Updated May 20

Highline School District staffers are receiving more reaction from the media than parents after a substitute stadium manager was fired for providing health care to student athletes without appropriate medical supervision, according to district spokeswoman Catherine Carbone Rogers.

The state Department of Health has issued an emergency suspension of Jayson Boehm's health license after charging he conducted physical exams of students, gave students injections, and prescribed treatments.

Boehm was licensed as an emergency medical technician, massage practitioner, nursing assistant and counselor but did not have credentials to perform physicals or give injections.

Parents, whose children received physicals from Boehm, were contacted personally by principals about a month ago when his actions were first reported, according to Rogers. The district arranged physicals from the Highline Youth Health Center at district expense for the affected athletes.

The district also placed Boehm's sister, Daylene Boehm, who is Evergreen High athletic director, on administrative leave until the conclusion of an outside investigation commissioned by the district.

Jayson Boehm was a volunteer for Evergreen High athletic teams.

Most of the students Boehm dealt with were from Evergreen and Highline, Rogers said.

Jackie Lewis, Highline High vice principal and the district's athletic director, was also placed on administrative leave. Evergreen parents and students protested to the Highline School Board when the popular Lewis was transferred from Evergreen to Highline three years ago.

Rogers emphasized that the district is not alleging sexual misconduct, pending the results of the investigation.

KOMO News reported the state health department has charged that Boehm conducted physical exams of more than two dozen male and female athletes and fondled many of them, The Seattle Times reported health department statements said that Boehm examined 26 male students, asking them to strip and touching their testicles.

Rogers would not speculate on why none of the students reported the incidents. Investigators will interview the students.
Boehm's actions came to light when a school nurse alerted her supervisor when she noticed that Boehm had written a medical excuse for a student.

At the same time, a King County sheriff's detective told district staffers of an investigation into allegations that Boehm inappropriately examined an athlete in a Police Athletic League competition. The competition occurred at Evergreen but was not a school-sponsored event. The athlete is an adult, not a student.

The health department alleges an adult boxer with a bloody nose was refereed to Boehm during a match. Boehm asked him to remove his clothes and touched his genitals, it is claimed.

Rogers emphasized that the district took immediate action after the allegations surfaced.

The district has contracted with the state organization that oversees high school and middle school athletic programs to conduct a full audit of the management of the district's athletic programs and has pledged to fully comply with audit recommendations.

Highline's athletic programs have been affected by the district's budget shortfalls. The district instituted pay for play in the fall and Lewis served only part-time as athletic director. Coaches have also complained that they are paid 40 percent of what they could receive in other districts.

"Student safety is our highest priority," Superintendent John Welch declared. "We are committed to making any changes necessary to ensure the protection and well-being of all students participating in our programs."

As a substitute stadium manager, Boehm was to provide logistical support at Memorial Field, behind Highline High.
He had also been hired to provide first aid at athletic events and to give first aid training to coaches and Physical Education teachers.

From May 18

Highline Public Schools is investigating allegations that Jayson Boehm, formerly employed as a substitute stadium manager, provided health care to student athletes without appropriate medical supervision. Upon learning of the allegations, the district terminated Boehm's employment and barred him from school property.

The allegations against Boehm came to light through two sources. A school nurse alerted her supervisor when she noticed that Boehm had written a medical excuse for a student. At the same time, a King County Sheriff's detective alerted the district of their investigation into allegations that Boehm inappropriately examined an athlete in a Police Athletic League competition. The athlete is an adult and not a student.

The King County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Health have been investigating Boehm's conduct.

The district is cooperating with these agencies and has launched its own investigation, taking the following actions:

1. Identifying an outside investigator to continue the investigation.
2. Contracted with WIAA to conduct a full audit of the management of high school and middle school athletic programs and pledged to fully comply with the recommendations of WIAA.
3. Placed the district athletic director and a high school athletic director on administrative leave until the conclusion of the investigation.
4. Informing parents of all students who received physicals from Boehm. Parents of students participating in spring sports were immediately informed by personal phone call.
5. Arranged for all affected athletes to receive physicals from the Highline Youth Health Center at district expense.

"Student safety is our highest priority," said Superintendent John Welch. "We are committed to making any changes necessary to ensure the protection and well-being of all students participating in our programs."

As a substitute stadium manager, Boehm was to provide logistical support for activities at Highline's Memorial Field. He had also been contracted to provide first aid at athletic events and to give first aid training to coaches and PE teachers, which he was qualified to do as a licensed Emergency Medical Technician. Boehm had also served as a volunteer for Evergreen High School athletic teams.