By Bruce Rolfe
After nearly 12 weeks facing accusations that led to an investigation, being placed on paid administrative leave by the Climax-Scotts School District, restrictions on who he can contact and discuss a fact-finding investigation with, C-S varsity football coach, Dean of Students and Athletic Director Tyler Langs has learned he can now discuss the allegations.
Langs learned before the varsity football team played at Pittsford October 24, he had been placed on paid administrative leave according to the school district’s Superintendent.
According to the October 31, 2025 Climax Crescent, the school district’s Superintendent Doug Newington said, “The district has received complaints regarding the current football coach. The district will not comment on the allegations within those complaints and is consulting with legal counsel to complete a thorough investigation. During this investigation the football coach will remain on paid administrative leave from his employment within the district in all capacities. We hope this process will move swiftly and reach a final conclusion in the coming days.”
Through a Freedom Of Information Act request, C-S Superintendent of Schools Doug Newington said the school district contacted the school attorney, Thrun Law Firm PC, about any type of issue relating to C-S varsity football coach, Dean of Students and Athletic Director Tyler Langs on approximately October 21, 2025.
Newington adds through the FOIA request, on approximately October 21, 2025 the law firm referred the C-S School District to Thrun Law Firm attorney Erin Walz. He said the school district engaged in a conversation with Walz approximately October 28, 2025, which Newington said through the FOIA request was also the first time the school district discussed authorizing Walz to begin an investigation.
Recently, the Langs family released multiple documents that relate to the accusations and claims against Tyler, his response, and a potential settlement.
The Langs family said they are releasing documents so the public will have the opportunity to see both sides of the story. The family feels it is important to start exposing some of the factual information they say has not gotten out to the public.
According to the December 19, 2025 Climax Crescent, the Climax Crescent filed a Freedom Of Information Act letter with the school district November 3, asking for all actual complaints, including artificial intelligence generated complaints against Langs, that triggered an investigation and led to Tyler Langs being placed on paid administrative leave as the varsity football coach, dean of students and athletic director.
According to the December 19, 2025 Climax Crescent an email from Newington December 15 informed the Crescent the FOIA request was denied because the investigation into Tyler Langs was ongoing. However in an email January 15, 2026 Newington said Tyler Langs could discuss the allegations. All the allegations have still not been released by the school district.
The Langs family said the Thrun Law Firm, which represents the C-S School District, provided a document that outlines a summary of the allegations against Tyler Langs for the purpose of a settlement.
The document, provided to Tyler Langs’ attorney at the time, Brad Johnson, indicates Erin Walz of the Thrun Law Firm performed the investigation.
The document provided to Johnson by the school district’s law firm is a summary of 41 pages of parent/community complaints on which Walz based her investigation. The document states Walz attempted to categorize the allegations to organize the investigation. According to the summary of complaint allegations provided to Johnson, there were common themes (verbal abuse of students and failure to communicate with parents) so Walz did not include every statement in every complaint to limit duplication.
The summary of complaint allegations also note more than 10 complaining parties either submitted their complaint anonymously (anonymous email addresses) or spoke to board members only on condition of anonymity – out of fear of Tyler Langs and the Langs family. There was no specific number of complaints from parties who either filed their complaint anonymously or spoke to board members only on condition of anonymity listed in the document, just more than 10.
According to the document provided by the Langs family, the document provided to Langs’ attorney notes Langs refused to meet with Erin Walz to conduct a fact finding meeting during the investigation. The document the Langs family provided adds Langs received a list of questions by email from the investigator relevant to these allegations. He provided a written response to these questions for Walz’ consideration.
According to the document provided by the Langs family, the document states Walz attempted to categorize the allegations to organize the investigation. The document provided by the Langs family was broken down into four categories - athletic director and dean of students concerns, off-season expectation concerns, conduct towards students claims, and community impact concerns.
The Langs family feels the 41 pages of parent/community complaints was condensed into 3 pages of claims and concerns, and was then put into eight questions sent directly by email from the investigator to Tyler Langs to answer.
The Langs family feels the more than 10 complaints and e-mail addresses that were anonymous, weren’t considered for the eight questions forwarded to Tyler.
The Langs family said the document containing a list of questions Tyler was asked to answer dated November 18, 2025, was the first time Tyler saw the claims and complaints.
The Langs family provided eight questions they say Walz sent directly by email to Tyler to answer along with Tyler’s answers, listed below.
Some personal information has been left out.
1. October, 2025, you ordered a football player to take a knee at the 1 yard line. Who? For what reason? Is this discipline commonly used in high school football?
