Tallahassee’s Maclay School is telling students that its former head lacrosse coach, days after a lawsuit alleged his verbal and physical abuse of a student, will be absent from his classes until the end of this school year.
Justin VanTassel also teaches U.S. history at the private school, and is now on paid leave, his attorney says. VanTassel also advised junior class students and directed the school’s Business and Entrepreneurship Academy, its website says.
“…(W)e have put a plan in place to support students through the remainder of the school year,” Maclay Assistant Head of School Charles Beamer wrote in a May 6 letter to parents and students and obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat. A separate request for comment is pending.
According to Beamer’s letter, a substitute teacher will take his place in the classroom and the upper school dean and history department chair will oversee remaining assignments and final grades.
Tallahassee attorney Jaeson Homola of the Nonni Homola law firm says he represents VanTassel.
“Our client has not been terminated. He has been placed on leave with pay. This is a common and routine practice in situations where allegations are raised through litigation, including in cases where the accused denies the allegations, as our client does here,” Homola told the Democrat.
A parent filed a lawsuit May 1 naming the school and VanTassel as defendants on counts of negligence and battery after she found out her child reportedly faced abuse while playing on the school’s lacrosse team.
The student said he was physically assaulted by VanTassel on two separate occasions during the 2024-25 school year, according to the complaint.
During one instance, “VanTassel angrily grabbed Plaintiff by his chest pad and shoved him backwards while yelling at him,” the complaint says.
VanTassel was hired at Maclay in 2019 and was named the All Big Bend Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2025 by the Tallahassee Democrat, according to previous reporting.
“While we are unable to comment on pending legal matters, we want to emphasize that we take all allegations seriously,” the school said in a May 4 statement to the Democrat.
“The safety and well-being of our community remain our highest priorities, and we are committed to handling any concerns with care, integrity, and in accordance with all appropriate policies and procedures,” the statement added.
Alaijah Cross covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at abrown@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Maclay School former coach now on leave after student abuse lawsuit
Reporting by Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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