Parent tells ISD 622 board of repeated complaints about swim program, asks for athletic director/coach termination

During the public‑comment portion of the Aug. 19 meeting, Greg Shifler described multiple incidents and deficiencies in the district’s swim program and asked the board to remove the athletic director and a swim coach from their roles.

Shifler told the board his son was choked at a swim practice two years ago and that the district and school principals were not contacted. He said he raised the matter with the athletic director at that time and saw no remedial action. Shifler also alleged that coaches routinely used phones during practices, did not provide technical instruction, and that he received a notification at about 2:30 p.m. the day of an out‑of‑state, overnight swim meet — a timing he described as a violation of district policy and a safety concern.

"I would ask you to terminate any coach that would allow violence in their sport and not penalize any person for that," Shifler said. He also said the coaching environment had discouraged his son and other swimmers, that a previous coach his son liked had left, and that he feared for continued poor instruction and supervision.

After Shifler finished, a staff member said, "A member of our team will follow‑up with you," indicating the district intended to investigate or respond.

What was not decided: the board did not take or announce any personnel action during the meeting. The remarks were recorded during public comment; board members acknowledged hearing the concerns and an unspecified district representative offered follow‑up.