Southwest coach Joe Dupree no longer on leave, set to return to team, district announces

Bibb County School District leaders said Tuesday that Southwest High School head football Joe Dupree will return to work less than one week after announcing he had been placed on administrative leave.

Dupree was placed on leave last week as the district investigated the death of Joshua Ivory Jr., a Southwest football player who collapsed at a July 26 practice. Dupree will be allowed to return to work on Aug. 25. The district’s investigation has not been completed, a spokeswoman said.

According to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones, the GBI Crime Lab is conducting Ivory’s autopsy, which is standard procedure in the death of an otherwise healthy person; the cause of death has not been released.

The Bibb County School District released a statement a few days after Ivory Jr.’s death, where leaders noted all protocols had been properly followed. Information about the district’s current investigation has not been released.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is not conducting a criminal investigation of the incident, a sheriff’s spokesman told the Telegraph.

Southwest offensive coordinator Robert “Bo” Cummings will remain on administrative leave with pay.

This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 4:22 PM.