On Friday April 20 at 2:30 p.m a statement was publicly released announcing the firing of head women’s basketball coach, Tod Windlan. In the weeks following, current and former players, parents, CHS staff members and students have organized protests and events in an effort to grab the attention of school board members and to support Windlan.

Tomi Taiwo, varsity basketball player and senior, has been taking a leadership role through the whole process. Recently Taiwo and her teammates organized the “March for Windlan”, on Saturday April 28. The purpose was to bring attention to the many questions that players, students, and parents have as to why Windlan was let go. On the side, the march was also meant to spread awareness for other sports teams who have had coaches fired because a complaints about their coaching style.

“We’re hoping to get answers on why our coach was let go,” Taiwo said. “I think it will prove effective. Our hopes are for him to come back and get answers, since they haven’t come out with any specific answers, so that’s why we’re here today.”

According to Taiwo, seniors participating in various activities in support of their former coach are doing it for the future of the program.

“It’s hard to see all these young girls whose lives have been changed forever if coach Windlan doesn’t come back. They look up to him as a leader for sure and a father figure. It’s just hard to see them get crushed. I know we all felt a lot of sorrow,” Taiwo said.

Jasmine McWilliams, varsity basketball player and sophomore, agrees with her teammate Taiwo. So far, the team has done a large amount of promotion for the #FreeWindlan movement going around on social media by members such as seniors Amy Dilk and Bri Richter. According to McWilliams, Dilk and Richter already have plans to continue the awareness of Windlan.

“I know for a fact that our seniors Amy Dilk and Bri Richter are making a video, they made a twitter account, and they might make a YouTube account. We’re really spreading awareness,” McWilliams said.

McWilliams acknowledges that he may not come back, but she hopes that the recent backlash against Windlan being let go leads to a reinvestigation into the situation. She hopes that their past, current, and future efforts aren’t all for nothing. McWilliam’s argues that Windlan brought stability and a good intensity to the team that helped them in past seasons to dominate in basketball.

“Coaches are here to bring stability to the team. He was supposedly fired because of one or two complaints. That’s not going to help the team. That’s not going to push them. Hopefully by us bringing awareness to it, it can be addressed,” McWilliams said.

For Taiwo, her efforts to bring back her former coach are not coming to an end anytime soon.

Taiwo said, “Coach Windlan was really a great guy, man and coach. We hope to continue this. We’ll keep going.”

Tod Windlan was contacted as a source for this story, however never got back with an answer. Sophie Bair, basketball player and junior, declined to comment due to legal complications.