Dozens of students, parents and alumni used the board’s public-comment period to call on the Peoria Unified School District to reinstate Liberty High School wrestling coach Eric Brenton, whose status the community has debated for months.

Supporters described Brenton as a long‑time teacher and mentor, saying he has had a positive influence on hundreds of students. “He’s created a place where we all feel pushed to work hard, support each other, and represent Liberty the right way,” said Michael Povistan, a current student. Former team members and parents echoed the point: “He’s more than a coach — he’s a fabric of this community,” Andrea Robinson told the board.

Several speakers directly challenged the credibility of the allegations against Brenton and cited past investigations. “Where is the evidence of wrongdoing? It does not exist because these allegations are unfounded,” Jim Byrne, a former Liberty teacher and parent, told the board, urging immediate reinstatement. Another commenter summarized the district and police reviews, saying detectives concluded that video evidence showed students “laughing” and horseplay and that prior investigations did not substantiate criminal conduct.

Speakers also described consequences they say the allegations have brought: threatened families, social-media attention and reputational harm. Parents and alumni asked the board to act quickly so students can regain stability and to provide greater transparency about the process and findings that led to his removal.

Board members did not take a vote on reinstatement during the meeting. Several trustees signaled they would request follow‑up briefings; one board member asked that the matter be placed on a future agenda after any remaining investigations are concluded. The board later requested that updates on the Liberty investigation be provided to the board and that an executive-session update be scheduled once the internal process allows.

The board’s official role during public comment is to listen; by Arizona law they may not respond in detail during that portion of the meeting. Superintendent Casey Summers and district staff were present and noted they would follow up administratively on public concerns.

Next steps: supporters said they expect the district to report the status of investigations and any timeline for personnel decisions. The board flagged possible executive‑session follow‑up once additional documentation or legal constraints permit further public discussion.