Interim Murphy coach once accused of misconduct

EVERETT — The man named Tuesday as interim head football coach at Archbishop Murphy High School surrendered his teaching license in Oregon after an investigation concluded he engaged in inappropriate conduct with a high school student.

Michael Allison was hired as a physical-education instructor at Archbishop Murphy High School this summer and was an assistant football coach. His promotion came after Bill Marsh suddenly resigned as coach of what’s considered one of the strongest football teams in the state.

Allison, 41, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Archbishop Murphy athletic director Jerry Zander said the school was aware of the Oregon allegations before hiring Allison.

“We investigated and determined that there were no criminal allegations against him at all,” Zander said. “This was just an allegation. He underwent a series of background and reference checks through us and everything came back fine.”

Allison entered a formal stipulation, a legal document acknowledging that evidence showed he violated Oregon teaching rules after a 2009 investigation by that state’s Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. The commission governs who is allowed to teach in Oregon.

The commission found that Allison, who was the head football coach and teacher at Gresham High School from 2004 until his resignation in August 2009, “communicated inappropriately with a female student via cell phone and text messaging and failed to maintain an appropriate professional relationship with a student.”

The report also states that he “failed to report to school district officials that a student had romantic feelings toward him.”

It goes on to say that friends of the female student accused Allison of allegedly having intimate physical contact with the girl.

Allison denied making inappropriate physical contact, although he stipulated to evidence showing an unprofessional “relationship with a student.”

Gresham, Ore., police investigated the allegations.

“We contacted a number of witnesses and we ended up not going forward with any criminal charges,” said Gresham Police Department detective Tony Cobb, who was the lead investigator on the case.

The commission concluded that Allison was in violation of four Oregon administrative rules governing teachers.

Documents show Allison surrendered his Oregon teaching license on May 14, 2010. He signed the stipulation and order to revoke his license on April 5, 2010.

“He absolutely denies all allegations in this matter,” Zander said. “He was not charged with anything.”

Zander said Allison gave up his teaching license on the advice of his union legal council, and that Allison now is in the process of trying to get his Oregon teacher’s license reinstated.

Cobb confirmed that he has been subpoenaed to testify in front of a review board looking into the reinstatement of Allison’s license.

Zander said he doesn’t know whether Allison is certified to teach in Washington state, but added that it’s not a requirement for teachers at private schools.

The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has no record of Allison applying for a teaching certificate.

Zander said that administrators at Murphy have kept in contact with parents throughout the process of replacing Marsh. “But we can’t disclose everything that has occurred in the last 24 hours with parents,” Zander added.

One man whose son plays on the Archbishop Murphy football team told The Herald on Wednesday that the school said nothing to him about the past allegations against Allison. The Herald is not naming the family to protect the student.

Allison’s problems in Oregon weren’t secret.

In August 2009, he was the focus of an article in The Oregonian, reporting that he’d resigned as Gresham football coach and was the focus of a police investigation. The probe was launched after a parent’s complaint, the newspaper reported.

After leaving Gresham, Allison became an assistant coach at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie, Ore., in 2010. A year later he served as a defensive quality coach at Portland State University.

“Since the alleged issue occurred he has been employed by two other public institutions, one high school and one university,” Zander said.

Before coming to Gresham, Allison was the head coach at Marist, a private Catholic school in Eugene, Ore. Allison led Marist to a state championship in 2003.

Aaron Swaney covers prep sports for The Herald. Call him at 425-339-3471, follow him on Twitter @swaney_aaron79 or email him at aswaney@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Rep. Suzan DelBene, left, introduces Xichitl Torres Small, center, Undersecretary for Rural Development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a talk at Thomas Family Farms on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Under new federal program, Washingtonians can file taxes for free

At a press conference Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene called the Direct File program safe, easy and secure.

Former Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Jeremie Zeller appears in court for sentencing on multiple counts of misdemeanor theft Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ex-sheriff’s deputy sentenced to 1 week of jail time for hardware theft

Jeremie Zeller, 47, stole merchandise from Home Depot in south Everett, where he worked overtime as a security guard.

Everett
11 months later, Lake Stevens man charged in fatal Casino Road shooting

Malik Fulson is accused of shooting Joseph Haderlie to death in the parking lot at the Crystal Springs Apartments last April.

T.J. Peters testifies during the murder trial of Alan Dean at the Snohomish County Courthouse on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Bothell cold case trial now in jury’s hands

In court this week, the ex-boyfriend of Melissa Lee denied any role in her death. The defendant, Alan Dean, didn’t testify.

A speed camera facing west along 220th Street Southwest on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Washington law will allow traffic cams on more city, county roads

The move, led by a Snohomish County Democrat, comes as roadway deaths in the state have hit historic highs.

Mrs. Hildenbrand runs through a spelling exercise with her first grade class on the classroom’s Boxlight interactive display board funded by a pervious tech levy on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lakewood School District’s new levy pitch: This time, it won’t raise taxes

After two levies failed, the district went back to the drawing board, with one levy that would increase taxes and another that would not.

Alex Hanson looks over sections of the Herald and sets the ink on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Black Press, publisher of Everett’s Daily Herald, is sold

The new owners include two Canadian private investment firms and a media company based in the southern United States.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.