Olympia School Board: Fired high school coach won't be rehired
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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A high school basketball coach who was fired last month amid a hazing scandal will not get his job back.
The Olympia School Board voted Monday night to stand by its original decision to fire coach Doug Galloway.
Students, parents and community members flooded Monday's meeting to ask that Galloway be reinstated, but those supporters left the session shocked and angry.
"We are a family," said parent Sterling Stock. "We're a community, and it's ripping this family apart and it's hard to take."
Stock is just one of many parents expressing frustration over what he calls Galloway's wrongful termination. The Olympia School District fired Galloway, the basketball coach at Capital High School, over what it called "inadequate supervision" during an incident of "forced sexual contact" between his players at a summer basketball camp.
After listening to parents, the school board agreed to hold an executive session to reconsider its decision. But before they made any decision, the board opened the floor to public comment.
Many of those in attendance came to support Galloway.
"He's the spirit of capital," said Steve Taylor. "For years, if you could go to a basketball game and watch him coach, he's exactly who you'd want coaching your son or daughter without a doubt."
Members of the school board said their job is to protect students and coaches. They also said while the decision to fire Galloway was difficult, it was not going to change.
That isn't sitting well with some Capital High School students.
"I'm hurt. I'm frustrated. I'm going to miss him as a coach," said student Keenan Williams.
Galloway said he loves coaching and will look to continue at another school.
The Olympia School Board voted Monday night to stand by its original decision to fire coach Doug Galloway.
Students, parents and community members flooded Monday's meeting to ask that Galloway be reinstated, but those supporters left the session shocked and angry.
"We are a family," said parent Sterling Stock. "We're a community, and it's ripping this family apart and it's hard to take."
Stock is just one of many parents expressing frustration over what he calls Galloway's wrongful termination. The Olympia School District fired Galloway, the basketball coach at Capital High School, over what it called "inadequate supervision" during an incident of "forced sexual contact" between his players at a summer basketball camp.
After listening to parents, the school board agreed to hold an executive session to reconsider its decision. But before they made any decision, the board opened the floor to public comment.
Many of those in attendance came to support Galloway.
"He's the spirit of capital," said Steve Taylor. "For years, if you could go to a basketball game and watch him coach, he's exactly who you'd want coaching your son or daughter without a doubt."
Members of the school board said their job is to protect students and coaches. They also said while the decision to fire Galloway was difficult, it was not going to change.
That isn't sitting well with some Capital High School students.
"I'm hurt. I'm frustrated. I'm going to miss him as a coach," said student Keenan Williams.
Galloway said he loves coaching and will look to continue at another school.
Translation: we don't feel like admitting that we effed-up and punished the wrong person, so now we are just going to stonewall and hope everyone will get tired, forget about this, and the problem will just go away.
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I would say sue the board members (as individuals) for slander: that might get some attention.
Seriously, this is about the worst decision I've seen in a long time - probably since the company in Florida fired the lifeguard for going out of his "zone" to save a drowning person. Please please please citizens of Olympia - remove these idiots from the school Board. Coach did everything right, school Board really dropped the ball on this one.Â
For those who said that the kids responsible for this didn't receive any punishment, according to the video below (the last few seconds of it) they received "academic discipline (but refused to give any details)"
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http://www.komonews.com/news/Basketball-coach-loses-job-after-players-investigated-for-sex-crimes-167261215.html?m=y&smobile=y
Since the Olympia School has failed to listen to and heed the voices of the students, families, and the community of the school district, they must be threatened with either a lawsuit or threaten to not re-elect the board members if they run for re-election.
 @Jay Liu why just threaten to not re-elect the board members.  Go one step better and make SURE THEY ARE NOT RE-ELECTED.Â
This is a joke. The Olympia School Board, trying to take the higher ground, is doing so far ALL the WRONG reasons. You aren't protecting anyone. The Coach did NOTHING. Suspend the student, make the student take responsibility for his ridiculous actions. Re-Hire the coach. Morons, all of them, morons.
So are teachers in Olympia supposed to try and hide innapropriate sexual activity and hazing incidents? This ruling is not only wrong, but it puts children in danger.
