Parents accuse Fountain Valley soccer program of repeated hazing; ask board to review coach and bar player from banquet

Two parents told the Huntington Beach Union High School District board on Jan. 29 that their son suffered repeated bullying, sexualized harassment and hazing during the Fountain Valley High School soccer season, and they asked trustees to take steps to prevent further harm.

Michelle Doherty, a Fountain Valley parent, told the board her son was mocked for his weight and had vulgar remarks made about his 9‑year‑old sister. She said the boy was pantsed multiple times, and on one occasion four teammates held him down, removed his shirt and threw away his cleats. “This is not harmless behavior. This is not ‘boys will be boys,’” Doherty said, calling the episode “assault and false imprisonment.” She said she texted Coach Duke; according to her account, the coach promised to address the matter the next day but did not report it to administration or otherwise intervene. Doherty asked the board to bar the alleged perpetrator from the upcoming team banquet and to put the coach under review.

Jeff Doherty, who said he has taught in Fountain Valley for more than 20 years, described the same incident and questioned inconsistent discipline. He said one student received a suspension from administration but was still allowed to play the last game and appears permitted to attend the banquet. “When we questioned this, the principal … told us he can’t just take the banquet code away from the student because he played the whole season,” Jeff Doherty said. He urged the board to ensure that athletic contracts and district policies against hazing and harassment carry meaningful consequences, including removal from the team or exclusion from postseason celebrations.

Board President (chair) acknowledged the comments and said the board would “look at this.” Trustees later asked staff for more information on the Fountain Valley soccer matter during follow‑up discussion, but no formal disciplinary action or board directive was recorded in the meeting minutes or during the session.

The parents’ comments raised three discrete requests: that the student be excluded from the banquet, that the coach be reviewed for alleged failure to report or intervene, and that district enforcement of anti‑hazing policies be reexamined to ensure contracts and discipline are meaningful. The transcript records the parents’ allegations and the board’s acknowledgment but does not record any immediate board vote, personnel action, or administrative finding at this meeting.

Next steps: trustees requested follow‑up information from staff about the Fountain Valley incident; the board later recessed to closed session for unrelated personnel matters, and the meeting record indicates the board planned to report out after that session.