Arcadia High School reported CIF-SS rules violation before firing coach James O'Brien. CIF-SS spokesman Thom Simmons declined to elaborate on the notification. O'Brien's supporters have begun a recall campaign targeting Arcadia Unified School District board members Cung Nguyen, Lori Phillipi, and Kay Kinsler.
In the wake of the firing of Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien, twelve alumni, students and parents, have joined forces in an intensive effort to recall Arcadia Unified School District Board members Cung Nguyen, Kay Kinsler, and Lori Phillipi. The recall petition is headed by Esmond Wei. One issue is a list of O'Brien's alleged CIF violations that Arcadia High School formally sent to CIF officials. According to Wei, Arcadia High School's principal refused to let O'Brien see the letter. Wei said support for O'Brien is growing. See also p. 8 for related story.
The ad (open letter to the Arcadia community) that was paid for by the three members of the Arcadia Unified School District Board of Education who are targeted for recall--Cung Nguyen, lori Phillipi, and Kay Kinsler--was printed in the Pasadena Star News August 11, 2013. Fired Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien and his supporters say the letter was a public relations bid to derail the recall effort. See hard copy of the letter in VF "Arcadia High School." See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1 and 27, August 15, 2013.
Arcadia school board members shed light on the reasons for firing Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien. They wrote an open letter to the Arcadia community that will be published Sunday in this paper as a paid campaign advertisement. The controversy continues.
Arcadia Unified School District's Board of Education upholds its decision of having fired cross country coach James O'Brien. There were no details about the reasons of his dismissal.
Controversy surrounds the appointment of a new principal at Arcadia High School as the district interview committee forwarded only one candidate to the school board for approval. The contract requires 2-4 candidates be reviewed. The teachers' union protested.
Arcadia Unified School District's Board of Education took no action to reinstate fired coach James O'Brien as head cross country coach of Arcadia High School.
Fired Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien questions reason for dismissal. The Arcadia Unified School District's Board of Education upholds its decision to not reappoint Mr. O'Brien as head coach for the 2013-2014 year. He will continue to teach at Arcadia High School.
Arcadia Unified School District school board refuses to reinstate James O'Brien as the cross country coach. The school board expressed appreciation for all the individuals who shared their perspectives on the Arcadia High School cross country program at the Board of Education meetings. Mr. O'Brien continues to be employed as a teacher at Arcadia High School. Coaching assignments are made on a year-to-year basis.
Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) hosted its first ever Fireside Chat to talk about personalized learning becoming the future of education. Keynote speakers were Superintendent David Vannasdall and Board of Education member Kay Kinsler.
For the first time in 40 years, Arcadia High School Apaches boys football team makes it to the CIF-SS Division 8 championship game but lose to the Kaiser Cats of Fontana.
Veronica Yamane, an Arcadia High School sophomore star of track and field, is CIF Athlete of the Week for being the Apaches' second-fastest girl in the 3,200 meter race after running at 11:08.48 in the rated portion of the Arcadia Invitational last Friday. Sergio Gonzalez of Arcadia High School is on the CIF "Honor Roll" for his run time of 9:05.33 in the 3,200 meter race.
Letter to CIF-SS detailed fired Arcadia High School coach James O'Brien's alleged rule violations. The violations include "hundreds of instances" of the coach recruiting middle school students, punishments for athletes who did not participate in illegal Sunday practices and an attempt to place illegal flags on a course to gain a competitive advantage. The undated letter, sent by Arcadia High School Principal Brent Forsee to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section sometime in late June or July, was publicly released for the first time under a Public Records Act request filed with the school district by this newspaper.
Arcadia High School coach James O'Brien, who has led the cross country team to two CIF State and three CIF-Southern Section championships, has been fired. He was told the reason was, "We want to go in a different direction." He will remain a teacher at Arcadia High School.
Arcadia High School Apaches boys baseball team loses to Santa Barbara in the CIF-SS playoffs. Players Andrew Cordeiro and Phillip Juarez appear in photo.
Profile on Arcadia High School senior Ammar Moussa, a runner that has won CIF-Southern Section and CIF State Division I championships. Moussa may be the best distance runner in Apaches history and Coach Jim O'Brien says Moussa is the best he has coached in his 15 years at Arcadia High School.
Arcadia Apaches set the stage for historic CIF victory. For the first time in 40 years, Arcadia High School football team will go to the CIF-SS Division 8 championship game, by beating Alta Loma in the semifinals. Arcadia High School is already the champ of the Pacific League.