Giddings ISD board denies Level III grievance over coach conduct after hearing; parent had waived closed-session privacy

The Giddings ISD Board of Trustees voted 6–0 on Jan. 7, 2026, to deny a Level III parent grievance that alleged an inadequate investigation and abusive conduct by a volleyball coach, after a public hearing in which the parent waived the district’s usual closed-session option.

Parent Tara Spencer told the board she had asked that a third‑party investigation be launched, criticized the district’s inquiry as biased and incomplete, and said her daughter’s playing time and treatment changed after a Georgetown tournament. "To say that this investigation was laughable from day one is an understatement," Spencer said during her presentation, arguing investigators failed to review summer‑camp financial records and did not sufficiently question athletes.

Assistant Superintendent Shane Holman, speaking for the administration, said investigators interviewed multiple players and coaches, reviewed the incident and found no evidence that Coach Wolff abandoned the team during the August tournament. "She was there throughout the day," Holman said, and he told the board that the alleged UIL issues were referred to the district executive committee for review.

Board President Jason Locke opened the Level III hearing and confirmed with Spencer that she was waiving her child’s right to closed-session consideration so the discussion would be on the public record. The board followed the district’s FNG (local) grievance procedures and the provisions of Chapter 26A of the Texas Education Code when hearing the appeal.

Trustees asked questions about who witnessed the tournament, which witnesses were interviewed and whether similar complaints had arisen previously. Spencer told the board some parents and students had left the team in earlier seasons and pressed that an investigation should have examined playing‑time statistics and the school’s and CTP’s summer‑camp documentation.

Holman said the district’s inquiry included interviews with students and the coaches involved, and he described CTP as an independent nonprofit that uses school facilities; he said the district does not have access to CTP’s financial records. He also said different outside instructors have led the program’s summer camps in recent years and that fees were used to pay those instructors.

After board members consulted with legal counsel in closed session, Trustee Spencer Schneider moved and Pat Jackson seconded a motion to affirm the administration’s decision and deny the grievance. The motion passed with six votes in favor; one trustee was absent. A motion to adjourn followed and the meeting ended at 8:01 p.m.

The board’s action upholds the administration’s finding that the complaint did not merit the relief requested. The district recorded the open‑session hearing and announced that meeting records are available for public review under the applicable Texas Government Code provisions.