Calls for investigation dominate public comment at PUHSD meeting

A sharply divided public comment period dominated Tuesday night's Placer Union High School District board meeting, as parents, former coaches and community members voiced conflicting perspectives on allegations of trustee overreach, administrative accountability and the future of the Del Oro High School girls basketball program. During the Jan. 20 meeting, speakers alternately called for an independent investigation into alleged misconduct by board member Tom Duncan and pushed back against what they described as a misplaced and politically driven narrative that placed blame on a trustee rather than district administration. Jennifer Poe, a Del Oro parent whose daughter plays on the varsity team, was the first to speak. She's concerned about Duncan's alleged involvement in the program's day-to-day operations. Poe credited last season's coach, MJ Masys, with building a positive, student-centered program. "Coach MJ was an extraordinary coach," Poe said. "She taught lessons about perseverance and teamwork. MJ ran the program the way she saw fit." Poe alleged Masys was pressured to leave after declining to run an offense Duncan preferred and declining to place a specific parent on her coaching staff. "The head coaches hired by Del Oro have the right to choose their own staff and run the plays that they see fit," Poe said. Poe said she initially hesitated to speak publicly out of fear that could negatively affect her daughter's playing time or spot on the team amid uncertainty surrounding coaching hires. She also described an incident she said occurred shortly after former head coach Amir Farooq and his staff resigned in December, leaving the program without a plan in place. "Within hours of (interim head coach Tristan York) stepping up, my child was cornered for 45 minutes in the school parking lot by an adult parent who has a close personal connection to this board," Poe said. According to Poe, the parent told her daughter the former coaching staff was lying and manipulating the team and encouraged her to organize teammates to demand a coaching change. "I want to be clear, it is unacceptable for any parent, especially one connected to this board, to involve a student in adult conflicts," Poe said, calling for an independent investigation. Steve Evans, who identified himself as a longtime coach and youth sports organizer within the district, said he had decades of involvement in girls athletics and supported a third-party review. "I've been in this district for a very long time," Evans said. "I coached at Del Oro for 24 years. I started the Loomis Girls Basketball Club, and I was one of the founding members of the current Lady Eagles program." Evans said he had been asked to mentor new coaches in recent years but stayed within appropriate boundaries. "Things started to unravel and were very disturbing," Evans said. "The article ("Who's calling the shots?" Auburn Journal, Jan. 3-4, page A1) brought to light what all of us need to discuss now. To be fair to Tom, there needs to be a third-party investigation. He should welcome it." Barbara Smith followed, alleging an abuse of power and citing district bylaws and state law. "The abuse of power involves unfairly controlling, manipulating, intimidating or harming those with less authority, usually for personal gain," Smith said, noting the Auburn Journal's reporting showed Duncan "misused his position to benefit himself, his family and his associates." Smith called for an independent investigation and said Duncan should resign if the allegations were substantiated. "This board must immediately conduct an independent investigation and publish its findings," Smith said. Other speakers pushed back on the allegations, placing responsibility on district administration rather than the board. Wendy Biel argued the controversy should focus on administrative leadership and oversight, not a trustee. "This situation should be raising serious questions about administrative leadership, not about a trustee who asked reasonable questions," Beil said. "Trustees do not hire coaches. Trustees do not manage athletic programs. Trustees do not oversee day-to-day operations." Biel cited coaching hires, player attrition and oversight within the program as concerns and said those issues were not created by the board. "These are not trustee-created problems," Biel said. "That is deflection." Biel also criticized the Auburn Journal's reporting, alleging media bias. "If administrators are speaking to a biased media aimed to take down a duly elected board member, this board and this community deserve to know who said it, why it was said and what accountability exists," she said. Several administrators and district employees interviewed for the Auburn Journal's reporting spoke on condition of anonymity, citing concerns about potential professional retaliation if identified. Anne Ingram, a district employee and Del Oro parent, said her employment made her cautious about speaking publicly but said she supported Poe's comments. "I stand behind every word that she shared," Ingram said of Poe's statement. "We deserve to know more." Dave Obert, a former Del Oro coach whose children participated in athletics at the school, said the lack of an independent investigation left the community divided. "There's been a lot of he said, she said, and nobody knows the truth because there has been no independent investigation," Obert said. "This has the potential of dividing what has been a very close-knit community." Trustee Duncan was not present at the meeting. The board did not respond directly to individual comments during public comment, consistent with district policy. Near the conclusion of public comment, Board President Jessica Spaid acknowledged community concerns but said the district could not comment further. "There is a real threat of litigation, and at this point this matter is now in the hands of our attorneys," Spaid said. No formal action related to the Del Oro girls basketball program or trustee conduct was taken at the meeting.