Live Oak coach files lawsuit for being handcuffed - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

November 9th was a night that won't be soon forgotten by Barry Musemeche or his Live Oak football team.

"When my name pops up now, that's the image people see," said Musemeche.

The head football coach was taken away in handcuffs fifteen minutes before his team's playoff game with Parkway High School in Bossier City.

"I'm going to just do what every coach has every coach has ever done before a football game and that is warm up our kids and that's all we were doing," added Musemeche.

That did not bode well with Parkway Principal Nichole Bourgeois, who admitted after the game to removing Musemeche for not sticking to what she said was Parkway's pre-game itinerary.

"We just found it necessary to go out ourselves and speak with head coach and when he would not leave the field after several requests, I requested that the police officers take him off the field," said Bourgeois.

Now Musemeche is fighting back with a lawsuit against Bourgeois, the Bossier City Police Department and the parish's school system.

"Their claims are ridiculous, this is a high school football game," said Jill Craft, Musemeche's attorney.

According to Musemeche, the goal of this lawsuit is not financial gain but rather to restore a reputation he has worked hard to build at Live Oak High School and for more than 20 years coaching football.

"I'm 49 years old and I've never been handcuffed in my life and I never thought that 20 minutes before a football game warming up my team would be the thing that would do it and we're just responding to something we obviously feel that is wrong," said Musemeche.

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