By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter
Steve Cifonelli, a former Palisades Charter High School wrestling coach, has spoken out in defense of recently fired successor coach Aldo Juliano.
Cifonelli, famed for his loud coaching style, was dismissed from Pali High after his contract was not renewed in March of 2017, just one year shy of receiving his tenure amid reported complaints of yelling and allegedly throwing a bat at a player from parents.
“It’s just sad that one parent can say whatever they want to the school and the school doesn’t support [its staff] by investigating, having a meeting with the parent and the coach or whatever it needs to be,” Cifonelli told the Palisadian-Post.
“Friends don’t turn their backs on [each other], they stand up for them. But if that means it might jeopardize your own job or make you, somewhere down the line look bad, then yeah. ‘Err on the side of safety.’”
After Cifonelli was dismissed, emails obtained by the Post show an effort from Pali High parent Dan Hansen, the same man that alleged Juliano of publicly threatening to kill him and of unfairly treating his son in February, to ensure Cifonelli remained fired.
“It is my understanding Steve recently met with you in an effort to extend his contract for another year on a trial basis,” wrote Hansen in a lengthy email to Principal Dr. Pam Magee. “I feel I must share some of his behaviors I have witnessed as Mr. Cifonelli suffers from a low emotional intelligence, is prone to angry eruptions and often sees slights that aren’t really there.”
In an exclusive interview with the Post, Hansen said he made no efforts to get the coach initially fired but did send that email to ensure he stayed fired. Hansen provided text messages and emails suggesting that Juliano helped him draft the email, and later commended him for sending it. Juliano was later made head coach of the team.
One year later, Hansen and Juliano found themselves with each other after Hansen disagreed with Juliano’s resistance to give Hansen’s son a chance to compete at the weight he wanted, even though such a decision was up to the discretion of the coach.
The month’s long disagreements ultimately led to the altercation where Hansen claims Juliano threatened to kill him, and Hansen reacted with a small shove, according to new videos obtained by the Post. Juliano was fired a few weeks later despite multiple parents speaking out on his behalf.
When asked his thoughts on claims that coaches were fired after his threats of a lawsuit and Pali High taking him for his word only, Hansen said, “To me it seems very very stupid because a lot of the things they are saying can be [proven to be wrong].
“Instead of these people backing away from the problems they’ve created what they’ve done is that they’ve put this stuff out there and put themselves in harm’s way, again.”
Hansen said that Russ Howard, assistant principal in charge of athletics, described Cifonelli’s “last straw” to have been reports of a bat being thrown.
“Juliano was fired after he threatened to kill me, so where’s the last straw with that?” asked Hansen. “Because according to [the Post’s last article] they offered him another straw. Sit out a year and fight to bring [him] back, so I don’t know what’s going in the heads of the administration.”
With personnel issues being confidential and administration not responding to general questions surrounding the investigation process of parental complaints, the lack of transparency leaves behind no map for future problems.
And an unknown number of teachers who have found themselves in the same crisis.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