Vote them out.
This cracks me up. The board is trying to make themselves look good by sticking with firing him. What this article misses is that he was fired from coaching basketball. HE STILL COACHES girl's golf and is a PE teacher. What good is firing him from coaching basketball really going to do?
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They are trying to save face by not reinstating him, but they are looking like clowns in the process.
This is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. That teacher didn't do a single effing thing wrong! That is BS. Hey, Olympia School District, YOUR A DISGRACE! I hope your district gets sued!
Time to polish off the ol' resume, Olympia School Board members. Â You're all going to be out of a job very soon. Â Hopefully someone can get a group recall election going so you all go at the same time.
Terrible decision. The coach did not try to avoid responsibility here; he reported it, he left the kids with supervision. I hope the kids involved are thrilled with their behavior. Their selfish, stupid, and idiotic behavior appears to have cost a good man, and a good coach his job. Nice job kids.
@Drew07Â Â Great comment. I would only add that I hope the parents of the kids involved are proud of the fact that their little darlings ruined a good mans career.
@Surveyor1 Not to mention whatever trauma their behavior has caused the child who was the victim of the "forced sexual contact".
@katiemcc That goes without saying, but since the focus of the story was the coach, I decided to stay on topic and address that issue with my comment.
An outrageous decision. Â The coach puts the appropriate oversight in place, responds quickly and appropriately and then is punished for doing so. Â The message could not be more clear - do what is right and be punished. Â How motivated will the next coach be to do what is right?
 @CountryCharacter Maybe the Olympia School Board would prefer that they not know about incidents ilke this....don't ask, don't tell??  They are WRONG on every aspect of their decision.  If it had been a really bad person they would have kept that person in their job.  They are a board of idiots.
That council had no intention of changing their mind. They went in there to appease the people only to do exactly what they wanted which was to wash their hands of a sticky situation. From what I understand the coach left the kids in the care of an adult and went to a function that was being held for the coaches! Why plan an event for the coaches if they were not to attend? So he was basically set up to fail.
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This is just appalling! And while the teacher in Gig Harbor sits on his rear end at home being told it's just fine to bully a student along with the other kids. I definitely think this is grounds for wrongful termination lawsuit and I hope Olympia School District gets severely punished for this.
@hauptchick I share the same frustration, and to add to that frustration is over the past few weeks nothing has been said about what punishment the kids that actually commited the act recieved if any. This is so bass akwards.Â
@Kodiak The kids that actually commited the crime will, it appears, receive NO punishment. Prosecutors have said there will not be any charges filed, & as far as I have seen, there hasn't been any punishment from the school either (such as removal from the team.) If the parents are doing anything, I doubt we will hear about it (unless there is a lawsuit filed.)
This is apples and oranges when stacked up against the bulling incident in Gig Harbor. Â Reportedly this teacher (coach) took immediate action contacting school administrators and police when he learned of the occurrence of others inappropriate behavior. As a parent it appears this coachâs actions were reasonable and consistent with oversight. This coach took action compared to Gig Harbor administrators who attempted to sweep their matter under the rug until the hazing video was released.
I like all this 'don't blame the coach' garbage.Â
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HE was responsible for these kids.   'the buck stops here' with the coach. HE was the person with THE position of responsiblity at this function.
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Yes, anyone involved should be punished and there should be an outcry if there isn't.
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but it's amazing that the only place I see an outcry about the others involved NOT getting punished is as an excuse to not punish the coach (go punish 'them' instead of the coach...).
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EVERYONE in a position of responsibility should be punished AS SHOULD THE KIDS WHO DID IT.
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The assistants who the coach said were supposed to be supervising the kids included.
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FMS,
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IF... the coach were the one in charge at this event, I might agree with you, but your assertion that the coach was the person in the position of responsibility at this function is incorrect.
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This camp, which is put on by WWU, is a camp in which the kids are registered through and supervised directly by WWU staff. The coaches are there as part of the camp, but are there to participate in activities with OTHER COACHES... not to directly supervise their players.
