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Leader-Herald

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14.08.2025

Jim Zullo coaches the Northville girls’ basketball team during the NYSPHSAA Class D championship game on March 2 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.

Jim Zullo coaches the Northville girls’ basketball team during the NYSPHSAA Class D championship game on March 2 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.

Former Northville girls’ basketball star Hailey Monroe is now suing her old school district and Jim Zullo, the basketball coach who pulled her hair following March’s NYSPHSAA Class D championship game.

Monroe is alleging in the suit that Zullo had a history of “inappropriate, aggressive and dangerous conduct” toward the team and that the district had been made aware of that.

Monroe formally filed the suit Monday in state Supreme Court in Fulton County seeking unspecified damages. The suit is against the Northville Central School District and Zullo.

Monroe alleges in the suit that Zullo had a “reputation and history of inappropriate, aggressive and dangerous conduct” toward team members.

TROY - The harassment case former Northville girls' basketball coach Jim Zullo related to pulling the hair of player Hailey Monroe at the end …

The suit continued that the Northville district “had been made aware of and knew of defendant James Zullo’s propensity to be inappropriately aggressive towards players on the Northville girls’ basketball team, including [Monroe], and had a long history of both physical and psychological abuse of students both in and out of the Northville Central School District.”

The suit did not outline the allegations further beyond the game incident caught on camera.

While seeking unspecified damages, the suit references that “the subject incident and injuries, expenses and damages,” alleging they were caused by the district with no fault of the plaintiff and that Monroe “has been substantially damaged and suffered a monetary loss.”

In the March incident, Zullo was seen on camera pulling Monroe’s ponytail following Northville’s 43-37 loss to La Fargeville in the championship game at the McDonough Sports Complex on the Hudson Valley Community College campus.

As Falcons players were lining up for the postgame ceremony, Zullo walked up behind Monroe, as she lined up with her teammates. The sequence of events was all caught on the NFHS Network broadcast of the game.

Monroe, who appeared upset while speaking with her teammates, had her back turned to Zullo. After briefly walking away from Monroe, Zullo returned and pulled on her ponytail, and proceeded to verbally confront her.

While Monroe attempted to distance herself from the situation, senior Ahmya Tompkins placed her arm between her teammate and Zullo, who is also her great uncle.

Zullo, 81, was charged with second-degree harassment, a violation, as a result — a charge brought after Monroe’s family filed a complaint with HVCC officials after the incident took place at the college, which hosts the NYSPHSAA girls basketball championships.

He pleaded guilty to that charge last month and paid a $120........

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