Parents urge board to reinstate Mission Hills football coaches placed on paid leave

Speakers during the public‑comment period on Oct. 9 pressed the San Marcos Unified Board of Education to make a prompt decision and public statement regarding three Mission Hills High School football coaches placed on paid administrative leave.

A commenter identified as Jae Hyun described the coaches — Chris Hauser, Thomas Altieri and Edward Knuckles — as longstanding leaders in the community and said the coaches should be reinstated. "Coach Hauser has been the only head coach in 21 year history of Mission Hills football, and he's been a leader of student athletes in the community for 25 years," the commenter said. He asked the board to reinstate the coaches and to issue a public statement clearing them of wrongdoing if appropriate, noting the team was 6–0 and that the absence of the coaches was affecting seniors during the season.

Hillary Medina, identifying herself as a Mission Hills football parent, echoed those points and described Coach Hauser’s long community involvement. "He has mentored hundreds of boys, many of whom have gone to become leaders, fathers, professionals, and role models in their own right," Medina told the board. She said coaches teach values beyond plays and asked trustees to "lead with wisdom, with perspective," and not let a single incident overshadow decades of service.

Speakers framed their remarks as appeals for a timely board decision and a public statement about the status of the coaches. The board did not take action on the matter during the meeting; as the board had previously explained, personnel matters and any related investigations are handled under closed‑session rules and the Brown Act limits what members may say in response during public comment.

No formal motion or vote concerning the coaches was recorded in open session during the Oct. 9 meeting.