JHS to replace Bible-based code of conduct cited in Layng firing

Jefferson High School’s Board of Trustees took an initial step last month to replace its Coach’s Code of Conduct after it was revealed to have been identical to a Bible-based code of conduct used by private Christian schools. The religious Code of Conduct used by Jefferson High, a public school, since 2016 was cited as a cause for the board’s decision this spring not to renew the contract of longtime football head coach Clint Layng—a decision the board reversed two weeks later later while still referencing the Code of Conduct.

At its regular monthly meeting May 17, the board fast-tracked a new code of conduct policy by unanimously approving a first reading of the proposed policy without first sending it through the policy committee for review and recommendation. The proposed code will have to pass a second reading before final approval.

The proposed code comes from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), according to Board Chair Cami Robson, and “is more commonly used than what we have in our policy.”