Tension has erupted in the Jefferson community after anonymous parents took to Facebook to accuse the 7th and 8th-grade girls’ basketball coaches of fat-shaming players during practices.
The post, shared in the local Jefferson Chatter group, quickly drew dozens of reactions and comments, with some demanding accountability and others criticizing the poster for creating unnecessary drama.
The anonymous parent, who claimed to have overheard and spoken with multiple players, alleged that the coaching staff made several remarks about the girls’ weight, choosing out one coach by name.
“Any other parents having issues with the 7th and 8th grade basketball girl coaches fat shaming the girls?” . “This has been several times I’ve picked up multiple children and gave rides home, and they feel the coaches are making fun of their weight. How is this acceptable? I caught one coach named Riffle in the mist of their conversation. I am not happy about this 😡.”
Anonymous parent
The parent continued, expressing frustration that the topic of weight had suddenly become an issue for players who have long been involved in the sport.
“Most of these, if not all of these, girls have played basketball for the past four years and their weight has not been an issue — why now? Size does not matter as long as they can perform the sport. This irritates my soul.”
Anonymous parent
However, the post quickly grabbed traction, with reactions from anger to disbelief. One community member, Michael James Arnett, claimed that the Jefferson school system has long struggled with accountability and transparency.
Michael James Arnett wrote,
“The entire school system in Jefferson is weird,” “They treat the school like a prison, eyeballing students while they try to eat their lunch. They let the staff get away with murder and be complete trash towards the kids. I’ve seen it in recordings. They’re just strict now because they don’t want their dirty laundry aired out.”
Michael James Arnett
Others, however, felt that the post crossed a line. Melissa Furman urged the anonymous parent to handle the matter privately rather than airing grievances on social media. She commented,
“This is so inappropriate to post on this site. STOP the drama,” “Go directly to the coach in question.”
Melissa Furman
Another commenter, Rose Wilkinson, said,
“It is called sports. You don’t want to hear it, remove yourself. Problem solved.”
Rose Wilkinson
One of the accused coaches, Mike Riffle, responded publicly to defend himself against the allegations. Riffle wrote,
“I find it funny you make these accusations about me but are not willing to put your name on it,” . “I have not once spoken negatively about any player’s size. Do I tell all the girls in practice to give me 100% or go sit down? Yes, I do. I am more than happy to sit down with you before practice tomorrow and discuss any concerns you may have.”
Mike Riffle
His direct response drew support from some commenters who argued that demanding full effort from athletes is not the same as body shaming. Jesse Lee wrote,
“If your kid can’t give 100%, maybe they need to be outside in the off-season working on their skills and conditioning.”
Jesse Lee
Similarly, Kala Mullins, another parent, stated that her daughter, who also plays on the team, had never reported hearing weight-based comments from the coaches.
She wrote,
“My daughter has gone to every open gym and practice,” “She’s never come home and told me about any of the coaches making comments about weight. If this was an issue, it should’ve been addressed directly with the coaches.”
Jesse Lee
She also reminded the original poster that “admins can see who you are,” implying that anonymity wouldn’t protect false claims.
However, not everyone was satisfied with the dismissive tone of some comments. Christina Strass urged parents to escalate the issue beyond social media.
Finally, Tera Ann Jascoe weighed in with practical advice, reminding parents that there is a process for dealing with such concerns. She explained,
“School systems have an Athletic Director to oversee coaching,” “If you don’t like what’s going on, call the athletic director and make an appointment. Then request a meeting with him, the coach, and the athletes. Junior high sports are competitive — if your kid isn’t there to give 100%, maybe rec league is a better fit.”
Tera Ann Jascoe
As of now, no formal statement has been issued by Jefferson school officials or the athletic department regarding the allegations.
