal. It included dress violations, disrespect to the president after those violations, leaving class early to prepare to coach golf, leaving class to talk to a college coach and allowing students to leave class early.
Strom acknowledged a conversation on April 3 with President Whipkey about his dress, which he said lacked a tie. He claimed that dialogue accounted for the first three points she cited in her letter.
He also acknowledged a fellow faculty member watched his class as he unlocked a locker room for the golf team after school: “If I’m finished with a test, kids will ask if they can go to the library or go to the AV Club or can they go work with teacher X, Y or Z who might be helping them. Every teacher in the country does this,” Strom said.
“All of our bathrooms are locked. There aren’t kids just walking around the hallways. They’re doing school work.
“None of this is remotely close to being egregious.”
The Catholic Diocese of Camden reportedly issued a statement that they are looking into allegations that the firing of the coach may have been racially motivated. There are allegations being made over the firing of Nick Strom, who is white, and they include issues about race. On Monday morning, students and parents showed up outside Camden Catholic High School to protest the firing of the football coach.
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