EVANSTON — At the January school board meeting, the administration of Uinta County School District No. 1 pushed back against allegations made by Evanston physical therapist Mike Jacketta regarding the district’s concussion policy and a conflict between Jacketta and district activities director Bubba O’Neill. As previously reported in the Herald, Jacketta has made serious claims about what he described as shortcomings in the district’s concussion policy for student athletes, as well as other issues, and he was given an opportunity to voice those concerns at the board meeting after being placed on the agenda at his request.

For years, Jacketta has assessed student injuries under contract with the district for $1 per year; however, this school year the district did not renew that contract and the board has heard presentations from multiple healthcare providers about securing a full-time athletic trainer. The once amicable professional relationship between Jacketta and the district has obviously taken a turn for the worse, however, over the past several weeks.

On Friday, Dec. 10, O’Neill phoned Jacketta regarding a student injured at the Evanston Invitational Wrestling Tournament — all parties are in agreement that the phone call occurred. All parties also agree the phone call was contentious, with Jacketta acknowledging he confronted O’Neill about the concussion policy and the fact his contract with the district had expired. Following the call, however, O’Neill sent an email to district staff directing them not to call Jacketta for services at Jacketta’s request — which Jacketta denies ever happened.

While Jacketta claims the email sent by O’Neill was unprofessional and damaging to his business, O’Neill and Evanston High School Principal Merle Lester, who said he was present during the call and heard the exchange, insist Jacketta did ask not to be called. Lester also asserted it was Jacketta who acted unprofessionally during the call, which he described as being laced with profanity — profanity which Jacketta admitted to during the board meeting. Lester and O’Neill also both questioned why the issue of concussion policy even came up during the call, which was about a student’s leg injury.

As reported previously, though Jacketta initially questioned whether the injured student received medical evaluation, district superintendent Ryan Thomas told the Herald in December the student was evaluated within minutes by a different healthcare professional.

Regarding the concussion policy, Jacketta told the board he believes the policy is vague and unenforceable as it is written, leading to confusion on the part of coaches and district staff. “I don’t believe the coaches and nurses have enough resources to safely make decisions, based on the phone calls I’ve been getting,” he said. “I really truly believe that some district staff are out on an island and not able to express their concerns,” he continued.

Jacketta previously told the Herald he was concerned about the policy because it did not mention a neurocognitive ImPACT test (immediate post-concussion assessment and cognitive testing) or a comprehensive program for managing concussions and did not mention what type of training or certifications a medical provider should have to conduct assessments. Thomas shared the concussion regulation with the Herald via email last month after the Dec. 10 call and explained that every coach was required to undergo training regarding athletic injuries. At the board meeting, however, Thomas also shared the district’s concussion protocols, which do in fact include specifics about neurocognitive ImPACT testing and a concussion management program.

The protocols state that all coaches are required to complete the Centers for Disease Control Heads Up online training course on brain injury awareness for high school and youth coaches and specify that all students must take an ImPACT baseline test prior to participating in any school sports and every two years thereafter. Students must then take and pass the ImPACT test following a head injury before being allowed to return to sports and obtain a release from a medical professional. The protocols state that neither the ImPACT test nor a medical release “are stand-alone permission for return to learn or play. Both must be obtained prior to resuming activity.”

As the protocols were shared at the board meeting, Jacketta asked how long they had been in use, to which Thomas said they were written in 2012. Jacketta then described those protocols as “wonderful” and “thorough,” and noted he himself had helped draft them years ago. O’Neill acknowledged Jacketta’s assistance in writing them and expressed his gratitude.

Thomas said there are parts of the protocols he believes could benefit from additional clarity and said the EHS nurse had been reaching out to local medical professionals to solicit input and ensure protocols were clear and everyone involved — from coaches to staff to community healthcare providers — knows how to handle head injuries, or suspected head injuries — a process Thomas said actually began in November. Board chair Cassie Torres and other trustees agreed that if the protocols could be improved in any way, those improvements should be made.

An emotional O’Neill also addressed the board and said if the allegations made against him were true he should be fired, describing the weeks since the story containing Jacketta’s claims appeared in the Herald as “hell.” Both O’Neill and Thomas expressed concerns that the allegations portrayed staff and coaches in a negative light, with O’Neill emphasizing, “Nobody in this district would harm kids.”

Thomas said, “Telling people we’re hurting kids is irresponsible,” and added he has “great faith in our coaches that they would never jeopardize kids.” Thomas also spoke about O’Neill in particular, stating, “The best thing about him is his passion. He’s the most honorable and ethical man I’ve ever met.”

During his comments, Jacketta recommended a committee be convened to review all instances of head injury or suspected head injury over the last three years to see if ImPACT testing was being done as it should be, as well as whether other protocols were being followed. He also requested a written statement from the district regarding the email sent by O’Neill, which Torres said would be received within 30 days from the date of request.

In other business, new board member John DuBois was sworn in to fill the seat vacated by Jami Brackin’s resignation and the board held a discussion about decreasing the size of the board. A reduction in board size has been discussed on multiple occasions in recent years and came up again because there will now be six seats up for election in November — five four-year terms and one two-year term to fill the remainder of Brackin’s term. Although some trustees said they were in favor of a reduction, others, including Dan Wheeler and new member DuBois took the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, with Wheeler actually saying he was “vehemently” opposed and that the board had more important things to devote time and resources to. The decision was made to drop the issue unless problems come up in the fall related to not enough people running for the board to fill the spaces available.

Finally, trustees also approved Rule CKA, the district’s concealed carry policy again, allowing approved staff to carry concealed firearms on district property. This marks the third time the district has approved the entire policy, with the other adoptions being challenged in court and ruled invalid.