Second Southwest coach placed on leave as Bibb schools investigates student death

Article and photos courtesy of the Macon Telegraph –> Original Article Here

High School Sports

August 19, 2021 05:17 PM

A second Southwest High School coach has been placed on administrative leave following the death of one of the team’s players late last month.

A district spokeswoman confirmed that offensive coordinator Robert “Bo” Cummings is on paid leave while the district conducts an investigation into the death of Joshua Ivory Jr., who collapsed at practice on July 26.

Ivory Jr. was transported to a local hospital after collapsing, where he was later pronounced dead.

Head coach Joe Dupree is also on leave. Bo Cummings’ brother, Roderick, Southwest’s defensive coordinator, is reportedly running the team while his brother and Dupree are on leave. Southwest’s first game of the season is next week against Howard.

According to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones, the GBI Crime Lab is conducting an autopsy, which is standard procedure in the death of an otherwise healthy person; the cause of death has not been released.

The Bibb County School District released a statement a few days after Ivory Jr.’s death, where leaders noted all protocols had been properly followed. Information about the district’s current investigation has not been released.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is not conducting a criminal investigation of the incident, a sheriff’s spokesman told the Telegraph.

Telegraph reporter Joe Kovac Jr. contributed to this story.

Justin Baxley is the fan life reporter at The Telegraph and writes stories centered around entertainment, food and sports in the Macon community. Justin joined the Telegraph staff after graduating from Mercer University in May 2017 with a degree in criminal justice and journalism. During his time at Mercer he served as the sports editor for The Cluster.

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