Parents ask Monongalia County Board to pause Morgantown High track hires and review process

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. ' At the Monongalia County Board of Education meeting on March 11, multiple parents of Morgantown High School student-athletes urged the board to pause hiring for assistant track-coaching positions and conduct a review of the district's hiring procedures to ensure athlete health, development and fair consideration of candidates.

The appeals came during the meeting's public comment period, where parents described a hiring timeline they said raised concerns: a single assistant position posted in the fall was later removed, then two split positions were posted, and, as of the meeting, no candidate had been approved to coach distance runners. "We respectfully ask the board to . . . place hold on hiring any candidates for the MHS assistant track coaching positions until a review of the hiring process is conducted to ensure that all qualified candidates are being fairly considered," said Christian Abilto, a parent of a Morgantown High sophomore and freshman who runs cross country and track. Abilto added that hiring decisions should "prioritize athlete health, development and success."

Why it matters: Parents said distance running requires careful training and recovery plans to prevent injury and that a qualified coach is central to both athlete safety and performance. Several speakers asked the board to set clear hiring criteria that place athlete health and development at the forefront.

What speakers said: Kara Brown, mother of Morgantown High junior Maddie Brown, said she supported Abilto's request and noted she had raised the issue at a prior meeting. "Everything that Christian said, I wanted to agree with," Brown said. Kathy Renner, whose daughter is a senior at MHS, and other parents including Laura Yabildso, Clayton Hansler and Rob Riley also spoke in support of a review and swift, impartial attention from the board.

Details and requests raised by speakers: Parents said the original single position posted after the cross-country season was removed and replaced with two split positions; that no distance coach had been board-approved before the track season began; and that the district should prioritize criteria tied to training load management, injury prevention and athlete mental well-being when evaluating candidates. Several parents asked that any hiring be paused pending a transparent review.

Board response and next steps: After public comment concluded, the board announced it would go into executive session for personnel. A motion to do so was moved and seconded; the board left the public meeting for the executive session and did not announce a public vote or a public decision on the hiring at the time the public meeting resumed. No formal directive or board action on the coach hires was announced in open session.

Procedure and policy referenced at the meeting: During the meeting the board chair read the preamble to the public participation policy and cited Monongalia County School Board policy 0169, which limits public comment time and states the board will not engage in verbal interaction with speakers during public comment. Speakers repeatedly emphasized they were not seeking to defame any individual but to ensure a fair, athlete-centered hiring process.

Context: Several parents indicated this was not the first time they had raised concerns about coaching hires at Morgantown High. Track and cross-country seasons were already under way, which parents said increased the urgency of their requests.

No vote on hiring recorded: The meeting record provided no public vote, appointment, or naming of a specific hire for the Morgantown High distance-running coaching positions during open session. The board's movement into executive session indicates personnel discussion continued in closed session.