Editor’s note: On Wednesday, Stacy Knott, the mother of a former football player who was assaulted by older football players during hazing incidents at West Valley High School, attended the Anderson Union High School District’s regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. There, Knott read a statement in opposition to the board’s potential reinstatement of former West Valley Football coach Greg Grandell. Because Knott’s message exceeded the 3-minute public-comment time limit, she was unable to complete her statement. Below is Knott’s full statement.Â
A News Cafe covered the West Valley High School football hazing incidents in two stories: No Justice for Alleged Hazing Victims; No Consequences for Alleged Assailants, and No Justice for West Valley Victims: Hell Hath No Fury Like Protective Mothers.
According to Action News Now, during Wednesday’s meeting the Anderson Union High School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to deny Grandell’s bid for reinstatement of his former head-coach position.Â
Former West Valley football coach Greg Grandell.
By Stacy Knott
I may stand here alone tonight, but I stand firm with the John Doe mothers, women who carry the same pain and the same resolve.
My son, along with other young men, experienced something no student-athlete should ever endure. What happened was not team bonding. It was hazing. Hazing is illegal. It is not tradition. It is not discipline. It is not leadership.
These boys trusted the adults responsible for their safety. They trusted their coach. That trust was broken.
My son minimized what happened to him. He downplayed it, not because it wasn’t serious, but because he was ashamed. He was embarrassed. That is what hazing does. It silences victims. It makes them question themselves. It makes them feel responsible for what was done to them.
Tonight is not simply about filling a coaching position. It is about what message this board sends to students, families, and this community. I understand that tonight is difficult. I see familiar faces. I know there are relationships and history in this room. But when it is your child, everything becomes very clear. Safety becomes the only priority. Accountability becomes non-negotiable.
There must be consequences. And there must be a clear message that hazing will not be tolerated not quietly, not conditionally, not ever.
For the families who lived through this, this is not a casual decision. These events altered the lives of these boys. That cannot be undone. What should have followed was a clear and visible commitment to prevention, structured education, reinforced policies, transparency, and safeguards to ensure this never happens again. Instead, time and energy are being spent discussing reinstatement.
Across our nation, districts are stepping up. They are implementing proactive anti-hazing education, clear reporting systems, and accountability structures. Why hasn’t this district done the same? Why hasn’t this leadership taken that initiative?
Bringing this coach back tells these boys that what they endured was not serious enough. It suggests that reputation or convenience outweigh accountability.
The district has already paid a significant financial sum due to incidents that occurred under this leadership. That payment reflected failures in supervision and oversight. Our children paid first. Then the taxpayers paid. There was a settlement. There was not an exoneration. A settlement does not mean nothing happened. It does not mean responsibility disappeared. It means the matter was resolved without further litigation.
I heard it said tonight that there is power in numbers, and I saw boys encouraged to stand beside the coach to show support. There is power in numbers. My son understands that firsthand. He was held down by several teammates during that incident. Some of those involved were continued captain and continued to hold the highest leadership positions in student body.
Power is not the issue. How it is used is the issue.
Tonight, this board also holds power in numbers. I ask that you use that power to protect students not to overlook what happened to them. Some may believe that he did not know what was happening. But leadership is not only about what you personally see. It is about what you are responsible to know and preventing.
By law and by policy, those in supervisory roles have a duty to know. They have a duty to oversee. They have a duty to protect. A failure to know is not an excuse; it is part of the failure.
The facts are documented. I encourage each member of this board to read or reread the court transcripts. The record speaks clearly. Before making a decision that affects the safety and integrity of this district, it would behoove all of us to fully understand what occurred.
If we truly care about student safety, then accountability must mean something. Policies must mean something. Consequences must mean something. Do not minimize what happened. Do not rewrite it. Stand clearly and firmly against hazing.
And if the Anderson Board of Education decides to rehire this coach, I will leave here at peace. I will know that I stood for my son, and for the young men who were assaulted and not protected. I will know that I used my voice, even if it felt small because it was the right thing to do.
This board holds a much larger platform and a much louder voice. With that comes responsibility; the responsibility to stand unmistakably against hazing in this district. I cannot control your decision. But I can rest at night knowing I stood on the side of protecting children.
Thank you, from a mother who loves her son more than life, and will always stand to protect him from harm, whether it comes from actions, decisions, or words.
