Assistant football coach and physical education teacher Jason Fung was put on administrative leave following an altercation with a Sacred Heart Preparatory player during a football game against Atherton on Saturday, Nov. 1.

The altercation occurred during the fourth quarter, pausing the game for nearly ten minutes. During the preceding play, quarterback Justin Fung, Jason Fung’s son, had his face mask grabbed, leading to a penalty on SHP.

According to video footage on Hudl and an article by SFGate, after Justin Fung was tackled near the sideline, Jason Fung attempted to swipe the ball out of SHP junior David Sala’s hand. After missing the ball and falling to the ground, Jason Fung then grabbed Sala’s leg as Sala walked away. The two were separated and moved away from the scene.

Atherton police were called but did not make any immediate arrests. According to a Palo Alto Online Article, Police Commander Dan Larsen said they interviewed the player involved in the altercation. Sala’s family chose not to pursue criminal charges.

On Nov. 4, Palo Alto Unified School District released an online statement on paly.net saying its administration is working closely with the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, Central Coast Section and District Human Resources department to “determine the appropriate course of action.”

The Mercury News also reported Jason Fung and at least one Paly player were ejected from the game. The Vikings lost to Sacred Heart 28-21.

Athletic Director Scott Davis referred The Campanile to the official statement. Jason Fung, Assistant Principal Ladonna Butler and head coach David De Geronimo did not respond to interview requests.

This is a developing story. We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available.