The Beaverton School District faces a lawsuit following allegations of physical and emotional abuse by a former football coach at Westview High School. Released details recount an incident where Jamal Jones, the ex-coach and former police officer, purportedly slapped and shook students during a football camp at Linfield College in June. According to KOIN 6 News, the lawsuit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court accuses the district of battery and negligence, highlighting that the district should have to take preventive measures against what was a "foreseeable" event.
The court documents mention Jones, who had also been placed on administrative leave by Hillsboro police, allegedly inflicted harm foreseeably, because of earlier incidents of verbal and physical confrontations with students. According to KGW, the former coach is said to have "open-palm slapped people" while a probable cause document reports him admitting to "tapping" players to "lighten the mood." Not only this, but the lawsuit also cites past behavior by Jones, including using profanity and acting inappropriately toward students, which seemingly had been previously overlooked by the school district.
Emotional and physical distress are core to the plaintiff's claims, with one student's experience being highlighted. The mother of a 17-year-old affected student said, as per The OregonLive, "It also stung and left a red welt on the teen’s face for hours". This event has reportedly caused the student to miss practice sessions and continues to impact him emotionally. The family's attorney anticipates additional complaints to be filed soon.
The backlash from these allegations seems to have prompted action from the district, with Westview High hiring a new football coach, yet the district has declined to comment directly on the matter. The assistant coach also reported being slapped awake but believed it to be a prank, further adding to the reports of unusual behavior by Jones. Jones himself, after resigning, is now dealing with 12 charges of misdemeanor harassment, as confirmed by KGW, and is scheduled to enter a plea later this month.
