Modesto City Schools has canceled every remaining varsity, junior varsity and freshman football game, practice and team activity at Fred C. Beyer High School after administrators learned of cellphone videos allegedly showing misconduct by members of the varsity team. Head coach Mike Young has been placed on administrative leave, though officials have not said whether that move is connected to the allegations themselves, his supervisory responsibilities, or something else entirely.
The decision to shut down the program came after Beyer administrators were made aware of the footage, according to USA Today. Modesto City Schools called the situation grave in its public statement, saying “these allegations are extremely serious and have no place in our schools or athletic programs,” per the same report. The district has said it was deeply troubled by the allegations involving members of the football program, according to the New York Post.
Young was placed on leave the morning of Thursday, Oct. 29, the same day police responded to the campus, according to the Modesto Bee. Modesto police have since confirmed he has not been arrested or cited in connection with the investigation. The district has not publicly detailed what allegedly happened, how many players may have been involved, or whether additional students were harmed, the Modesto Bee reports.
Police Investigation Yields One Citation, For Now
Modesto police launched their investigation after school administrators reported the allegations, reviewing video evidence that led to one juvenile being cited for misdemeanor battery, according to the Sacramento Bee. That citation remains subject to review by probation officials and prosecutors before any further consequences are determined. As of Monday, police said no additional juveniles had been cited, though the inquiry could resume if new evidence or witnesses emerge.
Modesto City Schools says it is conducting its own internal investigation to determine whether other students were involved or affected, and it plans to pursue student disciplinary action based on those findings, per the Modesto Bee's reporting. The district has also made additional counseling and support services available to Beyer student-athletes as the situation unfolds. It remains unclear whether that internal review is complete or whether Young will return to the program next season.
October Fights and a Threat Investigation, But No Link Found
The football program's shutdown follows a tense stretch at Beyer that began on Oct. 16, when five fights broke out on campus, prompting a lockdown and the intervention of staff and police. Four of those fights erupted simultaneously during lunch, with a fifth occurring later the same day, and three students were taken to a hospital for evaluation, the Modesto Bee reported. School officials said they found no evidence that weapons were used or possessed during the fights.```
Separately, Modesto police cited a Riverbank High School student suspected of posting a social media threat targeting Beyer. Investigators found no evidence of an actual plan to carry out violence at the school. Police spokesperson Herman Sahota told the outlet, “We do not believe that the Oct. 29 incident is connected in any way to the fights that took place earlier in the month,” and officials have likewise found no link between the threatening post and the football misconduct allegations.
A Program Still Finding Its Footing
The timing stings for a program that had shown signs of life. Before the season was cut short, Beyer's varsity squad sat at 1-8 overall and winless in six league games this year, per the Sacramento Bee. That followed a rough stretch in which the Patriots went a combined 3-37 from 2021 through 2024 — including winless seasons in 2018, 2021 and 2022 — before climbing to 4-7 in 2025.
Participation numbers had actually been trending upward across the program, with Beyer fielding 98 players across its freshman, junior varsity and varsity squads in the 2023-24 school year, 104 the following year and 101 this season, according to the Modesto Bee's review of district figures. Varsity roster size alone grew from 29 players in 2021-22 to 44 this year, while freshman participation fell from 42 in 2024-25 to 24 this season.
The Beyer case is not the only personnel matter currently facing Modesto City Schools. In a separate situation, a Modesto High principal and a certificated employee were placed on paid administrative leave while the district investigated allegations of inappropriate conduct on campus during work hours, according to ABC10. The district said those allegations were isolated and did not involve students or other staff members, distinguishing that case from the ongoing Beyer football inquiry.
For now, Beyer's season is over, Young remains on leave without explanation from the district, and the juvenile justice process will determine what, if anything, follows the single misdemeanor battery citation issued so far. Anyone with information has been urged to contact school administrators, the district or Modesto police as the district's internal investigation remains unresolved and police could resume their inquiry if additional information emerges.
