Complaint aired over softball hire

A Scotts Valley High School parent has filed a formal complaint against the Scotts Valley Unified School District over a claim that the school’s choice of a varsity softball coach violated the district’s policy on hiring relatives.
Carl Owens, whose daughter plays softball for the Scotts Valley Falcons, says the district violated its own policy when the high school hired Kaila Walters, 22, to be head varsity softball coach this year. Kaila Walters is the daughter of athletic director Louie Walters.
Owens quotes from the district’s policy on hiring relatives in his complaint:
“The Board of Trustees desires to maximize staff and community confidence in district hiring, promotion, and other employment decisions by promoting practices that are free of conflicts of interest or the appearance of impropriety.”
However, the district approved Kaila Walters’ hiring after it was reviewed by the superintendent, according to Owens, citing another part of the policy:
“In addition, the Superintendent or designee may determine on a case-by-case basis, whether to appoint a person to a position in the same department or facility as an employee with whom he/she maintains a personal relationship. …”
Louie Walters said that the district assigned a committee to choose a softball coach and that he had no say in the decision.
“I wasn’t part of the hiring,” he said. “I wasn’t part of anything (having to do with the hiring process).”
In addition, though the athletic director typically supervises coaches, the school has set up an exception so that Vice Principal Daniel Denton will supervise Kaila Walters, Louie Walters said.
Still, Owens is unhappy with how the hiring process went.
“By taking this on a case-by-case basis, it defeats the first part of the school policy,” Owens said.
Kaila Walters, who has coached youth softball teams in Scotts Valley for two seasons, played one season for Bethany University under coach Michael Carpenter.
The coming high school season, which officially starts Tuesday, Feb. 1, will be her first experience as a varsity coach.
“From a support standpoint, she calls me pretty consistently,” Carpenter said.
“She’s definitely a supported rookie coach,” he added. “We’ve always been about lending a hand in the community. It’s going to be an absolute experience for her.”
Superintendent Susan Silver said that because Owens filed a formal complaint with the board of trustees, she cannot comment on it. The board will discuss the complaint and a written response from the superintendent during a closed session at a future meeting, Silver said. Trustees will then decide how to respond.
Mike Weaver coached the team for three years and resigned after last season to care for his elderly parents and because of the pressures from parents of some players on the team. Weaver declined to speak about specifics but noted that parental “over-involvement” contributed to his decision to resign.
“I’m sorry to see it hasn’t been resolved,” Weaver said. “If anything, I’m just sad it’s come to this.”