Parents, students call for review after board vote involving girls' basketball coach; victim gives first-person account

Community members pressed the Northern Lehigh School District board to reconsider actions involving the girls' basketball coaching staff and criticized how the district handled a related investigation.

At the public-comment portion of the meeting, Justin Schaw, a longtime resident and parent, said allegations against Coach Brandon Hibler were "later shown to be unfounded" and argued the board's vote should be reconsidered or referred for outside review because of perceived conflicts of interest. "If this board intends to operate with integrity and accountability, it must acknowledge that a vote conducted under those circumstances lacks credibility," he said.

Several parents and players urged the board to put students at the center of any decision. Lacy Ramalli, speaking as both a parent and witness to the program, asked trustees to "put yourselves in our position" and reconsider votes that she said have left players "devastated, confused, and heartbroken."

At least two speakers described procedural and investigatory concerns. Angela Williams, a parent, said the district's hired attorney group, King Spry, conducted the internal review and that the investigation addressed policy 103 (personnel/confidential information). She said limitations on public disclosure prevented full discussion of the investigative record at the meeting. "Policy 103 was the only policy in [the investigation]," she said, noting the district's legal counsel handled the matter.

Ariana Williams, who identified herself at the meeting as a student involved in the matter, gave a first-person account of being taken into a room with three adult men, separated from her teammates and told not to disclose the interaction. "You have a child that is in school... You are taken into a room with three grown men, the door closed, and your teammates are sent over to another school," she said. "I was without adult representation, pressured to keep something a secret." She described ongoing emotional distress following the incident.

Board members did not publicly disclose additional investigation findings during the meeting, citing policy constraints. Some speakers told the board the actions taken so far have eroded public trust and urged new review or escalation to a higher authority; others in the audience defended the administration's investigative steps.

No formal reversal or new personnel action on the coach was announced at the meeting. Speakers asked the board to prioritize transparency, due process, and students' well-being going forward.

What comes next: Residents asked the board to revisit the vote or refer the matter for outside review; the district has cited policy 103 when declining to disclose investigative details publicly. The board did not announce additional procedural steps at the close of the meeting.