Franklin families, players urge El Paso ISD to reinstate defensive coordinator Coach Horner

Dozens of Franklin High students, parents and alumni used the board’s public‑forum period to urge the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees to reinstate defensive coordinator Coach Horner.

Speakers said Horner provided emotional support, mentorship and stability to players during a difficult season that included the death of a teammate. “Coach Horner has been a coach, mentor, and influential part of our lives on and off the field,” said Jacob Gibson Sosa, a junior at Franklin High School. “He has taken a personal interest in every player he has coached.”

The testimony included detailed personal accounts. Deborah Petty, mother of junior player Charlie Petty, told trustees Horner “began checking in with Charlie, talking with him, offering steadied support on a daily basis. He even attended my father’s funeral reception, which was an act of kindness that meant more to our family than words can express.” JB Guzman and other players described Horner as a father figure who helped athletes through grief and family crises. Vanessa Guzman, a parent, said Horner “represents commitment, respect and leadership” and urged trustees to consider the students’ needs.

Several speakers pointed to on‑field results and player development as evidence of Horner’s effectiveness. Jose Rodriguez, a Franklin alumnus who later coached and worked in strength and conditioning, said Franklin’s defense had been strong in 2024, noting “11 defensive players made all district” and asserting that the team’s defensive statistics did not support claims of poor coaching.

Multiple speakers also referred to traumatic incidents that affected the team last year. Parents and students said the team endured multiple investigations and the loss of a teammate, and described Horner’s role organizing support for players during that period. Speakers asked the board to weigh that context in any personnel decisions.

Board members did not take an immediate personnel action during the public‑comment period. Trustees and staff did not announce any change to campus assignments at the meeting. Several trustees acknowledged the testimony and asked that the administration review the concerns raised.

The comments at the public forum followed a separate public comment earlier in the meeting from a Franklin teacher who raised other district concerns about attendance accounting and staffing changes. The Franklin coach reinstatement appeals were concentrated during the public‑forum agenda item and drew multiple students and family members to the podium.

Trustees did not vote on Horner’s status at the meeting; the comments will remain part of the public record as the district’s personnel and grievance processes proceed.

Ending: The board heard extensive, emotional testimony supporting Coach Horner from current and former Franklin students, parents and alumni. Trustees signaled they had heard those concerns; no formal personnel action was announced at the meeting.