Can Oklahoma Supreme Court have Kingfisher High School coach fired over hazing?
The Oklahoma Supreme Court was asked on Monday to order school officials to fire Kingfisher High School head football coach Jeff Myers to protect students.
Making the unusual request are the parents of a former student who is suing over hazing suffered while he was a Kingfisher football player. A trial in the hazing case is set for December.
"That case does not resolve the threat posed to our youngest child and all the other children enrolled with him at KPS," Justin and Lyndy Mecklenburg told the Supreme Court in their application. "Those students face an imminent, ongoing threat of harm and abuse each and every day that KPS and state administrations fail to act."
Justices were asked to compel the school board to fire Myers or order the state Board of Education to take over and do it.
"KPS has acknowledged repeated misconduct by Coach Myers and admitted that this record is enough to fire him. But KPS chooses not to do so. That is unacceptable," the parents' attorneys wrote in a brief.
"Our communities know all too well the consequences of bullying, hazing, and abuse in schools. Such things are the precursors to suicide and school shootings. We should not have to wait for that kind of tragedy before our elected officials will act. The law mandates school officials take disciplinary action in the face of such clear and obvious danger. Myers is such a danger. This Court should force these officials to do something about it."
What to know about the lawsuit filed against Kingfisher Public Schools, football coaches
The former player, Mason Mecklenburg, sued Kingfisher Public Schools, Myers and other coaches in 2021.
Mecklenburg alleges the coaches allowed and even encouraged a culture of hazing, bullying and abuse. He and witnesses have alleged some of their abuse was sexual.
The lawsuit is pending in Oklahoma City federal court. The school district and coaches have denied wrongdoing.
More: Did making Kingfisher football players 'tough' go too far? Abuse investigations have begun
Myers already is in the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He began his 20th season coaching for the Kingfisher Yellowjackets on Friday with a 20-0 home loss. His overall record there is 184-63.
Mecklenburg, now 21, filed the lawsuit at first as "John Doe." The Oklahoman did not use his name in past stories because of a policy against identifying victims of sex crimes in most instances. He has since agreed to be named.
The request to the Supreme Court came after settlement talks in July and August failed.
The Kingfisher school board last year voted to reject a $1.5 million settlement demand.
More recent evidence includes regular fighting, assault on Kingfisher High School football team
The demand went up this year to $5 million and then $10 million after attorneys for the former player came up with more evidence. Among the new evidence was a 2018 video of two freshmen fighting in "The Ring" in the locker room while teammates cheer.
Key to this year's new demand was that Myers be fired.
Filed in support of the request at the Supreme Court were excerpts from testimony in the lawsuit.
Current Superintendent David Glover acknowledged Aug. 11 that the "custom" at Kingfisher Public Schools has been not to notify law enforcement about potential crimes, even sexual assault.
The head coach acknowledged in testimony that he suspended a defensive lineman for a game for sitting on another player's forehead in 2008. He said the "butt stamp" incident was never reported to law enforcement to his knowledge.
Exclusive: 'Fight Club' video key evidence in football hazing suit against Kingfisher
"I found out what happened and we took care of it," Myers said in the Aug. 2 deposition. "Do I think it's right? Not at all. But I don't view that as a sexual assault."
One former player testified in June the locker room fights happened probably once or twice a week.
"And 'The Ring' was basically a circle of players forming a cage-type of atmosphere around two players put in the middle, and they would either fistfight or they would wrestle," the witness, Brayden States, said.
He said he was forced to fight Mason Mecklenburg one time by upperclassmen.
"I remember Coach Myers telling us at some point not to film it or anything like that because that could get us in real big trouble."
One former coach, Micah Nall, admitted in a deposition that all the coaches knew "The Ring" was happening.
Nall acknowledged that coaches heard challenges during practice to fight later in "The Ring" and could have put a stop to it.
"Nobody ever did, did they?" he was asked.
"No, sir."
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation began looking into allegations about the Kingfisher football program after the lawsuit was filed. No decision on criminal charges has been made yet.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Kingfisher hazing lawsuit may head to Oklahoma Supreme Court