Tyler Langs answer:
“No player has ever been told to take a knee at the 1-yard line. And taking a knee has never been a form of discipline.”
2. 7:29 a.m. rule to call in excused absences.
A) What are repercussions if parent calls in after 7:29? Practices, games, etc.
B) If student is properly excused (before 7:29 a.m.), are they allowed to come to football practice? Are they required to come to football practice?
C) Is this the same rule for District athletic coaches/teams.
D) Do you supervise all coaches in your role as athletic director?
E) Have you instructed other coaches to follow the same rule?
Tyler Langs answer:
“Our School Board policy says that a student athlete must be pre- excused before 7:30 a.m. the day of a game or practice. If it is later then 7:30, that student- athlete cannot participate in the game/practice of that day. All coaches, teams, and players are required to follow this rule at all levels at Climax-Scotts. This is not just a football rule, this is a school rule.”
3) Personal Information
A) Approximately two years ago, there was an incident during a game where you had (personal information) take off his football jersey and leave the field and the team mid-game.
Please describe what occurred.
Tyler Langs answer:
“Two years ago (personal information) and did not play on our varsity team. There has not been an incident like this with (personal information).
In an email from Erin Walz to Tyler Langs December 7, 2025 provided by the Langs family, Walz apologized for having incorrect information and corrected the original question with (personal information). Tyler was also given the opportunity to respond, which he did.
Tyler Langs answer:
“(Personal information) was removed from a game for conduct detrimental to the team. He came off the field yelled (expletive) to the coaches multiple times and threw his helmet to the ground. He was told to take his helmet equipment off and go to the locker room.”
4. Wrestling
A) Have you ever talked to an athlete who does both wrestling and football about their weight loss for wrestling?
B) Have you threatened those athletes that you will not allow them on football team for wrestling weight loss?
Tyler Langs answer:
“I have spoken with wrestlers about the healthiest and safest way to lose weight for wrestling. We have tried to involve our athletic trainer to help aid in the weight loss for the wrestlers. No one has ever been told they cannot participate in football if they wrestle. We encourage kids to wrestle because of the toughness and skills used in wrestling that can be used during the football season.”
5. In your role as football coach, have you:
A) Made physical contact with players/students in anger? For example, grabbed a player by their jersey or stuck your finger in their face mask.
B) Told football players they are “selfish”?
C) Threaten to kick players off of team?
D) Told players they are a “cancer” on the team?
E. Had players quit because of you screaming at them?
Tyler Langs answer:
“I have never made physical contact with a player out of anger. If there was any physical contact, it was inadvertently done during a game or practice and not on purpose or out of anger. Yes, I addressed our team and told them to play for your team and not to play for yourself or to be selfish. There was not an individual player that I called selfish. Players have been told there are certain attitude, effort, and moral standards that we hold on to our team. If those are broken on a consistent basis, players can be asked to leave from the team.
Individual players have not ever been called a cancer. And to my knowledge, I have never used the word cancer when addressing the team. To my knowledge, no one has quit the team because someone yelled at them. If this has been a reason, I have not had a player, parent, or school board member reach to let me know this is a reason a player has quit the team.”
Lift-A-Thon
A) What is this? B) When does it occur? C. Who participates? D) Optional or mandatory? E) Punishment if students do not participate
Tyler Langs answer:
“The Lift-a-Thon is a fundraiser that takes place in the summer. Football players raise money on the number of weights that they lift. It is encouraged that all football players participate but it has zero implication on the regular football season. And no one has ever been told they would be disciplined if they do not participate in the Annual Lift-a-Thon.”
Summer Training Expectations For Football
A) Optional or mandatory? B) How do you handle it if a player has a legitimate conflict with a summer training session? C) Have players left the team and/or the school because you informed them that a failure to attend every summer training session would result in the player being penalized during the season?
Tyler Langs answer::
“Summer training has always been optional. Players have been encouraged to show up to training in the summer so that our team can be better prepared for the regular season. No player has ever been told that you are required to be at summer training or you cannot play in the regular season. Also, to my knowledge no player has left the school or quit the team because they didn’t show up to summer training. If players cannot make a summer training session, they are not required, but given the chance, to make up the summer training session on another day and time.”
Players Leaving Team
A) How many football players participated in summer practice?
Tyler Langs answer:
“We started the summer with 32 athletes participating in the start of the summer. And we ended the season with 30 athletes participating. Football is a very physically demanding sport. And it is common for players to quit because of the physically demanding nature of the game of football.”
Langs was offered an opportunity to provide additional comments.
