Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld has been suspended.
City officials have not stated a reason for Birkenfeld’s suspension on Monday, but the move comes after he defended a local high school football coach who sexually abused a 15-year-old student-athlete.
Cole Underwood admitted to federal charges related to sexually grooming and assaulting the young girl while he was the athletic director at Perryton Independent School District.
Underwood previously coached at Amarillo ISD, where he reportedly earned the nickname “Perv” for his inappropriate conduct around female students.
During Underwood’s sentencing hearing last week, a character statement from Birkenfeld was read in court.
Birkenfeld stated he was “shocked” and “saddened” to learn Underwood was guilty of sexually abusing a young student, but he said “Cole was a good kid” and asked the judge to consider Underwood’s lack of criminal history and “redeeming qualities.”
Underwood was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
A total of 14 prominent Amarillo residents, including Birkenfeld, submitted statements to the court supporting Underwood, according to his younger sister Claire.
During the sentencing hearing, Claire Underwood revealed that her brother had also sexually assaulted her for years, from the time she was in fifth grade until her freshman year of high school.
“I want to say what a disheartening disgrace it is to know they are the type of people to defend and make excuses for a convicted pedophile,” Claire said in her statement to the judge.
The Amarillo City Council is meeting Friday morning to discuss Birkenfeld’s “employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal.”
According to ABC 7 in Amarillo, Mayor Cole Stanley will have “no comment” until after Friday’s meeting.
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