Former Logan coach to get day in court

After nearly four years, it appears former Logan Municipal Schools teacher and basketball coach Rhyan Daugherty will have his day in a Quay County courtroom in late April with his lawsuit against the district’s superintendent, minus three earlier defendants.

A jury trial is scheduled for April 26-30 in Tucumcari district court with 9th Judicial District Judge Donna Mowrer presiding after 10th Judicial District judge Albert Mitchell Jr. recused himself. Daugherty is suing Logan schools superintendent Dennis Roch after he didn’t rehire him in April 2017.

Jimmy and Dallas Valentine of Nara Visa and Jay Cammack of Logan once were listed as co-defendants in Daugherty’s lawsuit, originally filed in May 2017.

Cammack and Jimmy Valentine won judgments in July, and Mowrer issued a judgment in favor of Dallas Valentine in March, removing all three from the lawsuit. In all three judgments, Mowrer ruled that many allegations under the Whistleblower Protection act were asserted only to Roch.

Daugherty lawyer Warren Frost of Logan holds an option to appeal the Valentines and Cammack decisions if he wins his case against Roch.

The civil complaint alleges Daugherty heard rumors during the 2015-2016 school year that Dallas Valentine had inappropriate contact with a student.

He at first dismissed them as rumors but contacted the New Mexico State Police that spring when the rumors persisted. State police investigated but found no substantiation and closed the case.

Later that summer, the Valentines acquired a copy of the police report, which identified Daugherty as the source of the allegation.

According to the lawsuit, the Valentines spent the ensuing months harassing Daugherty, undermining him with other Logan school employees and demanding that Roch terminate Daugherty’s employment.

The school did not take any action regarding the harassment, and Daugherty was informed April 19, 2017, that he would not be rehired for the upcoming school year.

An amended complaint filed in February 2019 added Cammack to the suit, alleging he aided the Valentines in their efforts to oust Daugherty with the sway he held over the community.

The case has seen dozens of hearings, notices and motions. At one point, a hearing was moved to Mowrer’s home court in Roosevelt County. As with many other court cases, it also was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to online court records, Roch is presented by Albuquerque attorney April White.

The Eastern New Mexico News contributed to this report.