In the document the Langs family released, Tyler Langs stated: “I believe that a lot of the concerns/complaints that have been brought up to the School Board/Superintendent, could have been solved or handled with a simple conversation from the complaining party, School Board member, or Superintendent. I am more than willing to figure out a way to get better at my shortcomings or learn from my failures. But I cannot make a change or learn from something if I don’t have any knowledge about the problem.”
Settlement Conversation
The Langs family provided email communication from Tyler’s attorney noting Tyler stands by his written answers to the investigator’s questions and is not interested in a negotiated settlement.
The Langs family also provided email communication from attorney Katherine Wolf Broaddus of the Thrun Law Firm. The email communication the Langs family provided states, “I think this is unfortunate and short sighted. I think we could have reached a settlement that included payout for Mr. Langs outstanding compensation for the 2025-2026 school year and a letter of reference that would allow him to move forward to another position. If he changes his mind, please contact me.”
C-S Superintendent of Schools Doug Newington was sent an email January 7, to confirm the C-S School District received a summary of 41 pages of parent/community complaints that Erin Walz was provided and on which she based her investigation. And there were 8 questions Tyler Langs was asked to answer along with his answers that were used for this investigation.
In a reply January 9, 2026, Newington said he could confirm, “Thrun Law Firm conducted an investigation into allegations concerning Tyler Langs. Tyler was given the opportunity to meet with the investigator and declined. The investigator gave Tyler a series of questions to answer pertaining to the allegations, which he answered. Mr. Langs subsequently received a detailed summary of the allegations, which he has not formally responded to.”
Tyler Langs was represented by Brad Johnson up until recently when Johnson stepped away because public education law is not his specialty.
The family claims Tyler has not had an evaluation in his five years as an athletic director or in his role as varsity football coach with the C-S School District and feels if the school district received any concerns and complaints they should have been addressed in an evaluation. Tyler has had a performance evaluation as dean of students.
The Langs family also provided Tyler’s unredacted personnel folder that included background and criminal history checks. All files while Langs has been employed at C-S did not list any convictions, guilty pleas or finding of guilt by a judge or jury.
Langs became co-head varsity football coach with his father, former longtime and Hall of Fame C-S varsity football coach Kevin Langs, in 2021. He assumed the role as head coach in 2022.
Tyler was named athletic director and dean of students at C-S beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.
After nearly 12 weeks facing accusations that led to an investigation, being placed on paid administrative leave by the Climax-Scotts School District, restrictions on who he can contact and discuss a fact-finding investigation with, C-S varsity football coach, Dean of Students and Athletic Director Tyler Langs has learned he can now discuss the allegations.
Langs learned before the varsity football team played at Pittsford October 24, he had been placed on paid administrative leave according to the school district’s Superintendent.
According to the October 31, 2025 Climax Crescent, the school district’s Superintendent Doug Newington said, “The district has received complaints regarding the current football coach. The district will not comment on the allegations within those complaints and is consulting with legal counsel to complete a thorough investigation. During this investigation the football coach will remain on paid administrative leave from his employment within the district in all capacities. We hope this process will move swiftly and reach a final conclusion in the coming days.”
Through a Freedom Of Information Act request, C-S Superintendent of Schools Doug Newington said the school district contacted the school attorney, Thrun Law Firm PC, about any type of issue relating to C-S varsity football coach, Dean of Students and Athletic Director Tyler Langs on approximately October 21, 2025.
Newington adds through the FOIA request, on approximately October 21, 2025 the law firm referred the C-S School District to Thrun Law Firm attorney Erin Walz. He said the school district engaged in a conversation with Walz approximately October 28, 2025, which Newington said through the FOIA request was also the first time the school district discussed authorizing Walz to begin an investigation.
Recently, the Langs family released multiple documents that relate to the accusations and claims against Tyler, his response, and a potential settlement.
The Langs family said they are releasing documents so the public will have the opportunity to see both sides of the story. The family feels it is important to start exposing some of the factual information they say has not gotten out to the public.
According to the December 19, 2025 Climax Crescent, the Climax Crescent filed a Freedom Of Information Act letter with the school district November 3, asking for all actual complaints, including artificial intelligence generated complaints against Langs, that triggered an investigation and led to Tyler Langs being placed on paid administrative leave as the varsity football coach, dean of students and athletic director.
According to the December 19, 2025 Climax Crescent an email from Newington December 15 informed the Crescent the FOIA request was denied because the investigation into Tyler Langs was ongoing. However in an email January 15, 2026 Newington said Tyler Langs could discuss the allegations. All the allegations have still not been released by the school district.
