Tuba City football coach Vincent Lee resigns over administration's handling of parent issue
Tuba City football coach Vincent Lee said that he has resigned over the administration's handling of a parent issue.
On Aug. 1, during practice, he said he kicked a player out of practice for using inappropriate language.
About a half-hour later, he said, the player's mother came onto the field, yelling and screaming.
"She was acting very inappropriately," he said. "I informed my athletic director after these incidents happened. I got my team refocused, went back to practice.
"We had to make statements. Players had to make statements. My coaches had to make statements. The next day, I was informed I was being reassigned (in the district) and I could no longer go to the high school or have contact with my team, pending the investigation."
Lee, who was hired to lead the football team in 2019, figured in a day or two things would be cleared up and he'd be back working with his team.
"I didn't think anything of it, that it was part of the process," he said. "Wednesday came and I met with HR. I said, 'All the evidence is there and can I get a timeframe?' "
Lee said he was told there is no time frame. With it being a small community, he said he couldn't go to the store without people asking what happened. He would have to tell them that he couldn't talk about it.
He said he has yet to hear from the administration following up on the investigation, and that the punished player has returned to the team.
So he decided to step down. He said he is meeting with the Arizona Education Association and seeking legal counsel.
The Republic sent messages to Athletic Director James Roe, Principal Raye Lynn McCabe and Superintendent Sharlene Navaho. They have yet to respond.
Meanwhile, an online petition was started in the community to try to reinstate Lee. That had 440 signatures with a goal of 500 as of Monday.
"I told HR that I was being treated unfairly, that this was a guilty-until-proven-innocent situation," Lee said. "I wanted this to be resolved. The HR is the only person I can talk to. I've been given a directive I can't talk to any high school faculty. I just told them, if not, I'm just going to resign, because this is becoming a distraction. Parents are contacting me. Players are contacting me, wanting to know what is going on.
"I told them, 'Either resolve the situation or I'm going to resign.' I don't want to threaten a lawsuit. But they came at me with silence."
Lee believes this will be a breakout football season at Tuba City, after going 3-7 last year. There was no football season in 2020 due to COVID protocols. The school sits on the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona.
He believes junior tight end/defensive lineman Nathaniel Fulton, 6-foot-3, 247 pounds, has a chance to play at a four-year college.
He said the team is being led by interim coach Scott Pulham, who is part of Lee's staff.
The team opens the season on Aug. 26 at home against Kayenta Monument Valley.
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tuba City football coach Vincent Lee resigns over parent issue
