Jordan High cheer coach claims firing was retaliation for addressing bullying
Former Jordan High School cheerleading coach Torian Dempson claims he was fired in September after attempting to enforce the district’s anti-bullying policy against two athletes.
He believes his termination was direct retaliation for disciplining the students.
For a year, Dempson reported what he claims was persistent bullying by the two athletes, but said he was met with inaction from the school until he took matters into his own hands last month.
“It’s been an absolute disaster,” Dempson said in an interview with The News & Observer.
For months, he said, the bullying, which included cyberbullying, discouraged some students from trying out for the team, made others feel insecure, and caused some to go home crying.
“Other girls felt apprehensive to be as creative as they could be because of the ridicule,” he said. “So at one point, I said, I’m just going to make the decision to go ahead and suspend these two girls and try to figure out exactly what is going on, just so the other girls can feel more comfortable.”
Dempson said his attempt to suspend the girls resulted in pushback from their parents and led to his immediate suspension by the school’s administration before he was let go. The girls were reinstated on the team, he said.
DPS policy and response
The incident places Durham Public Schools (DPS) in a difficult position, particularly as October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month.
DPS policy requires immediate action and a prompt investigation into bullying claims, and promises protection from retaliatory action for any employee who reports or acts on an incident.
The DPS Board of Education recently issued a proclamation stating the district is “committed to ensuring that every student in our schools, regardless of their background, receives a quality education in a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment.”
In a statement, school officials said the claims of bullying on Jordan High’s cheerleading team were “thoroughly investigated by the athletic director and assistant principal of athletics.”
The school district’s Support Services Office said it facilitated a restorative circle with the team and that “Jordan’s principal, administrators, and athletic team are looking forward to continued growth of the program.”
The News & Observer submitted a records request for correspondence between parents who reported bullying incidents on the cheerleading team and administrators, but did not get a response. DPS also did not provide a copy of the termination letter for Dempson, which is a public record.
Parents’ allegations and inaction
Parent Ramona Wilson, whose 14-year-old daughter is on the varsity team, said she is concerned about the school district’s handling of the incidents and the firing of Dempson.
Wilson first learned of the incidents through her daughter.
“There’s been a lot going on emotionally,” she said. “Girls have been very rude, saying they don’t look good in their uniform, isolating them, saying they don’t belong. … It’s been a lot.”
Wilson and other parents have been reporting incidents since practices began in July. As the school year started, they felt their reports were purposely being ignored, she said. Wilson emailed the school’s athletic director on Aug. 14 but didn’t get a response until a month later. That email informed her that Dempson had been fired.
In an email sent to DPS Assistant Superintendent for High Schools William Logan obtained by The N&O, an unnamed parent stated that they were told “little could be done” even though other cheerleaders witnessed the bullying.
“This outcome has left the cheerleaders upset, feeling unheard, unsupported, and even in tears,” the email read. “Given the rise in suicide attempts and violence among youth, we expected this matter to be handled with far more seriousness than merely offering a restorative circle, which at this point feels redundant.”
Wilson said she felt some optimism when she received an emailed response in early September from DPS Superintendent Anthony Lewis, who inquired about her daughter and mentioned he was investigating her concerns. But she said there was still a lack of communication.
She also questioned the leverage some parents who pushed back against the cheerleaders’ suspension had, as one of the girls is the daughter of the school’s basketball coach.
“The problem wasn’t even resolved or really addressed,” she said. “It feels like they’re trying to cover things up.”
The firing and aftermath
After he was fired, Dempson was given a warning for trespassing, preventing him from being a substitute teacher in DPS, he said.
In an email he provided to The N&O, DPS said its reason for the termination was an allegation that he left students alone for extended periods.
“We sincerely appreciate the time and effort you have contributed to the Jordan High School Cheer Program this season,” the email reads. “We wish you the best in your future endeavors.”
Dempson refuted the explanation, saying he would only leave the team for short periods of time, like to go to the restroom or get supplies from the cheer closet on school grounds.
“I felt like that was stupid, like they were trying to find a reason,” Dempson said. Since his firing, he has been fighting it by contacting the school’s administrator and principal but feels he has been ignored.
Wilson noted that a new interim coach was hired, but problems persist.
“Since everything, it’s gotten worse,” she said. “It’s like they cut out communication with parents. … We have to hear stuff from our kids now.”
Dempson said his primary motivation remains the cheerleaders’ safety.
“My community needs to know about this because bullying and hazing is a very big situation right now,” he said. “A lot of kids are committing suicide, hurting themselves, hurting each other over stuff like this, and it’s like for you to be a principal and an educator, how do you just ignore things like this?”