Christians Under Attack

 But the pastor, Trey Hancock, head of Dearborn Assembly of God, said today that he never mixed his religion with sports. And the coach, Jerry Marszalek, said that Hancock "never did that ... he knew the difference between church and state."

Imad Fadlallah, head of Fordson High School, decided this month not to renew the contract of Marszalek, who has coached wrestling at Fordson for 35 years. Marszalek is an at-will employee and so the principal has the right not to extend his contract, said David Mustonen, spokesman for Dearborn Public Schools.

Fadlallah, the first Muslim principal at Fordson, heads a high school where more than 80 percent of the students are of Arab descent, a majority of them Muslim. In recent years, parents and students have complained that Hancock was using his position on the wrestling team to convert Muslims – a claim Hancock strongly denies.

“When I coached, I never preached, I never witnessed,” Hancock said.

Fadlallah's decision was praised by Arab-American Muslims at a packed board meeting Tuesday night that was standing room only; hundreds of Muslim parents, students, religious leaders, and community advocates showed up in support of him.

"Fordson was a mess before he came," said Ali Reda, a sophomore at Fordson, who attended the Tuesday meeting.

During the public comments section, which went until midnight, speakers praised Fadlallah and said he was being unfairly attacked because of his Arab ethnicity and Muslim religion.

But Hancock and Marszalek said they are the ones who are being unfairly attacked. A few years ago, Marszalek hired Hancock as an assistant coach in a non-paid position; he said that Hancock was an excellent coach.

But in 2005, Hancock came under attack by some Muslims after he baptized in Port Huron a Muslim student from Dearborn.

“If people want to come to Jesus, I’m here for them,” Hancock said. He added that such activities were done outside Fordson and the wrestling team.

Marszalek said Fadlallah then told him to remove Hancock and keep him away from wrestling practices and events. Marszalek said that Fadlallah told him this month he was removing him because he ignored his earlier directive.

Trey's son, Paul Hancock, is a member of the Fordson wrestling team and so Trey Hancock would often attend meets and practices.

Fadlallah was not available for comment today.

Marszalek said he met last week with state officials in Lansing, including a representative from the office of Attorney General Mike Cox, to discuss his options.

Contact NIRAJ WARIKOO at warikoo@freepress.com.