PORTLAND, Ore. — The former head football coach of Westview High School in Beaverton has been found not guilty on all twelve counts of harassment. The decision came after a two-day trial that included the testimonies of 26 witnesses, culminating in Judge Ladd Wiles of the Yamhill County Circuit Court dismissing the charges against Jamal Jones on Wednesday, as confirmed by his attorney, Bracken McKey.
Jones’s legal troubles began in mid-July when he was arrested following accusations that he woke up players during an overnight football camp at Linfield University by shaking and slapping them. One of the players involved, senior SeKoa Kurkowski Afoa, stated to reporters that “he was putting his hands on people. He open-palm slapped people.” Jones stepped down from his coaching position the day after the Beaverton School District announced he was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
On July 10, Jones turned himself in to local authorities. After his acquittal, McKey expressed satisfaction, stating, “Jamal and I had to bite our tongue during the initial press coverage, but we believed in our criminal justice system and knew that the truth would eventually come out in court. Today, it did, and I’m extremely happy for Jamal and his family.”
Jones, who is also a police officer with the Hillsboro Police Department, has been on leave since the allegations surfaced. During the investigation, documents revealed that Jones had consumed “four Coors” that evening and admitted to officers that he had been intentionally waking players while they were filmed by other students.
His actions were described as “tapping” to “lighten the mood,” as he referred to the group as “entitled.” In a separate matter, Tiare Kurkowski Afoa, the guardian of another player at the camp, filed a lawsuit against the Beaverton School District. In December, the school district settled for $50,000 after acknowledging that a coach slapped the teen across the face.
After his acquittal, Jones released a statement expressing gratitude for the support he received, saying, “I’m thankful for the prayers and support I’ve received from friends and family and thankful that my attorney believed in me. I look forward to putting this behind me and getting back to work.”
