Stand with Harry King II: Legal Defense Needed

Legal Fees Help:

I have had to get an attorney to defend my life as a teacher/coach. The interesting thing is I have to fund out of pocket with this type of accusation everything up front for my legal defense. This process is two stages:

1. Round one is the Investigation costs: $7500 dollars.

If it goes to the next stage:

2. Hearing (If the Investigator finds wrong doing): $5000 dollars.

My Life as a Coach:

I have been coaching all sports in the Hoke County School system since 2004, when I started coaching football as an assistant coach and boys' head soccer coach. I did this for my entire tenure at East Hoke Middle School from 2004 to 2012. Also, from 2007 to 2012, I added the girls' soccer and wrestling teams to my coaching duties. I also worked as an Assistant AD over Fields/Maintenance. From 2005 to 2012, I developed a high school boys' rugby club outside the school system and played our games at East Hoke Middle School. That branched into a girls' HS program that had players as young as 6th grade playing. rugby Both the boys and girls teams made it to the HS Club South Region Championships 2010-11.

I left teaching in 2012 after coming under fire from the Superintendent, Athletic Director, and Principal. We had a parent meeting at East Hoke Middle, and my job was threatened by the Superintendent because he didn't like my parents and club wanting to be a part of the high school. I then resigned from teaching in Hoke County Public Schools and moved to Michigan to pursue other aspirations.

In Michigan, I worked to help the Ferris State University Women's Team, Div II, with no incidents for 3 years. I then got an NCAA D1A Men's College Rugby coaching job at Davenport University. After 2 years, my contract was not renewed, and I looked for a teaching job back in North Carolina and took a position back in Hoke County teaching HS Social Studies.

At Hoke County HS, the Athletic Director was desperate for a coach at East Hoke Middle School for Football and Wrestling. I got back into what I do best, coaching. When my son got to the HS he joined the football team and I joined as a coach. He only wanted to play rugby, so I tried to get a team going and was met with fierce opposition. I took some of the Hoke kids who wanted to learn about rugby over to Southern Pines, where my son played, and I coached that team for 2 years till his graduation. Some of the boys and then the girls warmed up to having a team.

When the administration changed at the HS, I was going to push harder because my daughter was in the 5th grade, and she also started playing rugby at 10 years old in Southern Pines. I wanted an HS team for her and the girls playing to have a club team on campus. With the Princpals help and some of the school board members, I was able to make it a club at the HS. I knew this would upset a lot of people. I tried to run the club the right way for both boys and girls. Also, for the state of NC to recognize a sport, 25% of the schools need to be playing the sport. The sport was growing in Mecklenburg County, and our success was starting to be recognized. I focused on developing the girls' program with the hopes that it would get the boys moving in the right direction.

I was spending my own money to make sure the students had shorts and soccer cleats for the first few games and tournaments we played. I paid for. Since the girls won the Division II State Championships last year, I was determined to get them proper uniforms and sat down with Mr. Covington, our new Athletic Director, and present the opportunities that High School Girls have learning to play the sport of rugby which is growing at the high school level and that Mecklenburg County was already engaged in. I put $1400.00 of my own money to make sure this could happen. I went to a reputable dealer of rugby uniforms (World Rugby Shop) and raised the rest of the money. After they came, I noticed that some of the tops were too small, and the girls ordered the size of shorts they wanted. I saw that some of the jerseys ordered were too small, so I ordered more out of my pocket, another $390.00 to correct the issue. I also started building them a proper Scrum Sled, so I do not have to engage in that part of the game because of the closeness. I spent another $800.00 on materials, so I did not have to get smashed at practice or buy a scrum sled costing $3,500.00. When the uniforms came, I showed them to many teachers in the hallway.

I have never turned away any student who wanted to play on the club, nor did I ever step out of line with the young people in my care as a coach, going on 25 years working with young people. Every student is welcome on my team, and I hope that they push themselves to be better and healthier.

I am saddened that the girls did not get a chance to finish the season with proper rugby uniforms. They missed the last 2 games and a playoff game to go to another State Championships and possibly win. They worked so hard to get to this point, and some have been recognized by Universities. One who is a senior and has gotten a scholarship to play rugby at Guilford College, and three others have been selected for our state's All-Star program. Of these players, 2 have been selected by the South Territorial All-Star program to play in Ireland, UK, this November, and all the other girls are showing potential for success in this sport.

This incident has affected me deeply, and I have prayed to God for my job that I may be able to finish my career as a teacher, since I have done nothing wrong except try to support our young people in this community. The girls' program was gaining steam in this community once more as it did in 2006-2012 when we came under attack about wanting to be a club on campus.

Some of those young men and women whom I helped guide to adulthood from 2006 to 2012 are in their late 20s and 30s. The young men asked me to help them start a men’s team here in Raeford, and be their coach since they started a Division 4 Men's Rugby team, and in one season, these young men won the Carolina Geographic Union Div 4 Men’s Rugby Championship held on March 12th, 2025. There are more than 13 players on that team who graduated from Hoke County HS, plus one of the Moms of a girl who plays has joined the Southern Pines Women's team in hopes of starting a women's team in Raeford.

I need your help to fight these false accusations.

Harry W. King II