Nike co-founder’s daughter-in-law has been dismissed as the running coach at a high school for “inappropriate relationship” with a 17-year-old boy, the Associated Press reported, May 22.
Melissa Bowerman, 41, who had been coaching at Condon/Wheeler High School with her husband Jon Bowerman, 73, went to the school’s prom with a boy in the age of her son from the track team last month.
"We started an investigation that led to us asking her to un-volunteer," Condon Superintendent Jan Zarate said. He declined to elaborate. The dismissal was made in a decision from the superintendents of the school districts.
Bowerman agreed that escorting the student who runs in a track team to the prom was an error in judgment, but she said there is no inappropriate relationship between her and the boy.
She claimed that she just danced with the student for a few slow songs, but mostly played foosball and pinp-pong.
She said that she wanted to make the boy refreshed at the prom since he didn’t concentrate on his study, especially in English class.
“Track members can’t participate in a track meet if they receive suspension from school,” Bowerman said. “So I agreed to go with the student if he gets a good grade in English class.”
A local sheriff said there is no evidence of illegal activities. The boy’s father also said he approved to accompany her to the prom.
“I thought, at first, it is an inappropriate idea, but she had been a surrogate mom to the student for years,” his father said.
By Bowerman’s instruction, the number of students in the track team increased from six to 30 for four years. Especially, the Condon/Wheeler girls track team was the top of the district meet on May 19.