Fired WF swim coach says he was kicked out of pool unprovoked

The former West Fargo girls swimming coach says he was kicked out of the Hulbert Aquatic Center Monday for no reason.

Ronald Hehn was fired earlier last month for inappropriate coaching practices, after it was reported he attached weights to rope belts on his swimmers, and had them swim across the pool.

Hehn says, "It was humiliating to be removed from a place that used to be my place of employment and a place that I felt at home at for so long."

Hehn says he went to the pool in West Fargo to pick up some things he left behind when he was fired.

"I figured I'd do lap swim and get a good workout in while I was there. I paid admission, I went in and I hadn't even got my suit on yet when I was asked to leave the facility," Hehn explained.

Hehn says he was told to leave because he was trespassing, despite it being a public facility and no termination rules saying he couldn't swim there.

"It reminded me a lot of how I was terminated from my position with the public schools. No warning. It was a fast decision, a knee-jerk reaction," Hehn said.

However, West Fargo says Hehn was asked to leave because he had a weight belt and weights with him, which aren't allowed according to policy.

"I had no intent on using them in the pool. I know better than that. I was fired for that- for an athlete using weights in the pool," Hehn explained.

Hehn added he only had a 15 pound weight in his backpack for biking and running purposes.

"It would have been different, had I brought the weights over to where I was swimming or showed any intention of using weights in the water," Hehn said.

West Fargo Schools says as soon as the weights were noticed, Hehn was immediately asked to leave, being escorted out by staff. They say Hehn violated their policy of bringing outside equipment into the pool.

However, they didn't comment if Hehn was asked to leave because of his inappropriate coaching tactics that he was fired for.