Portage High School head football coach Roy Richards has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a personnel matter, according to a statement by the school district.

“This action was taken in accordance with school district policy to ensure a thorough and fair review process,” the statement said.

Tony Klimczak was appointed interim head coach. The football program’s scheduled off-season team activities will continue.

“Our priority at Portage High School is to maintain the integrity of our athletic programs and the well-being of our student athletes. We are committed to handling this matter professionally and in accordance with district procedures,” the statement said.

Personnel issues are confidential, so no details of Richards’ case have been released.

Richards has been with Portage High School two years, with no wins in 2023 and a 4-6 record last year. Before that, he was assistant coach at Michigan City High School.

In 2015, he left Morton High School in Hammond after 16 seasons, amassing a record of 118-66 before resigning as football coach and athletic director. He had been under paid suspension but was cleared of charges against him by the Indiana Department of Child Services, the Post-Tribune reported at the time.

According to Post-Tribune archives, Richards said at the time that the school placed him on paid suspension to investigate a complaint about inappropriate behavior with a female student.

Morton called in Indiana Child Protective Services to investigate the complaint immediately after it learned of the incident. Richards said then that the girl’s boyfriend confronted him about touching his girlfriend in his office.

A security camera in Richards’ office captured the incident. The girl, Richards said then, had asked him who the 10 cutest football players were. Richards put his arm around the girl briefly and started pointing to the pictures of the players he had on the wall.

In the CPS report, the girl said she was “uncomfortable,” according to Richards.