Our Position
We, the undersigned, are parents, families, volunteers, supporters, and members of the community who believe that decisions concerning the Carlynton Little Cougars Youth Football and Cheerleading Association should be based on complete information, established procedures, and the interests of the children the organization serves.

Recent events involving CLC have understandably generated concern, discussion, and strong emotions. Questions involving the treatment and safety of children deserve to be taken seriously.

They also deserve to be addressed accurately and fairly.

Public attention surrounding a recent coaching incident, along with older videos that subsequently surfaced, has resulted in broader allegations concerning the current leadership of the organization. We believe an important part of the story has been lost in that discussion:

When the current Board became aware of serious concerns, it acted.

Following the incident on August 29, 2026, disciplinary action was initiated promptly. The matter was reviewed through the organization's established process, and significant disciplinary consequences followed.

Additional videos from previous years later surfaced. Those videos were not previously in the possession of current CLC leadership, and their existence should not be presented as proof that the current Board knowingly ignored conduct of which it had not been made aware.

The current Board took office in January 2026. It should be evaluated based upon:

• Its own decisions
• Its own actions
• The information reasonably available to it

Accountability Requires the Complete Story

Accountability is important.

So is fairness.

It is easy for public discussion to combine events from different years, different circumstances, and different organizational leadership into a single narrative. Doing so can create an impression that current leadership knowingly tolerated years of misconduct when the underlying circumstances may be considerably more complicated.

CLC leadership cannot investigate evidence it does not possess or address incidents of which it has not been made aware.

The appropriate measure of leadership is what happens when credible concerns actually reach those responsible for the organization.

• Did leadership investigate?
• Did leadership take the matter seriously?
• Did leadership follow its governing procedures?
• Did leadership impose consequences when warranted?
• Did leadership take steps to protect the organization and its children going forward?

Those are legitimate questions, and we believe they should be answered with evidence rather than assumptions. We also believe that public petitions and social media discussions should distinguish between verified facts and conclusions drawn from incomplete information.

 
Those Closest to the Organization Deserve a Voice

CLC exists for its participating children and families.

Community members are certainly entitled to express opinions about matters of public concern. However, major decisions about the future of a volunteer youth organization should give particular weight to:

• Families
• Members
• Volunteers
• Coaches
• Others who participate in the organization and experience its leadership firsthand

Those without direct involvement may not have access to:

• Confidential disciplinary information
• Internal communications
• Witness accounts
• Governing procedures
• The complete chronology surrounding an incident

There are also legitimate reasons why a youth organization cannot publicly disclose every detail of an investigation. These include:

• Protecting children
• Respecting the privacy of families
• Preserving the integrity of disciplinary proceedings
• Following organizational procedures

These responsibilities sometimes require leadership to act without litigating every allegation through social media. That should not automatically be mistaken for inaction.

 
Supporting Accountability Does Not Require Removing an Entire Board
We reject the idea that supporting the current Board means excusing inappropriate behavior.

It does not.

A coach who violates established standards should be held accountable.

A Board that knowingly ignores serious misconduct should be held accountable.

But accountability must also be proportionate and supported by facts.

Removing an entire leadership team should require more than:

• Public pressure
• Association with an individual accused of misconduct
• Conclusions based upon information that became available only after an incident occurred

Holding an individual accountable for his or her conduct and evaluating whether organizational leadership responded appropriately are separate questions.

They should remain separate.

 
Improvement Should Always Continue
No youth organization should claim that its policies or procedures can never be improved.

We support continued efforts to strengthen CLC, including:

• Clear expectations for coaches
• Appropriate standards for interactions with children
• Accessible methods for reporting concerns
• Documented procedures for reviewing allegations
• Training for coaches and volunteers
• Appropriate communication with participating families

Those improvements do not require abandoning the people who are already doing the work.

They require:

• Supporting responsible volunteers
• Learning from difficult situations
• Correcting problems when they are identified
• Continuing to strengthen the organization

 
Our Request
We therefore ask CLC families, members, volunteers, supporters, and members of the greater Carlynton community to support a fair and fact-based approach to the future of the Carlynton Little Cougars.

We support:

• Accountability when misconduct occurs.
• Prompt investigation of credible concerns.
• Meaningful consequences when violations are substantiated.
• Continued improvement of policies, training, reporting, and oversight.
• Fair evaluation of the current Board based upon its own conduct and the information actually available to it.
• Respect for the privacy and due process considerations inherent in matters involving children and disciplinary proceedings.
• An organization governed by its members and established procedures rather than by incomplete narratives or social media pressure.

Most importantly, we support keeping the focus where it belongs:

On the children.

Youth sports should teach:

• Teamwork
• Discipline
• Resilience
• Responsibility
• Sportsmanship
• Respect

The adults responsible for those programs should demonstrate those same principles when challenges arise.

Accountability and fairness are not competing values.

We can demand high standards from our coaches while recognizing responsible action by leadership.

We can acknowledge mistakes without assuming that every volunteer who serves the organization shares responsibility for another person's conduct.

We can improve CLC without tearing it apart.

And we can disagree without allowing controversy to overshadow the children who put on a Carlynton Little Cougars uniform every week.

For those reasons, we support responsible, fact-based leadership and the continued work of the Carlynton Little Cougars to learn, improve, and move forward together.

Let the facts matter. Let the process work. And let the focus remain on the kids.
 
Show Your Support
If you believe in fairness, accountability, responsible leadership, and allowing the complete facts to matter, we ask you to stand with the children, families, volunteers, and supporters of the Carlynton Little Cougars.

Please sign this petition to show your support for CLC, its families, and a fair, fact-based path forward.
Together, we can support accountability, continue improving our organization, and keep the focus where it belongs; on the kids.