VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Frustration continues for the parents of some Vista High School Football players as they seek answers for the accusations of misconduct involving members of the team.
On Monday, they showed up for a meeting with school and district officials at the school’s library, only to find out at the last minute that the meeting had been moved to Zoom after the school’s principal tested positive for COVID-19.
The meeting lasted about an hour and a half, with Vista High Principal David Jafee giving a timeline of when they say they were notified of this alleged incident and how quickly it was communicated to parents.
According to the principal, the alleged incident was first reported to a coach on Aug. 31 and brought up to the Vista Unified School District superintendent two days later. Parents were notified in a letter on Sept. 9.
The school couldn't provide specifics about what happened, including how many players were involved and the number of possible victims, because they say the investigation is ongoing.
Parents say their kids no longer feel safe. Many were so concerned that they didn't want to show their faces on camera for an interview, out of fear something would happen to their child.
The district says they've implemented an immediate safety action plan, which includes daily supervision of the locker room, talking to all levels of the football team, and counseling to any player who wants it.
The school's principal says they expect this investigation to be complete quickly, aiming for the end of this week to know exactly what happened and what consequences, if any, those involved could face.
The district superintendent sent ABC 10News the following statement Monday night, ahead of the meeting with parents:
A courageous student shared concerning allegations of student-to-student conduct in the locker room and we moved immediately to investigate and increase supervision to ensure student safety. Ultimate action, including possible disciplinary action for staff and students, will be guided by the facts gathered from our investigation, which transitioned to an outside investigator today. A vigilant investigation will provide us with the facts, which will determine our next steps. We strongly encourage anyone with information that may assist our investigation to be in touch with the District’s Human Resources Department or contact Howard Fulfrost, through email at hfulfrost@f3law.com. I want to assure our school community, all students, families, and our staff, that student safety is always a paramount priority, and in this situation, we will not be deterred from taking the appropriate action based on facts shared in these investigations.
