Mt. Ararat High School Athletic Director Geoff Godo is resigning after nine years.

Godo submitted a letter of resignation to Principal Chris Hoffman, writing “This is not a decision I have made lightly, but I feel it is best for me and my family that I step aside from the rigors of this very demanding position and pursue other professional opportunities.”

The Topsham-based Maine School Administrative District 75 school board will vote to accept the resignation at its meeting Thursday night, according to the agenda.

“I only have positive things to say,” longtime wrestling coach Erick Jensen wrote in a text message. “He was a great AD for my program and a great leader for MTA. He will be greatly missed. I very much wish him luck and success in his future endeavors.”

Godo’s resignation, which is effective Aug. 1, comes in the wake of a hazing investigation into the Mt. Ararat boys hockey team that found a pattern of “sexually inappropriate conduct” by players.

Lewiston law firm Brann & Isaacson conducted the investigation in early January after allegations first surfaced of two incidents — one related to a bus ride home from an away game, the other in a locker room.

A two-page executive summary released in late April concluded that at least four students were the subject of hazing.

Godo is the second person in the Mt. Ararat athletic department to resign since the hazing investigation began. Former boys hockey coach AJ Kavanaugh resigned in February, before the investigation was completed, and is now coaching a youth team based in Lewiston. Once he resigned, Kavanaugh was no longer part of the investigation.

Kavanaugh’s resignation came shortly after Superintendent Heidi O’Leary canceled the final game of the season in response to “a highly charged and divisive environment on the ice, in the locker room, and in the stands” when parents showed support for a suspended player by wearing matching shirts with his jersey number on them during the program’s senior night. Some players put stickers on their helmets with the number as well.

The Mt. Ararat boys hockey team, which also includes players from Lisbon High and Morse High in Bath, is now facing a two-year ban from the Maine Principals’ Association for not completing the season. The school has appealed the suspension and will present its case in September. The past two teams to face a suspension related to hazing incidents, the football teams at Brunswick and Lisbon, were granted reinstatement.

It is not known if the investigation played any part in Godo’s decision to resign. Godo could not be reached Thursday for further comment.

O’Leary did say Thursday that Godo’s resignation is not related to an investigation by Portland police into a former school district employee that was announced earlier this week.

“To be very clear, it would be completely wrong to draw any connection between Mr. Godo’s decision and the criminal investigation of a former MSAD 75 employee,” O’Leary wrote in an email.

On Monday, O’Leary had said that the new investigation is not connected to the hockey team.

Football coach Frank True said he was stunned when he read a Wednesday evening email from Godo announcing the resignation. 

“I’ve had the privilege of three really good (athletic directors while coaching at Mt. Ararat),” True said in a phone call on Thursday. “Colin Roy, Todd Sampson and now Geoff Godo. All three of them were men of character, led by example, and really detail-oriented. When we lost Colin and then we lost Todd, I kind of sought the same thing. Then Geoff came and kind of calmed all of my fears of who they (would) end up with. But Geoff is nothing but a class act.”

“I’m surely going to miss him,” True added. “I’m going to miss his guidance. I’m going to miss his candor, our Monday afternoon talks after a Friday night game, where he tells me everything I did wrong. Just good old-fashioned banter.”

Godo replaced Sampson, now the athletic director at Edward Little, in the spring 2016. Prior to becoming athletic director, Godo coached baseball at Mt. Ararat, and coached baseball and golf at Westbrook High, where he also taught social studies. 

While in charge of Mt. Ararat athletics, Godo oversaw the construction of new athletic facilities, which allowed for multiple MPA championship events to be held in Topsham, as well as seven state championship teams and multiple individual champions.

Eagles field hockey coach Krista Chase said that she is happy Godo will be able to spend more time with his family.

“I will forever be incredibly grateful to Geoff for how he has supported my field hockey program, especially our annual Drive Out Cancer field hockey tournament,” Chase said in a text message. “He has allowed me to build that event into a meaningful community effort, and I couldn’t have done that without him.”

Amy Spelke, chair of the MSAD 75 board, said she was notified of the decision in a late-night Wednesday email from O’Leary. 

“Geoff made the decision to resign after 9 years of dedicated service to our district,” Spelke wrote in an email. “I am very appreciative of all of his efforts and wish him the best in his new professional opportunities.”