Somerton cheer coach fired for accommodating male cheerleader
SOMERTON, AZ (AZFamily) — The Yuma Union High School District terminated a Somerton cheerleading coach who allowed a male student to change in the girls’ locker room when it was empty. The coach says she was just trying to protect the student from being bullied.
Coach Alyssa Plaza grew up in Somerton and always dreamed of returning to her community to teach there. She started the cheerleading program two years ago but now feels wrongfully terminated.
The school district unanimously voted to fire Plaza during a Wednesday meeting. She had been reassigned for six weeks while the district investigated a complaint.
She was told the investigation was about a boy entering the girls’ locker room. Some students had reported feeling uncomfortable, but Plaza said she was never given the opportunity to share her side of the story during the investigation.
She admits she allowed Alejandro Perez-Parra, a boy on her cheer team, to enter her office which is located in the girls locker room. She said he wasn’t allowed in there until after the girls were done changing. Her intent, she says, was solely to protect her student from being bullied.
“The bullying escalated and it escalated to the point where there was suicidal ideation and suicidal comments. The board members did not take into consideration the reasoning as to why I did it, this could have saved his life,” said Plaza.
Alejandro Perez-Parra said he complained about the bullying to the school administration.
“I’ve filled out at least five different incident reports,” said Parra, who says the bullying only got worse. “They would say how I am gay and that I should kill myself and I don’t need that, for someone to tell me to kill myself, that’s not what I need.”
Parra said he was allowed to use the nurse’s office, but that wasn’t always available when the office closed; that’s when Plaza stepped in to help.
The district said it can not legally discuss personnel matters but does accommodate students who may need it.
“Yuma Union High School District does not have a written policy relating to bathroom access pertaining to gender. We follow applicable state and federal laws when it comes to this complex issue,” said a district official.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said several cases regarding gender in schools are going through the courts. For now, his advice is for schools to provide a third option for students who need accommodations, like gender-neutral restrooms.
“I have no power to order the districts, unless the legislature decides to give me power, which I would say keep boys out of girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, showers,” said Horne.
Coach Plaza’s cheer team is rallying to bring her back. They’ve launched an online petition, which gathered over 1,000 signatures overnight.
Parra’s mom, Alejandra, says she’s seen the positive impact Coach Plaza and the program have made on her son. “Everything has changed, everything; he is more confident,” she said.
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