The investigative report related to the removal of Angie Strickland as the head volleyball coach at Leon High School was released by Leon County Schools (LCS) on Tuesday.
According to the report, on two separate occasions involving two different players, Strickland violated LCS policy related to ethical conduct when she referenced the player’s deceased father during volleyball practice.
The Incidents
The first incident happened in 2017-2018, when Strickland asked a player to retrieve an obituary of a another player’s (Student 1) father from Strickland’s car. The father died a month earlier.
According to the report, Strickland then asked Student 1 if she “thought her dad would be proud of how she was playing now.” Student 1 said Assistant Coach Susan Bradley offered her comfort after the incident.
LCS interviewed Assistant Coach Bradley who corroborated the details of the incident and noted that Student 1 cried after the incident.
A separate student (Student 2) also verified the use of the obituary in the manner detailed during the incident and also expressed her “continuing struggle with the emotional stress she incurred during her time as a member of the volleyball team.”
Coach Strickland told LCS officials she did not recall the incident.
The second incident occurred in 2021 when the team was practicing for a playoff game and Coach Strickland asked a player (Student 3) – in front of the team – if “she seriously thought her dad would be proud of the way she was playing now.” Her father was deceased.
Student 3 began to cry in practice and Strickland became angry and ended practice abruptly.
LCS interviewed Assistant Coach Tommy Risk who corroborated the incident.
Coach Strickland told LCS officials she did not recall the incident.
The Findings
The findings included in the report stated that the investigation determined that Strickland violated School Board Policy 3210, sections A and E.
Section A states that instructional staff shall “make a reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental and/or physical health and/or safety.”
Section E states that instructional staff should “not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.”
The findings also noted that “the comments and/or actions relating Student 1 were corroborated by Student 2 and an assistant coach. The comments and/or actions relating to Student 3 were corroborated by an assistant coach.”
WCTV reported on Monday that Strickland remains a teacher at Leon High School and that athletes can now take Strickland’s class on campus.
The LCS investigation comes after TR reported in May that the Florida Region of USA Volleyball had an open investigation into the actions of Strickland related to her coaching activities while employed by the Red Hills Volleyball Club.
That investigation came after the Florida Region levied sanctions against Strickland in 2021 related to her coaching activities while employed by the Tallahassee Juniors Volleyball Club (TJVC). The investigation found Strickland had committed a “flagrant offense.”
Unless she was previously reprimanded, removal seems extreme.
Take sports out of schools. If kids want to play, they should do it on out of school club teams. Let it be part of county/city parks & rec and not part of the education system.
So Ms. Strickland's great crime is that she made two girls cry? Good coaches know how to get the most out of their players. That's why Strickland is a champion and her critics are not. Some of the people sniveling are the same ones who have no problem with handing out participation trophies and having their daughters on middling teams. Strickland plays to win, and good for her.
@ A Skeptic = I don't think it was accepted, I think it was swept under the rug.
@Concerned -- I wondered if that was the case when the story first broke. And I've tried to visualize myself in that player's situation if my coach treated me that way. As an adult today I'd certainly react to it much differently than I would have as a teen. And I'm not sure how I'd have handled that at 16. I'm not sure anyone can that didn't mourn a parent as a teen.
I've still got a problem with "the system". If Strickland did it once and it was an issue, she should have been warned so that it didn't happen again. Since the behavior was accepted, it shouldn't be a firing offense doing it again years later.
Ricky Bell stated that she was just a little old school and the players were all just used to being coddled. No big deal.
How many stories has Steve published on this and the stupid football coaches? A dozen? I know of at least half a dozen. How many stories has he written about the growing illiteracy problem in Leon County schools?
If a student cannot read at their assigned grade level, they are deemed illiterate. Currently 51% of the students in Leon County schools are illiterate. The media is failing us, the government is failing us, and the education system is failing us.
The only thing that seems to be working anymore is the lottery!
I don't care about volleyball coaches failing their girls, Steve! I care about english and math teachers that are failing the majority of Leon County students.
This woman should not be allowed around children!! She needs a mental health evaluation!!! You need to interview the young ladies traumatized by this Maniac!! You have to be a mentally unstable parent to allow your child this type of abuse!! GET HER OUT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM!!
Ultimately this was on Rocky's watch so why isn't he being held accountable? Instead he's rewarded with a taxpayer paid all inclusive
vacation to Amelia Island.
Welcome to Tallahassee!
Not a great look to have coaches mentally abusing athletes and lock us out from the tracks. Here is an online petition to reopen the tracks to the public. https://www.change.org/ReopenTracksLeonCounty
I know several other parents that had kids playing Volleyball during those years. They all agree that Strickland was not liked and was very nasty. She should be fired outright and not just moved to another position.
Lets just ban all sports, all extra activities, everything but READING, WRITING, and ARITHMATIC until reading comprehension, math and writing skills come up to an acceptable level.
You know 100% that is the ONLY thing which will work here in the land of Rocky And The Groomers.
Tacky and classless on the coaches part to be sure... but have any of these people ever seen what's posted on Twidiot, InstaScam, Fakebook, Foolgle, SnapCrap, SickCrock, et al...?
Life is full of disappointments and people who say mean things.
How hard is to use google.
She is still teaching at Leon High...... What Class is she teaching? She should not be teaching Sports of any kind.