Problem Solvers: ‘It’s devastating. It’s awful’: Former Ridgeview track coach trespassed from school district properties
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Jessie Gallaher-Trump, a longtime jump coach at Ridgeview High School, has been officially trespassed by the Redmond School District, barring her from attending school events for the remainder of this year and all of next.
Gallaher-Trump, who also works as a social worker at Redmond Proficiency Academy and coaches the Cool Running Track Club, says she was removed from her position before the 2025 track season and later prohibited from even cheering on athletes from the sidelines.
“As a result of so many things going wrong, it's now going worse. Who thought this was going to be the solution. And it's devastating. It's awful,” Gallaher-Trump told KTVZ's Problem Solvers.
Since 2022, Gallaher-Trump served as Ridgeview’s jump coach and applied twice for the head coaching job. She says she was not only passed over both times, but as a parent this season she was told to stop coaching from the sideline.
“It's very weird to contemplate, because I've been the person that shows up for kids at great personal cost, no matter what. And to be treated as though I am a problem, when I dedicate everything I do to help kids overcome whatever problem they see - it's been awful,” she said.
Gallaher-Trump is the adoptive mother of five children, all of whom competed for Ridgeview Athletics. This season, three of them were active, including her son, senior Hunter Trump.
Hunter Trump said of the school district: “You're putting these kids in jeopardy of learning these important values and learning these amazing things that so many amazing people in the community have to offer. It's just there's for some reason you don't like it. It's impacting them more than you think. Just because you guys have some sort of personal agenda or whatever's going on, we don't really know because there's no communication.”
The school district told KTVZ Gallaher-Trump violated multiple policies, including those related to visitors, equipment use, and public conduct on property, but declined to speak on camera.
Here is the link to the policies Gallaher-Trump violated: KK - Visitors to District Facilities**
KGF/EDC - Authorized Use of District Equipment and Materials
KGB - Public Conduct on District Property
KG-AR(1) - Community Use of District Facilities
In a statement, the district said:
"The former assistant track coach at Ridgeview High School, is no longer employed by the Redmond School District. Recently, at the District’s request, the individual received a trespassing notice from the Redmond Police Department restricting access to all Redmond School District properties. This individual violated policies: KK, KGB, KGF/EDC, and KG-AR(1). This action was taken out of safety and liability concerns. While it was not the District’s intention to address this matter publicly, we are committed to maintaining a safe environment for our students, staff, and community."
But Gallaher-Trump maintains the district never clearly communicated what she allegedly did wrong.
“I think what's wrong is they are so focused on — the word that comes to mind is a witch hunt. I know that's not what it is, but it's the word that comes to mind. They are so focused on pursuing something they have labeled as bad that they are missing out on creating what should be good.”
Athletes past and present have expressed disappointment over the treatment of Gallaher-Trump and the overall atmosphere of the program.
Senior Zowie Nunes, a three-time state champion in javelin and a Clackamas Community College commit, says she didn’t return to the team this year, in part due to how her and her former coach was treated.
“I wasn't going to do track, but Jesse really kept me there and had my back through it all," Nunes said. "And I had a bad coach last year, who just liked to talk some trash behind my back to her students, and it would get back to me. And then just some of the coaches would just say other things to the athletes who would come back to me with that kind of stuff. And it was just very, like deteriorating.”
“For the track program, I would like to see it more welcoming. I feel like it's not very welcoming to some kids, and that can be hard to find the courage to go out there and try something new or continue to do something. But when you have that pressure pushed against you, it's not nice. So, I'd like to see it be more of a community and like family-based area."
The situation escalated further on Senior Night, when parents say they were notified just the night before about the recognition of senior athletes. Two parents stepped up to create baskets — but one student, Kiki, was left off the list entirely.
Senior parent Danielle Isais said, “They did end up over the PA calling all the seniors to the field. And as I'm watching them all line up, I see Kiki standing there whose name was not on the list. There were nine seniors, not eight, and my heart just broke for her. It was already broken for all of the seniors that they were going to be forgotten. They were going to be neglected. But when I saw Kiki out there alone with nothing. And her face. My heart just broke for her.”
Disappointed by the incident, a video senior Kiki Robles posted of her mock shotput throw — mimicking a basketball shot — quickly went viral on social media.
Robles said, “There is eight. But there's nine of us. And then when I looked at the names, I realized I was left out. So just kind of was a little hurt because I, a team captain - I was expecting more.”
The school later responded about the parting ways of Gallaher-Trump and Senior Night:
"The well-being and success of our student-athletes are our highest priorities. While we recognize that change can be difficult, our intention has always been to provide the best possible support for our athletes.
"Regarding the recent concern about the recognition of our seniors at our last home track and field meet, we sincerely regret that one of our athletes was unintentionally excluded from the recognition. The oversight was not intentional. Once we became aware of the error, the student was announced over the loudspeaker. All Seniors will be recognized at the end of the year banquet as originally planned," the athletic department said.
Before the spring season there was a petition signed by hundreds of people to bring coach Jessie back to Ridgeview track. Not only seeing the support from the community, Jessie saw it from eight pole vault coaches all around Central Oregon who wrote a letter to the Redmond School District expressing their concern about the dismissal of Jessie. Her firing also caused her husband, also a former Ridgeview track coach, to resign and begin coaching elsewhere.
While Gallaher-Trump and others have lost faith in the track program and Ridgeview athletics, many others have not. KTVZ talked to multiple coaches, parents, and students that said they are happy with Ridgeview athletics and enjoy being a part of the athletic programs.
Either way, Gallaher-Trump will no longer be able to see her kids compete in sports, or even pick them up from school. She is also adopting three more kids and will not be allowed to register them into Redmond schools.
Still, for Gallaher-Trump, her family, and many others in the community, the experience has left deep wounds.
“I think that in the past couple of years, it's sad to say, but a reason why so many people were thriving was because they felt care and community - and the care and community is what's missing,” said Gallaher-Trump.
