Violent clash between parents at basketball game linked to Gig Harbor coach suspensions
Fallout from the suspension of three Gig Harbor High School girls basketball coaches led to a violent confrontation between parents after a girls basketball game on Feb. 4.
The assault allegedly occurred in a bathroom after the game, when a woman pushed another woman’s head into the wall, according to the Gig Harbor Police report about the incident. It came after the suspect allegedly accused the victim of writing an anonymous letter, which a district staff member presumed was a complaint the district received about the three coaches, who were then put on administrative leave.
The suspect and victim were both parents in the district, according to Peninsula School District spokesperson Danielle Chastaine. The victim identified in the report is also a district employee.
The Gig Harbor Tides played the Peninsula Seahawks Feb. 4.
A Gig Harbor Police officer responded to a call about the assault at Gig Harbor High School at 8:43 p.m. on Feb. 4, and talked to the victim after the suspect had already left, according to the police report.
The police report gives this account of what the woman told the officer:
As she was leaving the gym after the girls’ basketball game, a woman she didn’t know and hadn’t seen before allegedly “aggressively bumped into” her with her shoulder and said: “I guess anonymous isn’t anonymous.”
The first woman was confused and asked the other to explain, leading the second woman to say after some back and forth: “I know you wrote the anonymous letter,” and “I guess your daughter will not be attending school here next year.”
The second woman left the school, then came back and went into the school bathroom. The first woman followed and took a picture of her with her cellphone. The second woman allegedly then “grabbed (the first woman’s) head and pushed it into the bathroom wall” before leaving the school, the police report said. The first woman reported the incident to school staff.
The victim didn’t appear hurt, and said she didn’t require medical aid, the officer wrote in the report. She told police there were no witnesses to the assault and that no one else was inside the bathroom when it occurred.
The Gig Harbor High School principal, who didn’t see the assault but was on scene, provided “some information on what the female suspect was referring to regarding the anonymous letter,” the report continued.
The principal “told me that someone wrote a letter to the school district office about the Gig Harbor High School girls’ basketball coaches, who were then placed on administrative leave,” the officer wrote.
The district said in a news release that administrators had opened an internal investigation into the three coaches following a complaint, and decided to put them on administrative leave Jan. 27.
The district has not released the specifics of the complaint, and The News Tribune filed a public records request Jan. 29 for records related to the investigation. That request is pending.
The suspended coaching staff consisted of head coach Tim Olson and assistants James Bonnici and Nikki Scott.
District spokesperson Danielle Chastaine told The News Tribune Friday that the district doesn’t tolerate disruptive behavior at school events.
“The safety and security of our students and families is our top priority,” Chastaine said. “. . . Our school and district leaders are reviewing security protocols to try and prevent similar incidents in the future.”
She added that the district is working with local law enforcement but can’t comment on the ongoing investigation, led by the Gig Harbor Police Department.
Chief Kelly Busey told The News Tribune via email Friday that police have identified the suspect, but want “to review some additional video before speaking with her.”
He also confirmed via email Saturday that police have the suspect’s name. They aren’t releasing it at this time. He also didn’t have further information about her background or the complaint made against the girls basketball coaches.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published February 8, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