The Langs family said the Thrun Law Firm, which represents the C-S School District, provided a document that outlines a summary of the allegations against Tyler Langs for the purpose of a settlement.
The document, provided to Tyler Langs’ attorney at the time, Brad Johnson, indicates Erin Walz of the Thrun Law Firm performed the investigation.
The document provided to Johnson by the school district’s law firm is a summary of 41 pages of parent/community complaints on which Walz based her investigation. The document states Walz attempted to categorize the allegations to organize the investigation. According to the summary of complaint allegations provided to Johnson, there were common themes (verbal abuse of students and failure to communicate with parents) so Walz did not include every statement in every complaint to limit duplication.
The summary of complaint allegations also note more than 10 complaining parties either submitted their complaint anonymously (anonymous email addresses) or spoke to board members only on condition of anonymity – out of fear of Tyler Langs and the Langs family. There was no specific number of complaints from parties who either filed their complaint anonymously or spoke to board members only on condition of anonymity listed in the document, just more than 10.
According to the document provided by the Langs family, the document provided to Langs’ attorney notes Langs refused to meet with Erin Walz to conduct a fact finding meeting during the investigation. The document the Langs family provided adds Langs received a list of questions by email from the investigator relevant to these allegations. He provided a written response to these questions for Walz’ consideration.
According to the document provided by the Langs family, the document states Walz attempted to categorize the allegations to organize the investigation. The document provided by the Langs family was broken down into four categories - athletic director and dean of students concerns, off-season expectation concerns, conduct towards students claims, and community impact concerns.
The Langs family feels the 41 pages of parent/community complaints was condensed into 3 pages of claims and concerns, and was then put into eight questions sent directly by email from the investigator to Tyler Langs to answer.
The Langs family feels the more than 10 complaints and e-mail addresses that were anonymous, weren’t considered for the eight questions forwarded to Tyler.
The Langs family said the document containing a list of questions Tyler was asked to answer dated November 18, 2025, was the first time Tyler saw the claims and complaints.
The Langs family provided eight questions they say Walz sent directly by email to Tyler to answer along with Tyler’s answers, listed below.
Some personal information has been left out.
1. October, 2025, you ordered a football player to take a knee at the 1 yard line. Who? For what reason? Is this discipline commonly used in high school football?
Tyler Langs answer:
“No player has ever been told to take a knee at the 1-yard line. And taking a knee has never been a form of discipline.”
2. 7:29 a.m. rule to call in excused absences.
A) What are repercussions if parent calls in after 7:29? Practices, games, etc.
B) If student is properly excused (before 7:29 a.m.), are they allowed to come to football practice? Are they required to come to football practice?
C) Is this the same rule for District athletic coaches/teams.
D) Do you supervise all coaches in your role as athletic director?
E) Have you instructed other coaches to follow the same rule?
Tyler Langs answer:
“Our School Board policy says that a student athlete must be pre- excused before 7:30 a.m. the day of a game or practice. If it is later then 7:30, that student- athlete cannot participate in the game/practice of that day. All coaches, teams, and players are required to follow this rule at all levels at Climax-Scotts. This is not just a football rule, this is a school rule.”
3) Personal Information
A) Approximately two years ago, there was an incident during a game where you had (personal information) take off his football jersey and leave the field and the team mid-game.
Please describe what occurred.
Tyler Langs answer:
“Two years ago (personal information) and did not play on our varsity team. There has not been an incident like this with (personal information).
In an email from Erin Walz to Tyler Langs December 7, 2025 provided by the Langs family, Walz apologized for having incorrect information and corrected the original question with (personal information). Tyler was also given the opportunity to respond, which he did.
Tyler Langs answer:
“(Personal information) was removed from a game for conduct detrimental to the team. He came off the field yelled (expletive) to the coaches multiple times and threw his helmet to the ground. He was told to take his helmet equipment off and go to the locker room.”
4. Wrestling
A) Have you ever talked to an athlete who does both wrestling and football about their weight loss for wrestling?
B) Have you threatened those athletes that you will not allow them on football team for wrestling weight loss?
Tyler Langs answer:
“I have spoken with wrestlers about the healthiest and safest way to lose weight for wrestling. We have tried to involve our athletic trainer to help aid in the weight loss for the wrestlers. No one has ever been told they cannot participate in football if they wrestle. We encourage kids to wrestle because of the toughness and skills used in wrestling that can be used during the football season.”
5. In your role as football coach, have you:
A) Made physical contact with players/students in anger? For example, grabbed a player by their jersey or stuck your finger in their face mask.
