LAUSD Pays Football Coach for 8 Months on Leave: ‘Teacher Jail’ at Home

Robert Garrett, the City Section’s winningest football coach with 300 career wins, finds himself in a peculiar situation. For the past eight months, he’s been collecting a full paycheck from the Los Angeles Unified School District while essentially working from home. What’s being described as “teacher jail,” but with the comfort of his own residence, began last August, just before Crenshaw High’s football season opener.

Garrett, also a longtime P.E. Teacher at Crenshaw, was placed on administrative leave, and remarkably, no decision has been made regarding his future with the district. As he put it, “Who knows, who cares? It’s a good deal. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I haven’t had a break in 45 years.”

The situation highlights a curious aspect of the LAUSD’s handling of teachers facing investigation. While the district supposedly aims for a 120-day resolution period, Garrett notes that this isn’t a firm deadline, citing past cases where the process has dragged on indefinitely. “The LAUSD can apparently take as long as it wants to bring a conclusion to its investigation,” he said.

Despite Garrett’s absence, Crenshaw’s football team still managed to reach the City Section Open Division final, demonstrating the program’s resilience and the strength of the coaching staff remaining. However, the extended leave raises questions about the impact on students who have missed out on lessons from a coach and teacher who has been a fixture in the Crenshaw community since 1988.

The irony of the situation isn’t lost on observers. While Garrett remains barred from campus, Nike recently undertook a significant renovation of Crenshaw’s gymnasium, updating banners, signage, and even transforming the auditorium into a shoe store. This juxtaposition – the district allowing Nike to prominently feature Crenshaw while sidelining one of its most successful educators – feels, as one observer noted, “a little inconsistent.”

Garrett, however, appears remarkably unfazed by the uncertainty. “If that’s the plan, let’s roll with it,” he stated, adding a philosophical outlook on the situation. “I haven’t heard nothing about anything. That’s OK. I have no complaints. I take the bitter with the sweet. I take the good with the bad. I take the ups with the downs. I’m resilient. I was born to coach. That’s my gift. I was put on this earth to coach. That’s the reason I went to college.”

Garrett’s case isn’t unique within the LAUSD. A 2013 report indicated that as many as 260 teachers were placed on administrative leave at regional offices, a practice known as “teacher jail.” While the original iteration involved teachers spending eight hours a day at district offices, the current system allows for remote administrative leave with full pay. The report detailed how teachers in “teacher jail” often spent their time reading, using their cell phones, and engaging in non-educational activities.

The experiences of other coaches facing similar situations within the district further illustrate the complexities of the process. Former Huntington Park basketball coach Joe Reed was sidelined for 14 months before being cleared, but was not reinstated to his coaching position, only his teaching role. Another case involved Don Loperena, a former basketball coach at Monroe and Granada Hills, who faced an attempt to fire him, ultimately winning his case through arbitration after a period of both paid and unpaid leave.

While acknowledging the need for thorough investigations into allegations of misconduct, the situation with Robert Garrett suggests a system that can be prolonged and, at times, seemingly without clear direction. It’s a system that, despite its flaws, Garrett appears content to navigate, at least for the time being.

Looking ahead, Garrett remains optimistic about his future in coaching. “I will be coaching somewhere, somehow,” he affirmed. “I will be coaching on someone’s sideline — even if it’s Pop Warner.” Regardless of the final outcome of the LAUSD’s investigation, Garrett seems determined to continue pursuing his passion, a passion he believes is his calling.