Popular Chatsworth Softball Coach Resigns, Citing Lack of Support

CHATSWORTH, CA — John Forgerson, a popular softball coach at Chatsworth Charter High School, resigned on May 11 after building frustration over not being allowed to maintain the school playing fields while the school is closed.

Forgerson, who has been coaching softball at Chatsworth since 2015 and led the team to City titles in 2015 and 2018, said that he spent many extra hours maintaining the school playing fields for no extra pay.

“It’s just gotten to a point where maintaining the fields without any outside help becomes hours,” he said. “We’ve got two full-blown fields there, and other than the big mower coming once a week, which isn’t enough, [there’s just me.] So I ended up mowing [the lawn] twice a week – it just became more of a chore, spending two or three hours of field maintenance or administration to every hour I’m actually coaching.”

Forgerson said that he took on many additional maintenance jobs, like weeding, maintaining the dirt, and building a press box. Once the COVID pandemic hit and the school closed down, Forgerson planned to continue the work he’d been doing, but he said that the school plant manager stopped him.

“Now that it’s COVID – no, you’re not allowed on the property,” Forgerson said. “Why? I’m not working with anybody, I’m not working near anybody, and I’m only doing something that isn’t being done.”

According to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News, the Los Angeles Unified School District has taken steps to close the fields because it is worried about liability.

Forgerson said that he spoke to Chatsworth High Principal Dr. Tim Guy about his plans for maintenance during the shutdown. But once he started trying, he was asked to leave. Still, Forgerson says that the administration and the athletic director have been “phenomenal,” but he has still grown too frustrated with the situation to work at the school any longer.

“That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Forgerson. “For six years I had done what I had set out to do, but that was the point of no return.”

Forgerson’s resignation comes right after the firing of Chatsworth baseball coach Dave Kaczor on May 8, which led to an outcry among parents, and players, according to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News.

“It’s a personnel issue,” Principal Timothy Guy told the Daily News about the firing. “That’s all I can say. I’d like to go in a different direction and I’d like to make the position available as soon as possible to the best possible candidates.”

Forgerson said he did not know enough about that particular situation to comment.

Dr. Guy did not respond to Patch’s interview requests.

Forgerson said that he received a similar outpouring of support from parents and students, and is confident that after a long coaching career, he’ll land on his feet. “I’ll coach again,” he told the Daily News.