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Board approves Nathaniel Stone as Barstow High assistant coach after community endorsements, 4-1
Summary
After more than a dozen supporters urged trustees to clear him, Nathaniel Stone was approved as an assistant football coach for Barstow High School by a 4-1 vote; community members and students described Stone as a longtime mentor who has coached in Barstow for more than 20 years.
The Barstow Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 4 to 1 to approve Nathaniel Stone as an assistant football coach for Barstow High School following extended public comment in his favor.
Dozens of community members, parents and fellow coaches told the board Stone is a long-serving youth mentor whose work extends beyond Xs and Os. "Coach Stone is not only a football coach, he's a life coach," said Dave Hooker, president of Barstow Youth Football & Cheer, who described coaching alongside Stone for more than 16 years. Christopher Mulitalo, who identified himself as the varsity defensive coordinator for Barstow High School, said Stone has "served our community for over 20 years" and urged trustees to grant the clearance so Stone can "represent a core value" of the district.
Stone addressed the board directly, saying the role "means a great deal to me both personally and professionally" and recounting more than two decades of coaching youth and high school teams. A student speaker, Elijah Sanchez Perez, called Stone "a dedicated coach—oaching at a high level of football with passion and heart" and urged trustees to approve him.
Trustees moved and seconded the motion to approve Stone's extra-duty employment; the board chair called for the vote and announced the motion carried 4 to 1. The meeting record does not show which trustee cast the lone No vote.
Why it matters: Assistant coaching positions are school-site decisions that affect safety, extracurricular participation and team continuity; public testimony showed strong community engagement and support for a coach who stakeholders say contributes to student development on and off the field.
The board took the action as part of the consent items for extra-duty athletics; there was no additional referendum required at the meeting. The board adjourned after completing the agenda.
