Xavier teacher fired for sleep over

APPLETON - They called it Grill for Prill; a rally for their Physical Education teacher and Varsity Baseball coach Matt Prill.

"We do care about this guy and this is a guy we want around our school," said Xavier High School senior Jeremy Davis.

Students say the situation began about a month ago because of a practical joke.

"Myself and a couple others on the baseball team followed him one night after practice to his girlfriend's house to saran wrap his car just to give him a hard time," said Davis.

Students say days later he told team members he stayed the night at his girlfriend's house in Green Bay because he had too much to drink at a grill-out and didn't want to drive home to Appleton.

"And apparently that got back to a parent and it kind of got taken to a new level," said Davis.

Prill's girlfriend told FOX 11 about a week-and-a-half ago the district told Prill his teaching contract would not be renewed because the incident constituted cohabitation without marriage, conduct inconsistent with the Catholic faith, and a violation of the contract he signed. But the nearly 100 students who gathered outside Xavier Monday morning say the school is going too far.

"They said that he was cohabitating and I view cohabitating as living together in a permanent situation, not just a one night thing," said senior Trent Duerr.

"We have presentations every year on not drinking and driving at any cost really," said Davis. "And I think he had to make a decision and he chose the lesser of two evils and now he's being punished for it."

But the school's principal Matt Reynebeau released this statement Monday saying "The allegation that Xavier High School promotes drinking and driving is absurd."

And in response to Prill's termination the school district has only released this statement saying, "The ACES Xavier Educational System exercised its option to not renew the teaching contract for Mr. Matt Prill. In employment matters, each employee has a right to confidentiality. Since this is a personnel matter, we cannot offer any further comment."

Students say they just hope the school system listens to them, and decides to change its mind.

Matt Prill could not be reached for comment Monday on this story, but his girlfriend told FOX 11 he is currently looking for employment in other districts and would stay at the school if the district changes its mind.