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Parents, staff and retirees urge review of coach dismissal and raise 504 and safety complaints; board to schedule executive session
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Summary
Multiple public commenters defended a long‑time baseball coach, criticized administrative decisions and also raised separate allegations about student safety and 504 accommodations. Board members asked staff to follow up and to schedule an executive session to review personnel/HR matters.
A lengthy public comment period at Wednesday's Cave Creek Unified School District meeting featured a mix of personal testimony: a longtime bus driver announced her resignation citing low pay and lack of raises; several parents, teachers and alumni asked the board to reinstate or reconsider action taken against longtime Cactus Shadows baseball coach Gaetano Gianni; and other speakers raised concerns about the district's handling of students' 504 accommodations and allegations of unreported student mistreatment.
Key public comments included: - Carrie Smith, a 30‑year district employee and lead driver, announced her resignation effective Sept. 12 and said she had never received a raise in decades of service. "My love of this community kept me here. But passion and love of your community can only take you so far when you don't feel valued and your loyalty is taken for granted," Smith said. - Alexa Hamilton, a Cactus Shadows teacher, urged the board to keep coach Gianni, saying he "goes above and beyond" for players and the field, and argued the disciplinary action stemmed from minor administrative rules rather than substantive misconduct. - Several parents and community members echoed support for the coach; others used the public comment period to raise separate concerns about student safety and alleged mishandling of student statements in an investigation. One commenter, who identified herself as a licensed mental health therapist, said school officials had shifted the narrative away from alleged abuse and toward protecting staff reputation. "This is a deflection from the real issue which is the safety and well‑being of students," she said.
Board response and follow up: Trustees heard the comments and asked administration to develop next steps. Several trustees said more information was needed and that personnel matters require careful handling. A trustee asked staff to send a written update by email; the board requested legal and HR follow‑up. Because executive‑session action was not on the evening's agenda, trustees agreed they could not move immediately into closed session but asked administration to schedule a noticed executive session to consider employment matters and any necessary legal review.
Why it matters: The comments reflected community concern about personnel decisions, classified staff pay and special‑education accommodation processes. Board members said they wanted to ensure both due process for employees and appropriate responses to allegations about student safety.
Ending: Board leadership committed to follow up with staff and legal counsel, to provide the board more information and to schedule an appropriately noticed executive session to address personnel issues.
