BRADFORD, Vt. — Oxbow High School principal Jean Wheeler confirmed in an email to the Valley News that girls basketball head coach Barry Emerson has been suspended from his coaching position for a two-week period.

Wheeler said in the email that he was suspended “for making an inappropriate comment in the presence of the student athletes.” It couldn’t be confirmed when or where the comment took place.

She went on to say that Oxbow does not believe that Emerson intended to do any harm.

“Barry was honest and forthcoming when asked if he made this comment,” Wheeler wrote.

The suspension will last until Jan. 24. Assistant coach Shawn French has taken over coaching duties until Emerson returns in his full capacity on Jan. 25. Emerson is not allowed to participate in any basketball activities.

French opted not to comment on the situation. Emerson directed all questions to Wheeler.

Emerson missed Friday’s game at Rivendell, a 41-35 victory for the Olympians. He will miss three more games: Friday against Randolph, Jan. 22 at Williamstown and Jan. 24 vs. Thetford. His first game back on the sidelines will be on Jan. 29 at Montpelier.

Oxbow is 5-1 on the season, riding a five-game winning streak since a schedule-opening loss at Hartford.

Vermont Principals Association associate executive director Bob Johnson said he called Wheeler on Friday afternoon but did not discuss specifics.

The high school is not required to notify the VPA unless the incident took place during a game or involved officials.

Emerson is in his seventh season as the head coach of the girls basketball program at Oxbow. He has compiled a 66-73 overall record and took the No. 8-seeded Olympians to the VPA Division III state finals last season. His best season came in 2013-14, his first, when Oxbow finished 18-4 and fell in the semifinals.

He started teaching at Oxbow in 2004 and soon after started coaching at the high school. Emerson has coached the Olympians’ girls junior varsity soccer, boys junior varsity basketball, boys varsity basketball and boys varsity soccer programs.

Emerson took the boys varsity basketball job in 2005 but, as a member of the Vermont National Guard, was deployed to Iraq a year later, necessitating that his assistant take the job.

He returned home but was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and did not return to the program after that.

Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com.