UPDATE: The investigation at the school is complete, according to district spokesman Randy Matheson.
The school has spoken with parents and wrestlers from both this season’s and last season’s teams. Matheson said there should be a resolution tomorrow.
Article:
Three Lindbergh wrestlers have quit the team and the school is investigating accusations of coaching misconduct.
Mark, Luke and John Paul Garcia left the team Jan. 18 and are making a number of accusations, including that Lindbergh wrestling coach Joe Popich gave Mark and Luke Garcia pills last year.
The district removed Popich from his duties Tuesday, leaving assistant Kyle Tokita as interim head coach.
Popich is in his third season coaching at Lindbergh (second as head coach) and does not teach at the school.
“Our policy about giving kids any kinds of pills, be it vitamins or aspirin, is that we don’t do that,” said Randy Matheson, spokesman for the Renton School District.
When reached by e-mail, Popich said he was unable to comment while under investigation. Matheson confirmed that he instructed Popich not to speak about the incident until the investigation was completed.
Matheson said while the district is still speaking to other wrestlers and parents as part of the investigation, none has corroborated the accusations.
The possibility that pills were given to athletes came to light after a Jan. 18 incident when, according to his father, John Paul Garcia was kicked out of practice.
John Paul Garcia arrived late for practice and was instructed to run laps. When he refused, the coaches asked him to leave practice that day.
After John Paul left, Mark and Luke Garcia decided to leave as well in support of their brother, according to their father.
“It is the coach’s approach to discipline a kid and as far as how far you go,” Matheson said. “Telling a kid to leave practice or whatever, sometimes some of that is at the discretion of the coach.”
The wrestlers’ parents Ray and Caroline Garcia forwarded a letter to the Renton Reporter Jan. 31 addressed to Charles James, Lindbergh’s vice principal and athletic director. The letter detailed the Jan. 18 incident as well as an incident last season when the Lindbergh coaches allegedly gave pills to wrestlers just before postseason started.
Ray Garcia said the coach didn’t tell the wrestlers what the pills were for, only that “women take them and they won’t hurt you.”
After the Jan. 18 incident, Popich planned a conference with the parents for Jan. 26 to talk about the situation. The Garcias decided not to attend.
“We didn’t want to do it,” Ray Garcia said. “It’s not something me and my wife need to sit in front of him and talk about. That’s something the school needs to talk to him about first.”
Matheson confirmed that Ray Garcia was the Lindbergh High School head wrestling coach from December of 2003 until he resigned in April of 2007.
Mark and Luke Garcia were both placers in the 3A state wrestling match last season as freshmen. They were ranked among the state’s best 3A wrestlers this season.
Ray Garcia said he didn’t see any way his sons would rejoin the wrestling team this season. The Seamount League match is Friday.
“I don’t know that it’s in their hearts to go back,” Ray Garcia said. “It’s been tough on them.”
