WOODLAND HILLS—A special board meeting was called on Monday, August 24, in response to the community about three coaches suspended by El Camino Real Charter High School’s board of directors. Baseball coach Josh Lienhard, girls’ soccer coach Eric Choi and boys’ tennis coach Jason Grider are being investigated after submitting CPR and first aid cards that did not meet the school’s requirements. The board gave notice of the meeting one day in advance, and it was held at the school’s North Campus in West Hills.
Chairman of the Board Brad Wright told those in attendance he is waiting on the results of a third-party investigation before taking any further action. The three suspended coaches were not present during the meeting. Wright defended the coaches’ character and asked community members not to spread rumors or rush the process.
Parents and staff pushed back during the meeting and asked why the certification issue was not caught before the season began. They argued removing the coaches from their positions harmed student athletes seeking college recruitment. United Teachers Los Angeles representative Beto Lopez indicated staff is now collecting signatures asking for the board to step down and resign from their positions.
The school’s athletic department has been undergoing many changes recently. Executive Director David Hussey and the assistant principal who oversaw athletics were both let go this past summer, and several other coaches were replaced during Wright’s time as chairman. The next board meeting is set for Thursday, September 3 at 5:30 p.m.
Parents have started a petition with Change.org asking for the coaches to be reinstated with a total of 793 signatures as of Sunday, August 30.
“We are asking for a process that is timely, consistent, fair, and proportionate, while protecting both student safety and recognizing the dedication, contributions, and reputations of coaches who have given so much to ECR and its student-athletes.
This situation has also highlighted a significant breakdown in communication between ECR school leadership and the ECR community. Families should not first learn about major developments affecting our students and programs through students or the media. We respectfully ask the administration and Board to address this communication gap and ensure that timely, transparent, and proactive communication becomes the standard moving forward.
Our community’s advocacy comes from our commitment to those coaches, our students, and the strength and stability of ECR’s athletic programs. We appreciate the Interim Executive Director’s commitment to update the community when the review concludes. We respectfully ask that every reasonable effort be made to complete that review sooner rather than later and to restore affected coaches to their positions promptly once all applicable requirements have been verified.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support our student-athletes, coaches, and ECR community,” the Change.org petition states.
Written By Milan Manesh and Donald Roberts