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Parents and players press Oregon City school board to oversee investigation into freshman coach
Summary
Dozens of community members urged the Oregon City School District board to investigate the removal of a longtime youth coach, arguing district policy and mandatory-reporting procedures were not followed; board directed commenters to file personnel complaints in writing and said it will review submitted materials.
Dozens of parents, players and community members filled the audience at the Oregon City School District board meeting on Nov. 3 to support a popular youth coach and to demand stronger oversight of how the district handled recent allegations.
Mary Lynch, who identified herself as the parent of a freshman player, told the board her son sustained a head injury on Sept. 11, tapped his helmet to signal he wanted to come out, but was kept in the game. “My son's doctor diagnosed him with a concussion,” Lynch said, and she told the board her son “played concussed for 3 more quarters” before being removed and later required ongoing treatment. Lynch referenced Max's Law while saying she reported the injury to the school on Sept. 12.
The board reminded Lynch and other speakers that the board’s public comment rules bar complaints about specific staff or other authorized individuals in this forum and directed those who name individuals to use the district’s public complaints policy (referred to in the meeting as policy K L A R). The board nevertheless allowed parents to describe their experiences where it did not involve naming staff.
Escobedo, who introduced himself as “Coach Pro,” asked whether he had been barred from coaching because of uninvestigated accusations or because the district was attempting to avoid liability. He said he was told on Oct. 28 that he would not coach on Oct. 29 and that the school’s initial inquiry had been limited—“a single phone call about 18 hours” after he was removed—and asked the board to oversee a thorough investigation, interview parents and players and clarify his current status and ability to attend team events.
Students and other parents offered consistent personal support. Freshman player Logan Jackson said, “Pro has always been there for me,” describing repeated examples of the coach checking on players’ health and well-being. Several speakers asked the board to reconsider restrictions placed on the coach and to make any future investigation more transparent and comprehensive.
Board members thanked those who attended and said the board will review both the in-person comments and written materials submitted by community members. They reiterated the complaint process for allegations involving named staff and asked commenters to file complaints in writing so the district can follow its procedures.
The board did not vote on personnel matters during the meeting; several speakers asked the district to provide the board with independent oversight of whatever investigatory steps are under way.
