Mississippi High School Basketball Coach Accused of Whipping Players

A Mississippi high school basketball coach has been accused of whipping his players with a weightlifting belt for poor performance in practices.

Marlon Dorsey, first-year coach of the Murrah High School Mustangs, was suspended by the school district for 28 days with pay, according to The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

One of the alleged whippings was recorded by someone with a cell phone camera. Although the footage is blurry, the school superintendent said that it "certainly shows a reflection of inappropriate behavior."

Dorsey released a long statement in which he explained why he "paddled" students:

"I paddled my students. Today, some of [sic] students have lost pride in their school and in their (sic) selves. Students are disrespecting teachers, administrators and other students by stealing cell phones, leaving off campus without permission, disrupting classroom teaching time, late for class and not following dress codes by wearing the pants on their butts and house shoes to school and on-court behavior. I took it upon myself to save these young men from the destruction of self and what society has accepted and become silent to the issues our students are facing on a daily basis."

Some players have said that they were afraid to speak up against their coach for fear of being benched.

Three students are suing Dorsey for unspecified damages.

The team and parents are divided over Dorsey, with 10 players and 17 parents meeting earlier this month in support of their coach.

Murrah High School's basketball program has produced many NBA players, including Cleveland's Mo Williams and retired Pistons point guard Lindsey Hunter.