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I have sent children to this camp, have witnessed the supervision structure - and despite this incident would send my kids again. This is quite simply a case of stupid teenage boys doing what they do best... stupid shi*. Supervision or not... these kids were going to do this.
 @FormerMarineSgt
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Respectfully, Sgt- It would appear that the College and/or the organizers of the Camp put on an event designed especially for coaches ( and not the players).
It would appear that the coach went to the event without his players. (as would have been expected)
It would appear that the kids were sharing dorm rooms and not every room had an adult in it-- but that there was general oversight. (Just like happens at most camps)
It would appear that the parents of the kids knew that the dorm room situation would include supervision in a general way, not to include the company of an adult at every moment. (as is the case with most High School situations.
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It would appear that a very, very bad thing happened when the coach was at the event where his presence was expected.
It would appear that upon discovery of the actions of some of his players, he reported it immediately.
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So, are you mostly thinking he should just go down with the ship? Or, do you think he should have behaved differently?
If so, what should he have done?
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Or, perhaps what should the College, Camp, parents have done differently. (clearly, we know what the players should have done differently)?
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@FormerMarineSgt
Don't punish the people responsible for the "forced sexual contact" and fire the coach instead. What the hell is wrong with Washington state? Why is no one asking why the other kids who did this are not facing charges or punishment? I guess in Washington state it is all right to sexually assault a child just as long as it's another child who is only slightly older.
 @Barlion I am wondering exactly what this was too. If it had been a rape or molestation, there would be some kids in much more trouble, registering as sex offenders, etc. I think so anyway, because if anyone had done that to my kid, I would not let it go unpunished. It appears no criminal charges are being filed in this instance.
My guess is this had something to do with a sexually suggestive or lewd act that would not be uncommon to hear boys and young men talk about while playing Call Of Duty on X-Box Live (they all seem to love simulating sexual violations upon "dead" characters). This speaks volumes about our culture, and happens every day. That doesn't mean it is OK. I'm pretty sure it was not sanctioned by the coach. This just seems like a case where the parents should discipline the kids, and by all means teach them that the sexualized commentary and homo-eroticism of X-box live is not fit for actual real life behavior (really, it's just not right at all, but I have no idea what we do about that one. Bring on the flames, gamers- I know you're on this website too.).
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 @two loons  @Barlion so, who are the parents of these boys?  Are they "connected"?  Is the school board protecting the parents of these boys and in the end not punish the kids and take out a good career?  Coach Galloway is a good man, a good coach and doesn't deserve this.  I agree that the boys who perpetrated this act should be punished and register as the sex offenders that they obviously are.  But then, this IS Washington State and they are twisted and sick.
This is one of the few cases that I believe should be made an example of....in front of a judge. This is a clear case of wrongful termination.
and why haven't we heard anything about the boys that caused this issue being charged?
Well when the next incidents don't get reported by honorable people like this guy, the board will get to deal with a Sandusky-tier lawsuit.
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How in the hell do they come up with this decision? Gonna recommend the school district for the next Schrammie!
 @Zoso I'll second that nomination.
Perhaps the answer will come from the next school board election. Elected public officials need to be held accountable for their decisions.
Looks like the citizens of Olympia need to replace some board members at the next election.
This is WRONG on so many levels. He had coverage. He was attending an activity he was expected to be at. I hope he sues Capital High and the Board. I am sure Coach Galloway must wonder where the loyalty for all he has given players/students over the years. If this grandmother sat on the jury trust me I would be voting to give the Coach enough to retire. Shame on the members of the school board. Â Â Â
 @Lin19 He's teaching at Capital and he's their girls golf coach. Sue the district, not his high school
One of the best traits leaders have is the ability and willingness to admit when wrong, and to re-evaluate and make smart decisions. Apparently none of those traits exist on the Olympia School Board.
One of the only reasons what I hate being a Capital HS alum is because it's affiliated with the Olympia School District.
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Very suspicious how the decision kept on being moved from 8:45, to 9:15 to 9:30, as if they were waiting for everybody to leave before they make the decision not to rehire Galloway