Former H.S. wrestling coach wants job back

A-P-S FIRES A WELL KNOWN WRESTLING COACH -- ACCUSING HIM OF MISHANDLING MONEY. TONIGHT THE COAC...  More »

A-P-S FIRES A WELL KNOWN WRESTLING COACH -- ACCUSING HIM OF MISHANDLING MONEY. TONIGHT THE COACH -- AND DOZENS OF HIS SUPPORTERS -- SHOWED UP AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TO PROTEST HIS FIRING. ERIC KAHNERT WAS THERE. HE JOINS US LIVE FROM ALBUQUERQUE HIGH SCHOOL WITH WHY THE COACH SAYS HE DID NOTHING WRONG -- ERIC. MANNY GARCIA HAS BEEN THE HEAD WRESTLING COACH HERE THE PAST FOUR YEARS. HE WAS SENT THIS LETTER RECENTLY SAYING HE WAS FIRED, QUOTE 'BASED ON THE INFORMATION FROM THE A-P-S INTERNAL AUDITING RESULTS.'GARCIA SAYS THIS -- IS BOGUS. AS HEAD WRESTLING COACH AT ALBUQUERQUE HIGH ... MANNY GARCIA HAS ALWAYS TOLD HIS PLAYERS NOT TO GIVE UP ... NOW HE'S NOT GIVING UP ON GETTING HIS JOB BACK. GARCIA, WHO DOES NOT TEACH, WAS FIRED LAST MONTH -- ACCUSED OF MISHANDLING TEAM FUNDS. HE, ALONG WITH HIS PLAYERS AND THEIR PARENTS SHOWED UP AT THE A-P-S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ASKING FOR HIS JOB BACK. 'manny has the utmost honesty, loyalty and integrity.-5'15:35 'not only is he a great coach, he's a great mentor.-4 ' ACCORDING TO LETTERS SENT TO GARCIA ABOUT HIS FIRING ... SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS INCLUDE: --Invoices for expenditures not provided --Bank statements not provided --Fundraising activities not approved by the responsible administrator THE DISTRICT DID HOLD A DUE PROCESS HEARING WITH GARCIA ... BUT STILL DECIDED TO LET HIM GO. GARCIA'S FRIEND, RALPH ARRELLANES, A FORMER I-R-S AUDITOR, SAYS THE TEAMS FINANCES WERE FINE. 'we had an independent cpa run an audit of the accounts, all found no problems, no irregularities.-8' GARCIA SAYS HE WANTS TO SIT DOWN WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT TO DISCUSS HIS FIRING. 28:59 'as far as I'm aware I haven't done anything wrong.-3' GARCIA'S WRESTLERS ARE DEVASTATED THEY'RE WITHOUT THEIR COACH DURING THE HEART OF THE SEASON. 'this great man, mentored me and took care of me as a father.- 3''there's hundreds of wrestlers who could be standing behind us and tell you how great of a man he was, ya know.-4' GARCIA WON THREE DISTRICT TITLES IN HIS FOUR YEARS HERE. A-P-S SAYS IT CAN'T COMMENT ANY FURTHER ON GARCIA'S FIRING BECAUSE IT'S A PERSONNEL ISSUE. REPORTING LIVE FROM ALBUQUERQUE HIGH, EKEYWN4. IT WAS ONE OF THE  « Less