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Administration at a South Carolina high school is under fire following reports of a savage team brawl that occurred off-campus during the offseason. A video allegedly showing a fight between DW Daniel High School football players is now being circulated online.
Football coach Chris Stone has remained silent following the reports having not publicly commented on the situation. He recently left social media as an investigation into the matter was launched.
The video in question surfaced over the weekend. It appeared to show multiple players attacking a teammate while at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes retreat.
What happened with the DW Daniel High School football fight?
The alleged altercation is said to have stemmed from the use of a racial slur, though the victim denies using any such language. More from FITS News:
The alleged attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. EDT on July 7, 2025 and involved students from D.W. Daniel High School in Pickens County, who the district says are all minors.
According to the campus police report… a student told officers he had exited the shower in his dorm room when three teammates confronted him, accusing him of using the N-word in a group chat.
One suspect was reportedly hiding in a closet, another sitting nearby. The student told authorities he was warned that if he tried to escape or didn’t “fess up to the matter, it would only get worse.”
The student said the suspects briefly stepped out to let him get dressed. During that time, he tucked his phone under a dresser to record what transpired next. When they returned, he said they began hitting him in the face, stomach, neck and back, “repeatedly with closed fists,” according to the report…
All four students were later interviewed by campus police. Investigators noted that “derogatory pictures” had been shared in the group chat but found “no evidence of the N-word being used by the victim.”
The student that received the reported beating said in a statement that he’d suffered a concussion and has been advised not to return to football for his senior season.
Multiple teammates are seen entering and exiting the room during the clip.
Head coach Chris Stone, who the student says was also in the building at the time of the alleged incident, reportedly met with him after the fact alongside school administrators.
What’s going to happen?
The School District is currently reviewing the situation. It posted a statement on that process earlier this week.
While we are committed to helping our students learn and grow from their mistakes, we are also ensuring that appropriate consequences are administered in line with district policy and the law. We are addressing this matter with the seriousness it deserves
-School District of Pickens County
The student claims that his assailants were “star players.” He says no punishment has been handed down.
To this point, details remain somewhat unclear. Head coach Chris Stone deactivated his X account as questions and criticism continue to roll in.
DW Daniel High School football coach leaves social media.
X / @coachcjstone
Stone is said to have met with the student after the fact, but according to the player, those “star” teammates remain on the team despite the coach’s supposed knowledge of the situation. With that said, there may not be much Stone can do until after the case’s conclusion according to the SDPC.
Officials are continuing to search for answers. Suspensions, expulsions, and removal from the team could follow based on those findings, but the School District says details won’t be made public due to the ages of those involved.
The student says he has pressed charges and obtained a lawyer.
DW Daniel High School has a history of football success. The program went 11-2 last season. The SDPC says it won’t take that into consideration during its investigation.
“This is not about wins,” CCO Darian Byrd said. “Yes, you’re dealing with a program that has historically been very successful. We’re going to be doing what’s right for the student-athletes, regardless of their abilities, and we have to do right through the due process for every child.”