Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Sports Misconduct topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents allege a Murrieta youth-softball board member drank in a dugout; league president says complaint lacks evidence
Summary
At public comment the commission heard a coach say a board member bragged about being hungover in front of teenage players; the Murrieta Valley Girls Softball Association president called the dispute a 'personal vendetta' and said the league found no evidence that a volunteer provided alcohol to minors.
During the public comment period on March 6, a Murrieta coach, Raymond Lopez, told the Parks and Recreation Commission he witnessed a Murrieta Valley Girls Softball Association (MVGSA) board member enter a team dugout on Feb. 22 and state she and her daughter had been drinking the night before while players aged roughly 13–19 were present. Lopez said he informed coaches and the league president and later received communications characterizing his reports as "hearsay." He asked the commission to consider disciplinary action and cited SafeSport, USA Softball and California Penal Code in support of his concerns.
Valerie Sasser, who identified herself as president of the Murrieta Valley Girls Softball organization, addressed the commission immediately after Lopez. She called the situation "nothing short of a personal vendetta" and said the league follows a strict disciplinary policy for volunteers. Sasser told the commission she had not received any evidence that a board member supplied alcohol to minors, and said the complaint was escalated to the city only after the complainants threatened legal action or media attention. "I am happy to cooperate with you in any way," she said, offering staff contact information and written statements she said she had provided.
The commission did not take action on the item. Staff members noted that matters raised during public comment that are not listed on the agenda cannot be acted on that night; commissioners encouraged commenters to provide documentation to staff if they wished the city to review the matter further.
Because the assertions were made in public comment and involve alleged misconduct by a private volunteer on a league board, the commission’s role is limited to determining whether city-managed facilities or city policies were implicated and whether staff should follow up. At the meeting, staff accepted copies of statements and emails offered by the speakers and said they would log the information.
