Ridgefield School District Exposed Student Identities in Cheer Coach Investigation

District failed to properly redact student names in public records releases, subjecting students to potential harm

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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A concerned Ridgefield parent and Rob Anderson allege that Ridgefield School District repeatedly failed to redact student names in public records releases tied to a cheer coach investigation, exposing the identities of multiple students who had filed complaints or were listed as witnesses. The district's actions were described as a serious breach of trust and potential violation of student privacy protections, raising concerns about accountability and institutional priorities.

Why it matters

The repeated failure to protect student privacy in public records releases is a serious issue that can subject vulnerable students to potential harm and retaliation. It raises questions about the district's commitment to safeguarding student information and ensuring accountability for misconduct allegations.

The details

According to the letter, the district released multiple versions of public records related to the cheer coach investigation, each time failing to properly redact student names. In total, the identities of nine students were exposed 42 times across the various document releases. The student who most persistently sought accountability was exposed the most, accounting for nearly 43% of all disclosure events. The district initially minimized the issue, claiming only one student name was exposed, before later admitting the full scope of the redaction failures.

  • On July 2, 2025, Ridgefield released the first public records response containing unredacted student names.
  • On August 18, 2025, a second public records release contained unredacted identities of nine students.
  • On October 17, 2025, a 'corrective' public records release again exposed the identities of nine students.

The players

Ridgefield School District

The school district in Ridgefield, Washington that failed to properly redact student names in public records releases related to a cheer coach investigation.

Paula McCoy

The Ridgefield School District Public Records Officer who initially minimized the issue of student identities being exposed and failed to show concern over the repeated redaction failures.

Joe Vajgrt

A Ridgefield School District official who later admitted the full scope of the redaction errors, acknowledging that 17 student names were left unredacted across 5 documents.

Rob Anderson

A concerned Ridgefield parent who co-authored the letter alleging the district's failures to protect student privacy.

Cheer coach

The Ridgefield High School cheer coach who was the subject of the investigation, and who later moved on to a similar role in another Washington school district.

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What they’re saying

“As previously communicated, we have responded in full to your public records request with updated files provided to you and closed the request effective October 17th. Thank you.”

— Paula McCoy, Ridgefield School District Public Records Officer (Letter to the editor)

“In total, there were 5 documents with redaction errors. While all documents had some redactions, a combined total of 17 names were left unredacted in error. Combined, 7 students were identified by first and last name and one additional student was identified by first name only.”

— Joe Vajgrt, Ridgefield School District Official (Letter to the editor)

What’s next

The Ridgefield School District has been notified of evidence that several records were withheld from the final public records release, and the district has failed to respond within the required 10-day timeframe to release the remaining documents.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of school districts upholding their duty to protect student privacy, especially when investigating allegations of misconduct. The repeated failures by Ridgefield School District to properly redact student identities in public records releases represents a serious breach of trust that can subject vulnerable students to potential harm and retaliation.