B) Told football players they are “selfish”?
C) Threaten to kick players off of team?
D) Told players they are a “cancer” on the team?
E. Had players quit because of you screaming at them?
Tyler Langs answer:
“I have never made physical contact with a player out of anger. If there was any physical contact, it was inadvertently done during a game or practice and not on purpose or out of anger. Yes, I addressed our team and told them to play for your team and not to play for yourself or to be selfish. There was not an individual player that I called selfish. Players have been told there are certain attitude, effort, and moral standards that we hold on to our team. If those are broken on a consistent basis, players can be asked to leave from the team.
Individual players have not ever been called a cancer. And to my knowledge, I have never used the word cancer when addressing the team. To my knowledge, no one has quit the team because someone yelled at them. If this has been a reason, I have not had a player, parent, or school board member reach to let me know this is a reason a player has quit the team.”
Lift-A-Thon
A) What is this? B) When does it occur? C. Who participates? D) Optional or mandatory? E) Punishment if students do not participate
Tyler Langs answer:
“The Lift-a-Thon is a fundraiser that takes place in the summer. Football players raise money on the number of weights that they lift. It is encouraged that all football players participate but it has zero implication on the regular football season. And no one has ever been told they would be disciplined if they do not participate in the Annual Lift-a-Thon.”
Summer Training Expectations For Football
A) Optional or mandatory? B) How do you handle it if a player has a legitimate conflict with a summer training session? C) Have players left the team and/or the school because you informed them that a failure to attend every summer training session would result in the player being penalized during the season?
Tyler Langs answer::
“Summer training has always been optional. Players have been encouraged to show up to training in the summer so that our team can be better prepared for the regular season. No player has ever been told that you are required to be at summer training or you cannot play in the regular season. Also, to my knowledge no player has left the school or quit the team because they didn’t show up to summer training. If players cannot make a summer training session, they are not required, but given the chance, to make up the summer training session on another day and time.”
Players Leaving Team
A) How many football players participated in summer practice?
Tyler Langs answer:
“We started the summer with 32 athletes participating in the start of the summer. And we ended the season with 30 athletes participating. Football is a very physically demanding sport. And it is common for players to quit because of the physically demanding nature of the game of football.”
Langs was offered an opportunity to provide additional comments.
In the document the Langs family released, Tyler Langs stated: “I believe that a lot of the concerns/complaints that have been brought up to the School Board/Superintendent, could have been solved or handled with a simple conversation from the complaining party, School Board member, or Superintendent. I am more than willing to figure out a way to get better at my shortcomings or learn from my failures. But I cannot make a change or learn from something if I don’t have any knowledge about the problem.”
Settlement Conversation
The Langs family provided email communication from Tyler’s attorney noting Tyler stands by his written answers to the investigator’s questions and is not interested in a negotiated settlement.
The Langs family also provided email communication from attorney Katherine Wolf Broaddus of the Thrun Law Firm. The email communication the Langs family provided states, “I think this is unfortunate and short sighted. I think we could have reached a settlement that included payout for Mr. Langs outstanding compensation for the 2025-2026 school year and a letter of reference that would allow him to move forward to another position. If he changes his mind, please contact me.”
C-S Superintendent of Schools Doug Newington was sent an email January 7, to confirm the C-S School District received a summary of 41 pages of parent/community complaints that Erin Walz was provided and on which she based her investigation. And there were 8 questions Tyler Langs was asked to answer along with his answers that were used for this investigation.
In a reply January 9, 2026, Newington said he could confirm, “Thrun Law Firm conducted an investigation into allegations concerning Tyler Langs. Tyler was given the opportunity to meet with the investigator and declined. The investigator gave Tyler a series of questions to answer pertaining to the allegations, which he answered. Mr. Langs subsequently received a detailed summary of the allegations, which he has not formally responded to.”
Tyler Langs was represented by Brad Johnson up until recently when Johnson stepped away because public education law is not his specialty.
The family claims Tyler has not had an evaluation in his five years as an athletic director or in his role as varsity football coach with the C-S School District and feels if the school district received any concerns and complaints they should have been addressed in an evaluation. Tyler has had a performance evaluation as dean of students.
The Langs family also provided Tyler’s unredacted personnel folder that included background and criminal history checks. All files while Langs has been employed at C-S did not list any convictions, guilty pleas or finding of guilt by a judge or jury.
Langs became co-head varsity football coach with his father, former longtime and Hall of Fame C-S varsity football coach Kevin Langs, in 2021. He assumed the role as head coach in 2022.
Tyler was named athletic director and dean of students at C-S beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.
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