WARROAD, Minn. — The Warroad High School girls hockey team is the reigning state champion, but that success is now overshadowed by a looming legal fight off the ice.
The team’s longtime coach, David Marvin, filed a lawsuit this week against six parents of current and former players.
According to court documents, Marvin’s attorneys say this case is about what it calls “baseless allegations, wild fabrications and false statements” made by the defendants that were designed to damage his reputation.
Among those statements are claims the defendants made about the coach’s conduct, including allegations of harassment and inappropriate behavior. Those claims were made both in letters to the school district and on a podcast posted last month on YouTube.
WCCO reached out to all the defendants named in the suit and spoke with one of them, who authenticated and stood by the letter to school board members detailing the claims against the coach.
The board, meanwhile, shared this statement: “The concerns raised have already been addressed and while some individuals may not be satisfied and are looking backward at years past, the district is looking forward to having a great 2023-2024 school year.”
Marvin is demanding a jury trial in his complaints and seeks at least $50,000 in damages.
