Tom Alessio Jr. chose to resign from his role as the high school football coach at Lincoln High School in Iowa less than two after he was fired from his government job in Polk County. His unexplained termination appears to fall short of legal requirements.
The decision to step down from his secondary role as head coach stems from his ouster from the local government.
Although high school football coaches are not subject to the same laws as government employees, one thing led to the other. Locals are looking for answers.
Tom Alessio Jr. stepped down as the Lincoln High School football coach.
Established in 1923, Abraham Lincoln High School is located in Des Moines, Iowa. It enrolls approximately 2,500 students in Grades 9-12 as the largest public high school in the state. The Railsplitters compete in Class 5A.
Tom Alessio Jr. was hired as the new head football coach at Lincoln in January of 2025 after more than two decades as an assistant within the program. His first (and only) year as head coach saw the Railsplitters improve from 1-8 in 2024 to 3-6 in 2025.
However, Alessio stepped down as head football coach at Lincoln on July 20. The school accepted his resignation just a few weeks before the start of the season.
The first legal day of practice in the Hawkeye State is set for August 10 but the Railsplitters do not have a head coach. They are supposed to play their first game on August 28. The administration at Lincoln must name a interim or permanent replacement in the next two weeks. It is not ideal timing.
Iowa requires local governments to explain why employees are fired.
Tom Alessio Jr.’s resignation at Lincoln stemmed from his ouster as the deputy director of general services for Polk County, which paid him $155,000 annually. He was fired on June 5 immediately after an investigation found “multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviors and conduct.”
County officials have yet to provide any further details about what happened. They have declined to do so, which prompted criticism among taxpayers who want to know why the well-paid public employee was dismissed. They have the right to know!
Governor Terry Branstad signed Iowa House File 291 into law on February 17, 2017. It dramatically altered public employee employment rules across the state. According to Randy Evans, the legislature requires government employers to release specific information about why an employee is terminated, demoted or resigns in lieu of termination.
“The language in the 2017 law says employers like Polk County shall disclose the ‘documented reasons and rationale’ for the dismissal of people like Tom Alessio.”
The Iowa Public Information Board went one step further to define the legal requirements in 2018. It set the following standard:
“In order to meet the new requirement … government bodies must say which law, rule, or policy, if any, they believe the employee violated and provide at least one sentence about the behavior or incident that triggered the action. The explanation should include details, such as the date(s) of alleged behavior, location, and how it was discovered.”
Per state guidelines, Polk County’s generic statement regarding Alessio’s ouster is insufficient. It does not provide enough information as to why he was fired, and subsequently resigned as the high school football coach at Lincoln.