Ex-Brookland-Cayce High School soccer coach reprimanded, counseling ordered

Former Brookland-Cayce High School boys soccer coach Kevin Heise has been officially reprimanded by the state Board of Education and has agreed to undergo anger management and other counseling.

Heise was put on administrative leave on Feb. 10, 2017, after a classroom incident in which he gave an impromptu speech to two students. The incident was recorded by a student in the class. During the speech, Heise also made comments about B-C athletic director Rusty Charpia, who is also the school’s football coach, The State reported last year.

Heise resigned on April 20, 2017. On May 9, 2017, he was introduced as the boys soccer coach at Columbia’s Gray Collegiate Academy.

The Lexington 2 district reported Heise’s “unprofessional conduct” to the state Department of Education.

In the consent order, the state board charged that “Heise gave a ‘life lesson’ talk to his students during class. Mr. Heise made inappropriate and unprofessional comments regarding students and a District staff member.”

The order said the board decided that evidence presented by Lexington 2 did not warrant suspending or revoking Heise’s teaching certificate.

Heise could not be reached for comment Monday.

Carrie Tucker, Gray Collegiate Academy Assistant Principal, said that the incident in question happened before Heise was hired by the school.

“We have been more than pleased with Mr. Heise’s performance first as a teacher and also as a coach and look forward to his continued success here at Gray,” she said in an email.

Lexington District 2 spokeswoman Dawn Kujawa said it’s the district’s policy “not to comment on current or former employees. That said, we do wish Mr. Heise well.”

The board noted he had no prior record of disciplinary action.

After Heise was placed on administrative leave in February 2017, students and parents rallied to help Heise keep his job.

Nearly 200 people wearing “I Support Heise” stickers attended a Lexington 2 school board meeting and more than 2,100 signed a petition calling for Heise’s reinstatement.

Heise had coached at B-C since 1991, racking up 454 victories, 15 region titles and three lower state crowns.

Following the incident with her husband, Heise’s wife, Emily, the former girl’s soccer coach at Brookland-Cayce, filed suit in federal court against the school that alleged discrimination against female athletes and teams. The lawsuit, which is pending, said the discrimination there is so widespread that the girls’ teams had to borrow toilet paper from the men’s restrooms.

This story was originally published July 23, 2018 at 4:11 PM.