Michelle Gallardo, Naomi Ruchim · WLS Tue, November 10, 2026 at 10:36 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Hundreds of Morgan Park High School students walked out of class shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday to protest the departure of football coach Christopher James and the cancellation of the team's upcoming game.
"We want CJ. Let them play," students chanted one day after learning the popular coach was no longer at the school.
Senior football player Raymond Gilbert credited James with supporting him and his teammates.
"He really pushed me through it. He helped a lot of kids get to a certain point," Gilbert said.
The circumstances surrounding James' departure remain disputed. Principal Dan Kuzma told student athletes and families in an email that James had said this would be his last season and that he had accepted another coaching position for next year.
James responded in an Instagram post that he did not resign and had been fired.
"He told the school. He told administrators. He told the principal his vision. They didn't align with that. They didn't like it. They didn't support it. They made an executive decision to do what they did," said Khalia James, the coach's sister.
The Mustangs reached the IHSA state playoffs in each of the past six seasons. While their season officially ended after a loss against Providence Catholic High School on Saturday, they were scheduled to play in the Public League playoffs later this week. The school withdrew the team after James' departure.
SEE ALSO | Providence Catholic football coach fired amid undefeated season now with Mount Carmel: official
"To not let us play that last game, that really hurt. I really wanted to play that last game to get more film for college coaches," Gilbert said.
"It's really sad," freshman football player Owmar Robinson said. "We were sad when we lost our game and then we thought we were going to play like 3 more games with the seniors but now we can't even do that so that really broke my heart for real."
"I'm a little bit upset because I was excited even if I was performing or not because I was going to go," sophomore poms performer Joselyn Jones said.
Parents are also frustrated they can no longer access film from the games. Football mom Maritza Morales said it felt like the decision came out of left field.
"They're devastated," she said. "They're hurt. They're confused. They don't know what's going on. They are trying to figure out what they did wrong. And they didn't do anything wrong. They did exactly what they were supposed to do."
"It's about the boys," football mom Lauren Waithe said. "To take them out of the rest of their football season. You have seniors that are depending on scholarships to go to school. Horrible."
Players were also temporarily locked out of the team's HUDL account, which contains video that can be shared with college coaches.
"My son, he has two offers but I'm pretty sure he can get more if these colleges are seeing his footage," parent Amy Bush said.
The game's cancellation could have different consequences for players across the team.
"Some students are destined to go to big universities. Some students maybe it's their last football game ever in life," said Terry Jones, president of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association.
Kuzma said a new head coach will be named by January. Chicago Public Schools said the school's HUDL subscription expired this week and access to the platform would be restored as soon as possible.
The controversy is garnering attention from alumni like Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner, who played with James at Morgan Park and in college. In a post on social media, he wrote... "our young men deserve answers."
Chicago Public Schools said principals make personnel decisions and the district doesn't comment on those matters.
"We just want answers," Morales said. "We want to figure out what's going on and why we can't participate in the Prep Bowl. Why did you decide to do that in the middle of the season when we still had a chance to win another title."
The coach just released a new statement Tuesday also urging the school to make sure the kids have access to their game films for recruiting purposes.
The school wants to name a new coach by Jan. 1 and says it will ask players and families for input.
Morgan Park lost in the playoffs to Providence Catholic. They too fired their coach mid-season, despite a winning record.
CPS said in a statement, "Chicago Public Schools understands the importance of the HUDL software and its crucial role in game planning, streaming, scouting and recruiting to support potential college scholarships. Morgan Park's HUDL subscription expired this week, causing a temporary loss of access for all users. Morgan Park administration, with support from the District, is working with the company this afternoon to renew its subscription and restore access to the platform as soon as possible."
Source: Sports
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