Chiefs’ community service ends with screaming, tears

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A community service program was ended abruptly on Tuesday after an obscenity-laced tirade from Kansas City Chiefs’ head coach Todd Haley brought several children to tears.

The program, “Hangin’ with Haley,” is designed to bring the Chiefs’ new head coach to a different library every week, where he spends two hours reading children’s books to preschoolers through third grade. In the

Theresa Robinett, a kindergarten teacher at Holy Word Catholic Grade School said the coach’s reading angry almost without warning.

“It came out of nowhere. One minute, he was reading Curious George and the next, he was telling a group of children that if they didn’t sit still, he was going to shove their asses into a trash can and punt them down the fucking road,” said Robinett. “He really got in their faces too. His chair was about 10 feet away from the group, but he was scooting up and pointing his finger at them as he shouted.”

While the initial burst of anger merely shocked the kids, it was Haley’s next tirade that brought on the tears. The coach, who appeared to be aggravated by the fidgeting of a few children, slammed the book down, then kicked the chair.

“Who the fuck do you kids think you are? You’re nobody,” Haley was reported to have shouted. “I’m out here, trying to read about a goddamn monkey and some fucker in a yellow fucking hat and you can’t sit still for one goddamn second. This is bullshit. Get your fucking heads in the game or get the fuck out of my library.”

With parents standing in the back of the room in shock, and kids starting to well up with tears, Haley slammed his visor to the floor and stormed out of the room, calling one woman fat and kicking a water fountain on his way out.

John Gorgino, whose 7-year-old son was in the group targeted by Haley, and a die-hard Chiefs’ fan, said the reaction is understandable because of the coaching system Haley came up through.

“You know, this guy learned under Bill Parcells. That’s the kind of attitude he brings,” said Gorgino, who was decked out in a Chiefs sweatshirt and jeans shorts. “Do I endorse yelling and swearing at kids? Well, if he can win like coach Parcells won, he can say anything he wants. Although, I do wish he would have refrained from calling my son the stupidest mother fucker in the first grade. That was probably over the line.”

Chiefs’ spokesperson Bob Moore said the “Hangin’ With Haley” program was on temporary hiatus, but that Haley himself had positive words to say about the experience.

“Todd Haley is a great football coach, but he’s not used to dealing with anything but perfection. He saw a lot of potential in that room, but he’s not used to anyone, even kids, not giving him their undivided attention. We think down the road, those kids can use this as a learning exercise to pay better attention in school. Also, Coach thought there were a lot of fatties in there. So if he does go back, he’ll have a conditioning program ready.”