The Los Alamos High School volleyball coaches are under fire due to allegations of “adult misconduct” stemming from a “Lock-in” overnight event on Aug. 18.
Los Alamos superintendent Jennifer Guy wrote a letter to parents on the team about “allegations of misconduct.”
“The district has thoroughly reviewed video footage from the night and interviewed staff, parents, and students,” she wrote. “We were not able to identify clear evidence of possession of alcohol on campus. In the course of our investigation, we did identify issues with lack of adult supervision of students.”
Guy also wrote that they reviewed the behavior of students in video, “who exemplified the positive behaviors that LAPS strives to reinforce.”
Guy published a letter in the Los Alamos Daily Post on Monday morning, in which she wrote, “At this point in our investigation, we believe that some of our coaches were drinking alcohol off campus prior to or during the event. We have a no tolerance policy for this unacceptable behavior.”
She also wrote that they say in video footage that coaches and all adults left the students unattended in the gymnasium for two hour, and that a coach was placed on suspension due to that.
The Los Alamos Reporter reported that Head Coach Joe Palmer was suspended for 30 days. According to the Reporter, “Possession or consumption of alcohol on a school campus is a misdemeanor offense.”
A Facebook post in the group “Los Alamos, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!” about the post has many comments accusing the coaches of getting drunk, though few seemed to have direct knowledge of the events.
Wrote one profile that appeared to be a parent of a volleyball player, “ALL of the kids are upset. They’re mad and they’re sad and they’re worried for their season. Mostly they just want to move on.”
The Hilltoppers are coming off a season in which they split the district title with Pojoaque, and made the state semifinals. In five seasons under Palmer as head coach, they are a combined 37-3 in district matches, according to MaxPreps.
Los Alamos’ volleyball season is scheduled to start on Tuesday against St. Michael’s.
Contact the Rio Grande SUN with any further information at sports@riograndesun.com