Georgiana High School head baseball and football coach Donald Ray Mixon has been placed on administrative leave with pay this week while the Butler County Board of Education investigates claims by a female student of improper misconduct.

Butler County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney said he was made aware of the claim Wednesday and said the Board is taking appropriate measures to ensure all the facts are laid out before making any kind of decision.

&#8220(Wednesday) I received a report from the principal at Georgiana relating to some information he received about potential misconduct of one of our employees. After acquiring all information available to me at the time, I decided it was in the employees and school system's best interest for him to be placed on administrative leave with pay until the proper authorities could determine the merit of the alleged misconduct,” Looney said.

Georgiana Principal Joseph Dean said the school is working with authorities to ensure an accurate resolution is made.

&#8220We're working side-by-side with the Board of Education, the Butler County Sheriff's Department and the (Department of Human Resources) to ensure we resolve this matter accurately,” Dean said.

Although Mixon has been on paid administrative leave, Looney said everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

&#8220We have no presumption of guilt,” Looney said. &#8220 We want to make sure all the facts come out.”

Mixon is in his third season as head baseball coach and just completed his first full season as head football coach.

Bill Sharp, assistant football coach, has been named interim head baseball coach and will serve alongside Patrick Nelson, current assistant baseball coach.

Sharp will also oversee spring football practice when it begins April 23, although Dean said he would also help out.

The Panthers are slated to play at Hillcrest-Evergreen May 12 at 5 p.m., in the spring jamboree.

Repeated attempts to reach Mixon for comment were unsuccessful.