Elite LA high school rocked in scandal as parents set private investigators on football coach
A California high school football team’s parents are willing to call out their own coaching staff for alleged recruiting violations.
A group of parents from Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks, California, submitted a letter to the school on October 28 that was titled, “Concerned Westlake High School Parents.”
“We are a group of concerned parents from the Westlake High School football program. We are under the direction of legal counsel and have executed a contract with a private investigation company,” the letter wrote, per an X post from Chris Fore.
“We are investigating information that we have received concerning player recruitment and undue influence involving student-athletes enrolled at neighboring high schools and the Westlake High School football program.”
Westlake High School has a 7-3 record and went 3-2 in their conference, earning a spot in the playoffs.
“Specifically, we have received information raising concerns that certain student-athletes from your school may have been approached or encouraged to transfer to Westlake for football-related reasons and that, in certain instances, financial or other material inducements may have been offered or discussed.
“We are investigating whether residency, transfer, or enrollment information submitted in connection with certain transfers accurately reflected the students’ actual circumstances,” it continued.
The latter also referenced CIF Bylaw 510, which prohibits public high schools from, “undue influence in connection with the enrollment, transfer, or continued enrollment of a student for athletic purposes”.
Westlake is a public high school, albeit in a affluent part of the city.
The parents noted their next steps will be “submitting a formal request to CIF Southern Section seeking an investigation of suspected recruiting violations involving the Westlake High School football program and alleged conduct involving Coach Rick Clausen.”
The letter is sparking a ton of criticism on social media, with many expressing views that it was submitted by parents who were more disgruntled about their child not receiving playing time more than they were actually irked by these alleged recruiting violations.
These parents’ willingness to potentially sabotage the entire team’s goals this season is raising eyebrows.
Rick Clausen won the Los Angeles Rams Don Shula Coach of the Year Award in 2025, after leading Westlake to a 10-1 record in his first season as head coach. The team was 0-10 the season before Clausen was hired.
Recruiting violations is not anything new in high school football, particularly in Southern California.
Yorba Linda was forced to forfeit games earlier this season. Inglewood allegedly fielded illegal players knowingly during a game in August.
Previously, just three weeks into the 2025 season, Bishop Montgomery fired its head coach for illegal recruiting practices.
Westlake sits in a hotbed area of California high schools that produce top-level football talent. That only heightens the importance of competitiveness, potentially breeding illegal recruiting efforts.
