Associated Press 1 Minute Read

CHERRY HILL, N.J. -- A New Jersey high school football coach says he's being forced out because he has too many black athletes on his team.

Camden Catholic High School informed Nick Strom on Friday that his contract as a history teacher would not be renewed for next year. The Courier-Post reports he also was asked to resign from his posts as head football and golf coach, and was fired Monday evening.

Strom alleges officials fired him because he isn't "conforming with their viewpoints" on what they want the student body and the football team to look like. He says he was asked multiple times about student athletes' ethnicities.

Camden Catholic President Mary Whipkey denies Strom's allegations, saying she never discussed race with him.

"From day one, the administration told me they did not approve of the ratio of black to white students."

Strom estimated the topic of race came up "10 to 20 times" with Whipkey since he was hired as football coach in 2013.

"When I'd have a list of potential freshmen, the first question I'd be asked is if they were white or black," he said. "I was confused about why the question was, 'How can we get more white players in the program or on the field?'"

About half of the team's players are minorities, Strom said.