PEORIA, AZ — The Peoria Unified School District refuses to release details and documents from its latest investigation of a wrestling coach and allegations of sexualized hazing among his athletes.
Former students and their parents went public in August 2025 with allegations of hazing and sexual misconduct among wrestlers at Liberty High School.
The wrestling families accused PUSD of failing to complete a thorough and transparent investigation in 2024 after initial reports and videos surfaced.
While administrators reopened the investigation, the school district put Liberty's head wrestling coach, Eric Brenton, on administrative leave.
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Supporters attended school board meetings and wrote emails to urge the district to reinstate Brenton. The board approved his return to teaching and coaching in January. In February, Liberty's wrestling team placed third in the state tournament.
When ABC15 followed up this week to request the final investigative report, a district spokeswoman replied in an email that no documents will be released.
She added, "All communications regarding this matter and shared with our Governing Board in Executive Sessions are protected by attorney-client privilege."
As a result, the findings are withheld from public scrutiny. It's unclear who was interviewed, what evidence was reviewed, if any allegations were substantiated, and whether any school policy was broken.
The Peoria Police Department, which also investigated in 2024, reopened its criminal investigation last August. That investigation is still open, according to a police spokesperson.
Five former wrestlers have filed notices of claim, precursors to lawsuits. Their claims allege the coach and district were negligent in their duty to protect students from hazing.
Peoria Unified School District previously told ABC15 that it takes all allegations of student harm very seriously.
The district also took steps to improve oversight, including additional cameras in Liberty's wrestling room, increased supervision, and greater involvement from the athletic director.
