Westlake High School and the Conejo Valley Unified School District have publicly supported football coach Rick Clausen after an anonymous letter, purportedly from a group of concerned parents, alleged that some Warrior players may have been improperly recruited to the public high school.
Letter alleges improper recruitment
The letter, dated Oct. 28, was sent to several area high schools, including Agoura and Calabasas. It claimed its authors “have received information raising concerns that certain student‑athletes from your school may have been approached or encouraged to transfer to Westlake for football‑related reasons and that, in certain instances, financial or other material inducements may have been offered or discussed.” The unknown authors said they were “under the direction of legal counsel” and had hired a private investigation firm to examine whether residency, transfer, or enrollment information submitted for certain transfers accurately reflected the students’ actual circumstances.
Coach Clausen and the district respond
Clausen, a Westlake Village resident and former University of Tennessee quarterback, told The Acorn that the letter could be motivated by resentment over his team’s recent success. He noted that Westlake went winless in 2024, hired him as head coach, and then posted a 10‑1 record the following season. This year the Warriors were 7‑3 before falling to Dana Hills High School 28‑17 in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.
Mark McLaughlin, superintendent of Conejo Valley Unified, said neither the district nor Westlake High received a copy of the letter and expressed his “full support” for Coach Clausen. “Additionally, the District and Westlake High School have not received any complaints or information identifying specific allegations related to any currently enrolled student‑athletes participating in the Westlake High School football program,” McLaughlin said. “As such, the District has not initiated an investigation into the concerns referenced in the anonymous letter.”
School officials affirm program integrity
Westlake Principal Jason Branham, formerly the school’s athletic director, praised Clausen, saying, “Coach Clausen has done a phenomenal job building the Westlake High School football program over the last two seasons. He leads with integrity, instilling the same values of strong character, accountability and respect in our student‑athletes on and off the field. During Clausen’s tenure there have been no CIF recruitment violations involving members of the football program.”
Clausen, when asked about the allegations, referred to a statement he provided to high‑school sports reporter Tarek Fattal: “I will not apologize for building a program built on good families and good kids who have goals and aspirations to go to college. Everything in our program is earned through competition. For some kids and families, competition is a foreign concept and they feel they are ‘entitled’ to certain things. That is the old Westlake and that does not fit with the direction of this program going forward.” He added that the letter’s authors could be Westlake parents or individuals associated with other schools, public or private.
Background on the Clausen coaching duo
Rick Clausen previously served as an assistant coach at Oaks Christian, Calabasas High and Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, working alongside his brother, Casey Clausen. The brothers earned a reputation for turning around struggling programs: Calabasus posted a 44‑11 record from 2014‑2017, winning back‑to‑back CIF Southern Section championships in 2015 and 2016; Alemany reached the CIF finals in 2021 after missing the postseason for four years prior to the Clausens’ arrival. Casey Clausen joined his brother at Westlake High in Thousand Oaks as an assistant coach.
The anonymous letter also cited CIF rules prohibiting undue influence in student enrollment or transfers for athletic purposes, as well as regulations governing pre‑enrollment contact, athletic motivation and changes of residence. The authors wrote that their desire was for “the stellar athlete to continue to excel at his neighborhood school” and that the allegations “remain under investigation” but are not intended to accuse any particular student or family.
Community reaction
Local residents and parents have expressed mixed feelings. Some view the rapid turnaround of the football program as a cause for concern, while others commend the Clausen brothers for restoring pride to Westlake athletics. The district’s decision to refrain from launching an investigation reflects a cautious approach pending any concrete evidence.
As the story develops, the focus remains on ensuring that Westlake High’s football program operates within CIF guidelines and that any future transfers are handled transparently and in the best interest of the student‑athletes.
Original reporting: Thousand Oaks Acorn — read the source article.
