Roswell H.S. coach resigns during branding investigation

<p>An assistant football coach at Roswell High School in Fulton County has resigned during an investigation in the branding of 17 football players.</p><p>Mario Hansbrough routinely took players off campus on Thursday nights and oversaw them as they branded with red-hot paper clips the chest of the defensive players who were scheduled to start Fridays, school officials, including head coach Tim McFarlin, said.</p><p>The players had seen a fraternity letter brand on Hansbrough's shoulder and wanted to do something similar in solidarity, McFarlin said.</p><p>"He used poor judgment, but I know his heart, and I know he didn't do one thing to hurt kids," McFarlin said. "He was doing this because the kids were intent on doing something anyway."</p><p>He added the assistant coach made the players use paper clips instead of something more painful.</p><p>McFarlin said many parents he spoke with continued to support Hansbrough, who had been a coach at Roswell High School for eight years.</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cd9c1c)</p>