Records say why five coaches were placed on leave during the Fish Bowl investigation
Coaches got letters of reprimand following an internal investigation of the Fish Bowl football game on Sept. 15, according to documents The News Tribune received through a public records request.
Just before halftime at Roy Anderson Field, a late hit sent Gig Harbor Tides quarterback Koi Calhoun to the hospital with a broken jaw. Coaches exchanged heated words during the break in play and tempers flared again at the post-game handshake line, made more chaotic by Gig Harbor Tides fans rushing the field to celebrate the win, the News Tribune previously reported.
The News Tribune previously reported school leaders were concerned about security leading up to the game.
The district launched an investigation soon after the Fish Bowl. When asked why the district launched an internal investigation, instead of hiring a third-party investigator, Kris Hagel, a spokesperson for Peninsula School District said they did so at the advice of legal counsel.
Records of the investigation requested by The News Tribune show the district put five Gig Harbor assistant coaches on leave until the investigation was complete: Jason Geldermann, Devard Darling, Reggie Ford, Brian Johnson, and Malik Livingston. After the investigation, all but Livingston received a letter of reprimand.
The five coaches were not allowed to coach in the game that followed the Fish Bowl against Capital High School. All coaches returned to the field the following week for the game against Timberline High School.
The school district did dozens of interviews with district staff, coaches, some players and referees.
After the investigation finished, the district also sent letters of reprimand to Peninsula head coach Ross Filkins and Gig Harbor head coach Darrin Reeves.
Peninsula High School head coach
According to the “letter of direction” to Filkins, the district told him that investigators concluded “on a more likely than not basis that” he:
- “Posted inappropriate and unsportsmanlike material on social media after the game, including footage of the field.”
Was “filmed eating out of the fish bowl trophy, following previous contests in (which) PHS prevailed. This video was shared more broadly.”
“Initially committed to benching,” the player “who engaged in a late hit resulting in injury, for the remainder of the game, but later returned him to play in the 4th quarter when the game was closely contested, lending to a perception that the District prioritizes winning over safety.” Records show Filkins told investigators, in part: “We sustained a number of injures and had kids cramping up and we put him back in the game on defense. We were out of varsity level linebackers. We put him back in the game and he finished the game without event.”
“Shared personal information regarding,” the student who did the late hit, “as a way to try to excuse the student’s conduct during the game.”
The district also concluded that “on a more likely than not basis that” Filkins:
- “Communicated with parents regarding the investigation despite instruction to refrain from discussing the game and the investigation while the investigation was pending; this resulted in parents declining to allow their students to participate in interviews during the investigation.”
- “Participated in an interview with a reporter despite instruction not to discuss the game with the press or anyone else while the District investigated what happened during and after the game.”
- “Sent multiple emails indicating you talked with multiple individuals over the course of the investigation, as well as an email requesting information previously provided regarding,” the player in question’s “participation in the practice following the game.”
The letter said Filkins “engaged in conduct inconsistent with” the district’s policy regarding “civility in the workplace,” and that his “behavior did not align with the district’s expectations and values surrounding the athletics code of conduct and good sportsmanship.”
Gig Harbor High School head coach
According to the “letter of direction” to Reeves, the district concluded that he:
- “Acted in an uncivil manner toward opposing coaching staff during and after the game.”
- “Allowed coaches to accompany you on the field during an injury timeout and interacted with the referee and opposing coaches in an uncivil manner, which escalated the situation.”
In the letter to Reeves, the district told him that he “engaged in conduct inconsistent with” the district’s policy on “civility in the workplace.”
Gig Harbor assistant coaches
In a “letter of expectation” to Gig Harbor assistant coaches Devard Darling, Reggie Ford and Brian Johnson, the district accused them of violating the civility in the workplace policy. They each allegedly used profanity or otherwise made inappropriate comments.
In a “letter of discipline” to Gig Harbor assistant coach Jason Geldermann, the district said he violated its civility in the workplace policy. He was accused of “uncivil behavior and inappropriate comments.” He was assigned training on civility in the workplace and given two weeks to complete it.
Malik Livingston was not issued any sort of letter of reprimand.
When asked if there were any other letters of reprimand issued, Hagel told the News Tribune they are completely finished with the investigation and that no other letters were issued.
The late hit, and what refs said about it
Video footage from the play shows two Peninsula players running toward Calhoun after he threw an interception, which was returned past midfield.
The first player pushes Calhoun backward — a normal, legal block and common play during an interception return — but the second player hit Calhoun well after the play had ended. The play drew a personal foul late hit penalty.
The referees did not eject the player from the game, which sparked emotions from Gig Harbor coaches and parents.
Public records related to the investigation included a written account from referee Kyle Prosser about the late hit.
“The contact was legal,” part of Prosser’s account said. “There was nothing egregious or aggressive, in my opinion, except for the fact it was late, meaning it occurred after the return man had been tackled about 15 yards behind this action. We see this play all the time.”
The records also included an account from Joe Horn, an official who wasn’t at the game, who looked at the footage to do an independent review.
Horn wrote that “the footage is not the best, so I broke it down frame by frame.”
“From the video, I cannot discern any action by the tackling player that would make this a flagrant foul worthy of an ejection,” Horn wrote.
When coaches realized something was seriously wrong with Calhoun they ran toward him.
Prosser wrote that: “when the injury occurred, there were at least five Gig Harbor coaches that entered the field ... . We chose not to issue a UNS (unsportsmanlike conduct) on the head coach because he was already given one in the first quarter for throwing his headset and entering the field of the play to argue a non-call that was eventually called correctly as we finished the play.”
Prosser explained that the coach would have gotten disqualified from the game.
“... we chose to use the injured player as an excuse for him entering the field,” he wrote.
Upcoming basketball Fish Bowl
PHS and GHHS are scheduled to play each other in basketball after winter break.
The varsity boys basketball teams will play each other Jan. 10 at GHHS. Hagel did not know how many PHS and GHHS football players also participate in basketball.
The varsity girls basketball teams will play each other Jan. 10 at PHS. Last year, there were allegations that a GHHS player called a PHS player a racial slur after a game. The district launched a third-party investigation and the outcome was inconclusive. The investigation was unable to determine if the slur was used.
Hagel said the district is planning for the upcoming games.
He said athletic directors are working on something in regard to sportsmanship, and the security department is working on plans to ensure everything goes smoothly.
When asked about how work is going to restore a healthy rivalry, Hagel said work is still being done, that it’s a work in progress, and that they’re encouraged by where it’s going. He did not share specifics about that work.
News Tribune archives contributed to this report.
