By Claire Gunning
Opinion Editor
Former Baseball Coach Cassidy Olson has returned to Mira Costa High School as a history teacher after the Commission on Teacher Credentialing repealed his 30-day teaching suspension.
Olson was not permitted to renew his teaching credential because of his refusal to accept the CTC’s 30-day teaching suspension, as a result of an investigation triggered by parent complaints in 2013. In July, the CTC revoked his suspension due to “credibility issues” with witnesses and he was allowed to resume his career as a teacher with a clean record.
“When the credential office first tried to give me a 30 day suspension it was very hard on my family,” Olson said. “I had a newborn and two year old and couldn’t work until I got this issue resolved. The financial and mental strain from this whole situation was very hard on all of us but luckily I have an amazing wife who fully supported me fighting for what I believed in, even though we financially suffered.”
The CTC planned to suspend him from teaching for 30 days in 2013, because of parent complaints to the CTC about allegations of “physical mental and emotional abuse” towards his baseball players in 2013. Olson retaliated against the supposedly false allegations and sued Manhattan Beach Unified School District in Nov. 2014.
“I try not to dwell on the past, 99.9% of my time teaching is spent with the students and that is the time I love,” Olson said. “I love the Costa community and the students and other teachers, I have never taught at any other school and I never hope to.”
While Olson was the baseball coach for Costa, he led the team to win three Bay League championships and a Boras Classic Tournament Championship. Starting off the 2016-17 school year, Olson was replaced by new baseball coach Keith Ramsey, a former Harbor College baseball coach.
“I’m very proud of what we did in seven years as a baseball program at Costa, but, it was the right time to step away,” Olson said.
Olson is no longer the coach of the baseball team; however, he is currently teaching US History, World History and Student Academic Support for the 2016-17 school year.
“We are glad Mr. Olson worked through the issue with his credential with the State, and is back teaching,” Principal Ben Dale said.
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