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Parents press board over serious injury at Royal–Simi rivalry game; principals and superintendent issue joint statement
Summary
Multiple parents described a serious injury at the recent Royal vs. Simi football game and urged the board to act; Superintendent Dr. Youssef read a joint statement from both principals saying the injured student is recovering and that a Simi player was ejected under CIF rules, and trustees said the matchup and scheduling will be reviewed.
Several parents urged the Simi Valley Unified board to address safety and conduct issues after a high‑school rivalry football game during which a Royal High player was seriously injured.
At public comment, Shannon Pugh said she was ‘‘two feet away’’ when the injury occurred, described seeing the player go limp and convulse and said she feared the student had died. Pugh also said a video had circulated on social media earlier in the week that she described as encouraging ‘‘headhunting’’ in advance of the game. "I thought Kai was dead, I swear to you," she told the board.
John (identified on the board's public‑comment list by first name) and Shannon Bradley also urged the board to consider the optics of rivalry scheduling and to set stronger boundaries to protect athletes. Bradley noted that ambulances have appeared on the field during recent contests and said parents want the district to examine how these matchups are managed.
Superintendent Dr. Youssef addressed the board and read a joint statement from JC Baxter (principal, Simi Valley High School) and Michael Hall (principal, Royal High School). In the statement he read into the record, the district said that shortly after the start of the third quarter a Royal player was injured, received emergency treatment on the field and was transported to the hospital; the student was later released to family and is recovering. The statement also said a Simi Valley player involved in the tackle was ejected "for an enforcement like conduct in accordance with California Interscholastic Federation rules" and will face further consequences as determined by CIF guidelines.
The statement emphasized the community value of the annual matchup while saying any decision about future matchups will be made after "careful consideration and open dialogue" with the schools and stakeholders following the standard scheduling process at the end of the season.
Trustees responded by thanking parents for raising concerns, praising the principals and medical responders for immediate actions, and saying the district is taking the matter seriously. Several trustees said principals and coaches have met with students, families and staff and that scheduling and disciplinary measures will be reviewed; no board motion or change to scheduling was made during the meeting.
The board did not take formal disciplinary action at the meeting; trustees said staff will continue investigations and that decisions about next year’s matchup will be made after stakeholders have met and season‑end scheduling processes are complete.
