HOLLY HILL, Fla. – It was all fun and games until a basketball coach body slammed a teacher to the ground in a student-faculty basketball game.
Police arrested 27-year-old Travis Mims on aggravated battery charges after the incident at Holly Hill School where he was the basketball coach and a campus adviser.
The victim, 33-year-old Katherine Martin, told police Mims continually fouled her and was becoming increasingly aggressive during the game.
According to WKMG, Martin and Mims continued to play after a verbal confrontation.
Then Martin tried to push away from Mims to get open for a pass and Mims grabbed her, lifted her off the court and slammed her to the ground.
“That’s above and beyond,” Holly Hill Police Chief Stephen Aldrich told WKMG. “He picks her up and he just turns her over and drops her on the floor from probably five, six feet in the air. So she hit real hard.”
Officials said others had to force Mims off the woman.
“In our view, it was intentional,” Aldrich told WKMG. “There’s certain things you don’t do even when you’re playing ball.”
Police said Martin’s head hit the ground first.
She suffered a cracked rib, got several bumps and bruises and was bleeding from her head.
Authorities said she drove herself to the hospital; she is expected to recover but is very sore.
Mims no longer works at Holly Hill School.
Martin said she played basketball in college and played with Mims several times a week.
She said Mims recently asked her to be his assistant basketball coach and that she considered him a friend.
WKMG reported Martin has asked to be transferred to a different school because Mims’ fiance also works at Holly Hills.
Mims’ bond was set at $2,500.
