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ROCKFORD - Parkway head football coach Jake Circle, who was placed on unpaid administrative leave last week, has been cited for multiple infractions during the eight months he's been with the district, according to personnel files obtained by The Daily Standard.
Also, school board president Deb Call this week issued a district-wide email to staff apologizing for public comments community members made during the Nov. 1 board meeting, calling them "public evisceration."
In addition to being written up by school administrators for unprofessional behavior and failing to complete necessary paperwork, Circle was cited for operating a vehicle while impaired by Mercer County Sheriff's Office deputies on Oct. 31 in Mendon, according to an incident report. He was cited for having a blood-alcohol content of 0.19, more than double the legal limit of .08.
The board hired Circle, 27, as the head varsity football coach during its March 1 meeting. He is also a teaching aide for special needs students. Although he is prohibited from being on the school campus, he is still employed by the district.
Circle's personnel files reveal that as early as Aug. 3, Parkway athletic director Teri Samples gave him a formal warning for failing to complete Ohio High School Athletic Association and Ohio Department of Education requirements which would enable him to serve as a coach.
"On July 31, 2023, the first official day of football practice, you had not completed all needed requirements to coach," Samples wrote. "Due to you not meeting all the requirements to coach on the first day of practice under the OHSAA and ODE guidelines, you were asked to leave practice. Your coaching stipend will be docked one day's work because you did not meet the conditions necessary to work."
In the letter, Samples also placed Circle on an improvement plan, writing it was unfortunate she had to do so "so early in your tenure at Parkway."
The improvement plan stipulated Circle would hold a license and complete hiring requirements, check his email, not communicate with athletes without a parent present, use school archived communication at all times, "tell the truth at all times," communicate with a building principal or building secretary before making any schedule changes and communicate with the building secretary before leaving the building during the school day, according to the file.
Sample on Aug. 3 wrote that if the behavior continued, the district would fire Circle.
On Sept. 5, Samples again warned Circle that a football group text was being used as a form of communication with players, which went against the improvement plan.
"Continued disregard of the improvement plan is considered insubordination," she wrote. "This has been addressed multiple times both verbally and in writing and the next time it will result in termination."
On Oct. 18, Samples gave Circle yet another "formal written reprimand for lack of professionalism" for the "inappropriate, offensive and unprofessional" comments he made on Oct. 16 at a freshman football game against Anna.
"Specifically, credible witnesses stated that you said: 'His mother should have aborted him, He's the reason why abortion should be legal. The best part of him ran down his mother's leg.' When questioned about the incident, you admitted saying 'Some people make me believe in abortion,'" the letter reads.
"As a coach, as a leader, as an adult who is around our students, you must act in a manner that models appropriate behavior for our students," Samples wrote. "Obviously, you have failed to meet this very basic standard. If misconduct of this nature occurs again, it will result in termination of your employment."
When asked why Circle is still employed despite repeated threats of termination, superintendent Jeanne Osterfeld said she couldn't comment because the district is conducting an investigation.
Board president Call in the district-wide email to staff said the school district has a policy to handle public complaints and she was not aware of anyone filing a complaint.
The policy referenced by Call does not seem to apply to public meetings where community members can voice their comments. The policy has procedures for complaints about instructional materials, including filing a formal complaint, conducting a book review by a committee and allowing the board of education to decide whether the materials are appropriate or not.
In the email, she apologized to staff for allowing anonymous letters to be read.
"I should have stood up and shown support for a Parkway School employee at the meeting. No matter who it was against, I should never have permitted those types of allegations against a school employee to be read with no proof and no way for the accused to defend himself. In my opinion, it was the harassment and the type of bullying that we claim to be against," she wrote.
During the Nov. 1 school board meeting, a crowd of about 60 parents, students and community members attended and several voiced their strong displeasure with Circle's actions.
Board members voted 3-2 to place Circle on unpaid administrative leave after an hour-and-a-half executive session to discuss employment, discipline and confidential matters as required by federal and state laws.
Call and fellow board member Les Nichols voted against the motion to place him on unpaid administrative leave. Board members Tara Patterson, Talan Bates and Mark Kimmel voted in favor.
Megan Younker, a Rockford resident, voiced her frustration with Circle. She alleged that in the first nine weeks of school, Circle called in absent 12 times.
She also claimed Circle was under the influence of alcohol at practices and games.
"Jake, you were supposed to be a role model, an example to so many extremely impressionable student athletes, but you failed them," Younker had said. "You showed them it was OK to not abide by rules, it's OK to always drink, it's OK to gossip and spread lies, it's OK to belittle coworkers and it's OK to do as you please. None of these are OK."
She also asked Nichols and Call to abstain from the vote because of a conflict of interest, although she didn't specify the conflict of interest.
Younker's husband, Ben, also addressed the board and alleged that Circle has had alcohol at games.
Tabitha Bolton, who is the parent of a football athlete, alleged Circle "has been living with Deb Call."
When asked by The Daily Standard on Thursday about the allegation, Call declined to comment, saying it's no one's business who lives with her and her husband.
Circle on Thursday said he doesn't live with Call.
Circle also said the allegations are "almost laughable" in how ridiculous they are because he would have been fired on the spot. He did not want to comment on what specific allegations he thought were preposterous.
