Mike Oliver, the longtime boys basketball coach at Curie, has been removed from his position at the school according to Chicago Public Schools.
“[Oliver] was removed from his position following an allegation of a physical altercation with a student,” CPS spokesperson Michael Passman said in a statement. “The CPS Office of Student Protections and Title IX is investigating the allegation and ensuring supports are available to the student.”
The top-ranked Condors are 21-1 this season and have not lost to a school in Illinois. They won the prestigious Pontiac Holiday Tournament in late December. Curie are the defending city champs and have won the city title twice under Oliver.
Oliver, a Curie grad and security officer at the school, led the Condors to the Class 4A state title in 2015-16. He was previously suspended by the IHSA in in 2016 and by the CPS in 2014 after an eligibility scandal.
Oliver has compiled a 542-133 record in 27 seasons.
Curie wasn’t expected to be among the state’s elite teams this season but has surpassed all expectations. Even Oliver admitted he was surprised with his team’s success.
“We are thinking defense first,” Oliver said in December. “We also have recognized that we have a star [in Ramean Hinton] and are understanding our roles around him. This is a very unselfish team.”
The Condors host Marshall in the second round of the Public League playoffs on Thursday. Oliver did not coach Curie’s last three games, wins against Hazelwood Central, Mo., St. Louis Vashon and Harlan.
Assistant coach Larry Wallace has taken over the program.
Arthur Ray Jr. worked alongside Oliver last year when he was the football coach at Curie. He’s currently an assistant football coach at Northwood University. Ray played football at Mount Carmel and Michigan State.
“[Oliver] would never put his hands on a teenager,” Ray said. “He’s not that type of person. The kids enjoyed him. Even the kids we had incidents with respected him. Never in 100 years would he be that type of guy.”
Oliver and Curie principal Allison Tingwell have not responded to requests for comment.
