Charlotte, N.C., highschool operating coach and former elite runner Matthew Elliott was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two counts of “indecent liberties” with a pupil. Final Friday, the sufferer, who’s now an grownup, got here ahead to the native police division, reporting the inappropriate relationship she had with Elliott, who was her cross-country coach whereas she was enrolled on the college, Charlotte Nation Day.
Matthew Elliott was working as a coach at a non-public Charlotte highschool when he had an inappropriate relationship with a feminine pupil, in response to police. https://t.co/99oXPHLCuw
— WCNC Charlotte (@wcnc) November 14, 2024
Reportedly, the sufferer instructed officers that Elliott flirted along with her and made “quite a few advances,” and that that they had an inappropriate relationship.
Elliott, 39, had been a coach and a substitute instructor at the highschool since 2015. After the allegations emerged, the college terminated Elliott’s employment, barred him from their campuses and knowledgeable households and alumni of the misconduct. The assertion revealed that the sufferer attended the college throughout the previous few years.
“America’s quickest kindergarten instructor”
The event comes years after Elliott rose to fame in 2013 after inserting fourth within the 1,500m on the U.S. Monitor and Area Championships, beating elite runners whereas instructing full-time. An emotional post-race interview with Elliott went viral; the athlete even acquired autograph requests within the mail. That 12 months, he was known as “America’s Quickest Kindergarten Trainer,” and was a canopy mannequin for each Runner’s World and Working Occasions magazines.
Elliott was a kindergarten by way of third-grade instructor for kids with particular wants on the Palmetto Faculty in Rock Hill, S.C. The journal story revealed that the instructing job required Elliott to behave as a bus driver as properly; he drove the children to and from their houses earlier than and after college.
Throughout his profession, Elliott was coached by American Distance Undertaking coach Scott Simmons and joined the Workforce Indiana Elite operating group alongside athletes akin to William Leer. He broke the 4 minute barrier on a number of events and have become a Brooks-sponsored athlete.
He set his sights on making the 2016 U.S. Olympic crew, and gave inspirational talks to cross-country groups about his journey. In 2021, Elliott was featured in a podcast for The Unearthing Undertaking, the place he shared his operating and training tales. Elliott hasn’t competed since 2019, in response to his World Athletics profile.
Not one of the latest allegations in opposition to Elliott have been confirmed in court docket. Information sources report the previous coach was held on a USD $10,000 bond and was launched on Thursday morning, however was set to face a choose that afternoon.