A high school girls' soccer coach in New Mexico was placed on leave after administrators deemed a video she posted to TikTok demeaning to an opposing team.
Coach Vilma Ontiveros posted a video of her team at the Academy for Technology and the Classic, a charter school in New Mexico, selecting positions out of hat prior to a recent game. Ontiveros says the reasoning was suspect.
“I asked why, and the athletic director’s only reasoning behind the administrative leave was because I had violated the coaching contract in the social media aspect that was demeaning,” Ontiveros told KOB 4.
Ontiveros said her team made many social media videos as a way of creating a positive environment and there was no ill intention to the video in question.
“I found a way to incorporate having fun going in with those endorphins and happy hormones and going into a game with that positivity. That’s why we incorporated this,” Ontiveros said.
Neither parents or players are happy with the administration's decision to place Ontiveros on leave.
“We’re all receiving calls from our children around lunchtime, you know, crying, and that is very frustrating and concerning,” said Martha C’deBaca, whose daughter is on the team.
Parents are calling on the school to bring their coach back.
“They got rid of our coach for no reason. We want her to finish out the season,” said Darlene Roybal, another parent.
The school’s athletic director responded to KOB 4 with the following statement:
“We placed our coach on paid administrative leave for the remainder of the season following several instances of not adhering to coaching policies and expectations.”
