Parents, students rally against school superintendent in Poway

POWAY, Calif. — Players from the Del Norte High School softball team spoke out at a board of education meeting Thursday, alleging the superintendent used intimidation tactics to force them to confess to bullying.

In a civil lawsuit, attorneys for the softball players say Dr. Marian Kim Phelps, the superintendent of the Poway Unified School District, called and texted them at 11:30 p.m. to discuss a softball banquet where Dr. Phelps felt like her daughter was being bullied by her teammates.

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The teammates are now pushing back saying they were not bullying and want the superintendent punished.

“We are uncomfortable with this district employee on our field, running our snack stand, invading our locker room, and overseeing our fundraising,” said one player at the school board meeting.

The incident came to a head when the superintendent’s daughter was named MVP of the team and alleged her teammates weren’t clapping for her. Now with lawsuits filed and two coaches expecting to be fired, the softball banquet incident has become a possible six figure expense for the Poway school district.

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“None of us could believe that our superintendent, a mother on our softball team, could threaten so many student athletes with being unable to graduate just because of something we didn’t do,” said another player to the board of education.

The Del Norte coach is also standing with his players.

“If it cost me my job then it cost me my job,” said Allan Stockton, the Del Norte softball coach.

An independent investigation has been launched and the board will review the findings and make decisions to move forward.

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