Parents and community members urge Lubbock ISD board not to terminate Estacado coach
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Summary
Several community members, including NAACP representatives and former coaches, spoke at the board meeting to urge trustees not to terminate an Estacado coach under investigation, describing his positive impact on students and raising concerns about inconsistent treatment and transportation handling; no personnel action was taken at the meeting.
Multiple parents and community leaders used the public‑comment period at the Lubbock ISD board meeting to urge trustees not to terminate an Estacado High School coach who is under administrative review.
Daryl Ellison, a community member and NAACP legal redress committee member, told trustees he supported the coach and asked the board to "please do not terminate his contract," urging consistent treatment for staff across the district. "Let's find some sort of way to let this situation be a learning opportunity," Ellison said, calling for consistent application of personnel processes.
Phyllis Gantt Gambles, an Estacado graduate and community leader, said the coach had "done a 180 degree to turn his life around" and argued the district had hired him without a license and should not end his career now. She also raised specifics about transportation logistics in a recent incident, asking why Durham Transportation delivered a bus "and no keys" and criticizing follow‑up communications by district HR.
Parent Natasha Johnson recounted that her son rode with the coach to a game with parental approval and described players' distress about how the situation was handled afterward. Tony Wagner, a longtime district coach, recounted mentoring the coach and said the coach's turnaround and daily presence matter for students; he urged trustees to keep him in the district.
Board members did not take any public personnel action during the meeting; one staff member noted a superintendent's administrative‑leave letter dated Jan. 7 was part of the record, and trustees indicated personnel matters would be handled in executive session when appropriate.