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Walk‑on coach tells El Rancho board she and staff have faced sustained harassment, asks district for protection
Summary
A walk‑on varsity cheer coach told the board she and other staff have been subjected to a pattern of harassment by two parents, including alleged in‑person confrontations and social‑media defamation; she said documentation was provided to the district and law enforcement. Trustees and union leaders expressed support and urged protection for staff.
During public comment at the March 11 El Rancho Unified board meeting, Melissa Escano, a walk‑on varsity cheer coach at El Rancho High School, told trustees she has been the target of repeated harassment and alleged menacing behavior by parents she identified as Cecilia and Anthony Islas.
Escano recounted multiple incidents over roughly 18 months that she said escalated beyond social‑media posts and emails to in‑person confrontations. She alleged that on January 31 two adults followed and verbally confronted two assistant coaches while they were picking up lunch, and that on March 5 one of the adults approached her family at UCLA Medical Center while she was visiting a critically ill family member. Escano said she provided the district with photos, videos, witness statements and other documentation and that local law enforcement and hospital security had been notified in at least one instance.
Trustees and union leaders in attendance thanked Escano for coming forward and said the district should ensure staff safety. Lila Carrillo, president of the Rancho Federation of Teachers, urged the district to prioritize protection for any staff who work with students. The district indicated that human resources and legal counsel had been provided information about the incidents. The board did not take formal public action during the meeting; Escano said she had documented evidence and asked the board to consider protections for walk‑on coaches and staff who are not union‑represented.
The account is a public comment alleging harassment; it was not litigated or adjudicated during the meeting. The district referred to human resources and its legal process as the channels for follow‑up.
