Donnie Boyce

Donnie Boyce was still an employee of Proviso East High School as of Tuesday’s District 209 school board meeting.

Boyce was not listed as a terminated employee on the board’s agenda. However, he remains suspended.

Boyce, the Proviso alumnus and former NBA player, worked as a security guard in the high school and coached the basketball team to a 29-1 record and state championship appearance during the 2011-12 season and also a state semifinals berth in 2012-13. Led by Jabari Parker, Simeon defeated the Pirates on both occasions.

He was put on suspension after an incident in December when cell phone camera footage showed him apparently choking junior Nikerrah Walker in the school cafeteria. Since then, Boyce has not been working in the school, nor coaching the Pirates.

School board members did not mention Boyce during open session at Tuesday’s meeting.

The team’s assistant coach, Cedric McCullough, has been coaching the Proviso East boys varsity team. 

Jean Lotus loves community journalism. She covers news, features, two school boards, village council, crime, park district and writes obits for Forest Park Review. She also covers the police beat for...