Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Community urges Phoenix Union to review coach suspension; board offers to consider agenda item
Summary
Multiple public commenters called for reconsideration of the suspension of North High coach Mark Mahia (as introduced) and urged the board to place reinstatement on a future agenda; speakers also pressed for restored SROs on campuses and asked about a missing Pride recognition slide in a prior superintendent report.
During the Call to the Public, several speakers urged the Phoenix Union Governing Board to review disciplinary actions involving a high-school coach and to consider campus safety measures.
Multiple students and community members spoke in support of the coach identified in public comment as Coach Mejia, describing his long service and positive influence. Xavier Garcia told the board that Coach Mejia had been an important mentor. Matthew Acosta said the coach had helped him personally "when I wasn't doing well mentally" and asked the board to consider restoring the coach’s access to coaching. Mark Mahia — who introduced himself as the former head football and track coach at North High School — asked the board to reconsider his suspension and said the five-year suspension ‘‘doesn't fit the infraction’’ he described.
Board members acknowledged the outpouring of community support and one member asked staff to add a potential reinstatement discussion to a future agenda. Several speakers also urged the district to restore school resource officers (SROs) at campuses; the board acknowledged the request and asked that SROs be added to a future meeting agenda for consideration.
Another public commenter, Fernando Sanchez, said he had noticed the district's June superintendent presentation removed a Pride recognition slide that had been shown in previous years and asked that the slide be restored; President Napa said staff would check on the matter.
What’s next: President Napa and other board members said they had heard public concern and would consider putting coach-discipline review and SROs on future agendas for the board’s consideration.
