HASTINGS, Mich. — After complaints from parents, Barry County Undersheriff and Hastings High School varsity baseball coach Jason Sixberry was placed on administrative leave and released from his position as coach earlier this month.
Sixberry is accused of having "regularly engaged in behavior that overstepped the boundaries of appropriate coach/player relationships," Hastings High School Athletic Director Mike Goggins told 13 ON YOUR SIDE.
Through a Freedom of Information Act request, 13 ON YOUR SIDE obtained the police report filed by the Michigan State Police.
The report, included below, is heavily redacted.
The MSP report references a car ride where two brothers who were on the baseball team were getting a ride home from Sixberry after a school event.
MSP interviewed one of the two brothers and his parent, following the original complaint from the parent.
The parent of the boy told police that Sixberry had an inappropriate conversation with her sons while Sixberry was driving them home from the after school event.
When MSP interviewed the boy, he told the investigator that he, his brother and another baseball player got a ride home from Sixberry. After dropping the other player off at their home, Sixberry asked the boys a question that he considered strange. The topic of the question was redacted from the police report.
The boy interviewed by police said that he did not feel "creeped out" by the conversation and just believed that Sixberry was trying to teach them some sort of lesson. The topic was redacted from the police report.
The boy also told police that when Sixberry dropped the boys off at their home, he gave them a firm handshake and a hug, which the boy thought was strange, but not uncomfortable.
The other boy involved in the incident was not able to be interviewed because of his busy schedule, but said he would be open to an interview at a later time.
The incident took place sometime before April 9, 2024.
The high school athletic director said Sixberry inappropriately used social media and texted with players on matters not related to the baseball program, and regularly gave the players gift cards.
The school said Sixberry often used "inappropriate language when with players."
"While our investigation did not find any evidence of any incident we believe to be illegal or requiring a mandated report to the Child Protective Services, we did find a preponderance of evidence of situations we believe inappropriate in a healthy coach/player relationship," Goggins said. "Therefore, Hastings Area School System will not renew his position as the Hastings Varsity Baseball Coach."
Sheriff Dar Leaf confirmed with 13 ON YOUR SIDE that Sixberry is on administrative leave until further notice, but did not answer questions about why.
You can read the full news release about the suspension here:
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