Parents, students and former coach clash at Walled Lake meeting over tennis coach dismissal
Summary
A petition signed by 52 parents asked the board to reinstate Walled Lake Central tennis coach Darby O'Reilly; at the same meeting several parents and a former player alleged physical and emotional misconduct by O'Reilly, while the coach said he was fired with 'no notice and no reason.'
A petition signed by parents and students asking the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools administration to reinstate tennis coach Darby O’Reilly set the stage for sharply divergent public testimony at the Oct. 9 board meeting.
Brian Grace read a petition he said had 52 signatures asking the board and administration to consider reinstating O’Reilly, calling him responsible for dramatic program growth and improved student outcomes. ‘‘During his time as head coach ... the program grew substantially,’’ Grace told the board.
Several parents and student athletes described O’Reilly as a transformational coach. ‘‘He wasn’t just our tennis coach. He was the person who made the effort to see us all individually,’’ sophomore Elizabeth told the board, describing gains in confidence and belonging.
At the same time, other parents and students presented allegations of misconduct. Katarina Gashevski alleged that O’Reilly once struck a player and later threatened to ‘‘punch you again’’ after the student objected, and described repeated incidents of unwelcome touching and comments. Gabriel Ramos Guzman, the boys’ captain, said some players felt uncomfortable and opposed reinstatement.
Former coach Jeremy O’Reilly told the board he had been fired ‘‘on a Wednesday with no notice and no reason’’ and said he had not been investigated; he asked for an open investigation and the opportunity to meet with administrators.
What the board did: the meeting record shows no immediate personnel reversal or formal investigation announced at this meeting. Multiple community members asked the board to pursue clarity and transparency; administrators present did not announce disciplinary findings in the public meeting.
Next steps: members of the public requested an open investigation and more transparency. The board did not vote on personnel action during the session; any formal personnel findings or administrative actions were not recorded in the public minutes at the meeting.
