Investigation into Gig Harbor basketball coaches has concluded. Here’s what it found
Three suspended Gig Harbor High School girls basketball coaches are contesting the district’s handling of an investigation into their behavior on a team trip to Florida in December, when they allegedly consumed alcohol, according to public records of the investigation requested by The News Tribune.
The three coaches — head coach Tim Olson and assistants James Bonnici and Nikki Martin (formerly Scott) — were placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 27 through the end of the season, The News Tribune reported. The Peninsula School District made the decision to open an internal investigation after receiving an anonymous complaint about the coaches.
Amanda Searle, an attorney representing Olson, Bonnici and Martin, said the district’s investigation concluded Monday and that the coaches received letters of reprimand stating that they violated the district’s drug-free school, community and workplace policy. The coaches plan to appeal those letters with the district, and say they weren’t made aware of this policy and the district’s chaperone guidelines before the trip, according to Searle.
The News Tribune reached out to the school district Monday afternoon to request an update on the investigation and to learn more about how the district enforces their drug-free policy, but did not immediately hear back.
All three coaches told investigators they had alcohol on the trip, but not all at the same time, according to records of the investigation. Martin allegedly said she had a glass of wine at dinner, Bonnici allegedly said he had some beers in the evening while around other parents and Olson allegedly confirmed he had drinks but said he was never intoxicated. Bonnici and Olson drove players during the trip but denied driving them after drinking, according to the records. Martin wasn’t one of the drivers on the trip.
The three coaches’ annual contracts with the district expired Feb. 7, according to Searle. She said she’s not sure if, given the opportunity, the coaches will want to renew their contracts with the district.
The team’s last game was Feb. 19 against Auburn Mountainview. They’ve had an interim coach during the suspensions.
Investigation finds coaches had drinks
A district paralegal led the internal investigation, which reviewed the anonymous complaint and photos from the trip and held interviews with the coaches and six student athletes, according to records obtained by The News Tribune.
A copy of the complaint included in the records alleged multiple instances where coaches were seen drinking alcohol, including inside the hotel, in the hot tub and by the pool during the team’s Dec. 26-30 trip to the Palm Beach area of Florida. The complaint also alleged that the coaching staff drove the athletes back to the hotel after being seen at a bar, and that Olson drove two players to the airport after having a drink earlier in the day.
The person who wrote the complaint identified as a Gig Harbor High School girls basketball parent.
“The thought of a chaperone, who is DRIVING the kids to and from activities, drinking alcohol is beyond upsetting,” the parent wrote. “It’s negligence.”
The investigator interviewed three student athletes on Jan. 27 and three others on Jan. 28. Some allegedly mentioned noticing the coaches drinking during the trip, while others said they didn’t notice anything concerning related to any of their adult chaperones.
Coach Martin said in an interview with the investigator Feb. 6 that she had a drink at a dinner during the trip and that she wasn’t aware she was “on duty” as a coach and chaperone at that time, according to the records.
“I feel that if I was told or had a guideline or policy I would have never ordered a glass of wine,” Martin told the investigator. “. . . I have been really hurt by this and my family. No one conducted themselves in a way that would put the girls in harm.”
Olson allegedly told the investigator Feb. 6 that he had alcohol while on the trip but that he was not intoxicated at any time, and that he can’t imagine there were any circumstances that may have led others to believe he was. The other coaches, multiple players, parents who came on the trip and his wife and children who also came can verify his account, he said.
He added that he believes a parent is targeting the coaches over playing time, a dispute he said has lasted several seasons, according to the records.
Bonnici allegedly confirmed to the investigator Feb. 6 that he had some drinks at the end of the day, after he was done driving, and recalled having some beers while around other parents when most of the players were up in their rooms. Bonnici drove most of the players in a van to and from their games, and Olson drove another two players because there wasn’t enough room in the van, players told the investigator.
Asked by the investigator if they drove after drinking at any point on the trip, both Olson and Bonnici said “absolutely not,” according to the records.
Coaches allege they didn’t know about the policy
“Policy No. 5200 establishes a zero-tolerance policy for the possession and use of alcohol during field trips,” the investigator wrote to each of the coaches in a Feb. 17 letter stating the findings of the investigation. “The policy states that using, possessing, and/or transmitting alcohol in any amount, in any manner, and at any time during a field trip will not be tolerated by the district.”
The letter went on to state that the district’s guidelines also prohibit chaperones from using, possessing or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and require that they “maintain constant supervision and ensure student safety,” “follow district policies and address behavior issues promptly,” and “model appropriate behavior for students.”
Searle told The News Tribune that the coaches’ contracts don’t contain any directive to read or familiarize themselves with district policies and guidelines.
She also said the district’s policy seems to lack clarity when it prohibits staff from using or possessing alcohol and other drugs in the “workplace.” The policy says “workplace” includes any district property, any district-owned or -approved vehicle used to transport students, and any property outside of the district during a school-sponsored or school-approved activity.
“It creates sort of a gray area when it’s applied to situations, especially involving off-duty time during extracurricular activity trips such as this one,” Searle said.
The district’s drug-free policy says that: “Each employee will be notified of the district’s policy and procedures regarding employee drug activity at work,” but doesn’t specify when or in what form the district notifies employees. It also doesn’t specify if coaches are treated the same way as other district employees.
The girls basketball team raised their own money to pay for their winter break trip to Florida, Searle told The News Tribune. The purpose of the trip was to to participate in a girls basketball tournament and allow players to “travel together, bond, play teams from other states and get access to college recruiting across the country,” according to the form Olson submitted to the district requesting approval for out of state travel. The total cost of travel was $24,000 with no cost to the district, the form said.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misstated one of the coaches’ surnames. Her name is Nikki Martin, formerly Scott. It also misstated the date that the three coaches’ annual contracts expired. They expired on Feb. 7.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 3:00 AM.
