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LIZTON, Ind. — Parents and alumni of Tri-West High School in Lizton are outraged that the school district’s superintendent is resigning.

Michael Springer tendered his resignation to the North West Hendricks School Board Tuesday afternoon. The moves comes after Springer had be pressuring the school board to terminate Tri-West football coach and math teacher Tyler Bruce over the last year.

Bruce has been on paid leave from the school district after he was at the center of accusations that he had acted inappropriately with an 11th grade female student of his during the 2018-2019 school year. He’s accused of communicating with the girl through SnapChat and asking for naked pictures of her.

Bruce denied all claims of misconduct. No charges have been filed against him.

Many parents and alumni feel like Springer was being pushed out over his dispute with the school board on how to handle the situation.

“I think Superintendent Mike Springer has done everything in his power,” said Cody Brunes, a Tri-West graduate, told WISH-TV. “This school board just keeps going against him. I don’t know if it’s because they don’t want to see the ‘good ol’ boy’ teacher they all know and thought so highly of terminated and his teaching license taken away or what.”

Several others made it clear at a school board meeting Tuesday, where they voted to accept Springer’s resignation, that they were not happy with the school board’s handling of the ordeal.

Parents of several Tri-West students filed a tort claim in August which accuses the district of doing nothing after having been tipped off to the behavior Bruce is being accused of. It’s the first step in filing full-fledged lawsuit against the district.

The Indiana Department of Education has also gotten involved. They filed a complaint with the state in the DOE wants Bruce’s teaching license revoked. 

Springer had also recommended that athletic director Nathan Begle and his wife Stacy Begle, who is Dean of Students at Tri-West, be terminated as well because of their role in the matter.

Board members voted to keep all three employees on staff based on the “preponderance of evidence.”

(PHOTO: WISH-TV)