Deer Valley girls basketball team members remove their jerseys in protest before the game on Thursday, February 11, 2016. photo by Michael Pohl
Parents allege their students were victims of bullying
By Luke Johnson
Minutes before a home game against Heritage High School last Thursday, players from Deer Valley’s varsity girls’ basketball team threatened to go on strike by taking off their white-home uniforms with their black-away uniforms underneath. This was in an effort to get head coach Linsey Bailey to resign or fired from his job.
DVHS girls varsity basketball coach Linsey Bailey leaves the court before the game. photo by Michael Pohl
Moments later, he proceeded to exit the gym, ending the protest, so that the game could resume under assistant coaches.
Immediately following the final whistle, DVHS administration conducted an investigation that resulted in 8 out of 12 players on the roster receiving suspensions for the remaining two games of the season with Bailey continuing at the helm the program. This course of action was announced Monday.
Principal Kenneth Gardner said every player was talked to during the investigation and that nothing was found leading to “impropriety or unprofessional behavior becoming the coach,” and only two or three of the players’ concerns were related to playing time. He added that two sets of parents voiced their distress prior to the protest, only regarding playing time.
“Playing time is based on merit and skill, and is at the sole judgment of the coach,” Gardner said. “We did what we felt like we had to do.”
On the contrary, parents claim that the protest had little to do with playing time, and that their kids were victims of bullying by intimidation and verbal abuse from Bailey. One parent, Melvin Davis, said that the “principal was lying through his teeth” after hearing his comments about the investigation.
In a 454-word email sent on Jan. 4 to Vice Principals Tim Cooper and Reggie March, Davis wrote:
“The coach informed the team he has no fear of putting his hands on a player, and offered proof by saying he was currently under investigation at Antioch Middle School for placing a child in a choke hold… The coach was witnessed punching walls on several occasions, visibly cries in front of team on several occasions. I view these as inappropriate.”
Cooper replied the next day, and told Davis he would look into his concerns and talk to players as witnesses.
According to Davis, this followed up with a meeting among himself, Cooper, Bailey and Athletic Director Dan Peters. He said Bailey denied all the allegations, and players were never questioned.
“After that meeting, his treatment of the girls became progressively worse. Myself and other parents continued to complain and were told administration wasn’t going to do anything until after the season was over,” Davis said.
Some parents chose to speak anonymously, while others declined to comment in fear of their children being punished even further.
“They were out of line, and it was very unfair,” an anonymous parent said about the suspensions handed out by DVHS administration. “They just care about protecting the name of the school.”
Numerous parents claim that Bailey, who is a first-year head coach at Deer Valley, was fired from his previous coaching job at Alhambra High School (Martinez). Gardner, nor Alhambra Athletic Director Pat Ertola, could neither confirm nor deny those allegations.
A December 3rd article in the Martinez Tribune states the Alhambra High School “Bulldogs dismissed Linsey Bailey” as head coach last Spring. No additional details on why that occurred are known at this time.
