Although he was fired over a month ago, support for O'Brien, who led the team to two state and two national titles in the last three years, has not dwindled, but grown stronger.
Former athletes have started a social media campaign called "Storm the Board" to encourage people to attend Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting where the board will discuss the high school cross country program. A "Keep Coach O'Brien at Arcadia" Facebook page page has generated 3,500 "likes."
O'Brien's supporters expect about 200 people will attend Tuesday's meeting, which will be held at the school district's performing arts center.
Although the board has put the matter on its agenda, it is unclear if the board will vote whether or not to reverse the decision to dismiss O'Brien, which was made by Superintendent Joel Shawn. No vote is scheduled for Tuesday.
Arcadia Unified School Board President Cung Nguyen said Tuesday's meeting will allow O'Brien and the community to speak to the entire board.
"At this time, I cannot predict if this could lead to a future vote on this matter," he said.
The school district held an informational meeting
late last month with parents and athletes to discuss O'Brien's firing, but attendees were dissatisfied with the explanation they were given for O'Brien's firing.School administrators have said O'Brien was dismissed because the school wanted to go in "a different direction."
In a YouTube video created by O'Brien's supporters, O'Brien explained that days after he was fired following public outcry at his ouster, he was given further explanation.
O'Brien said Shawn told him he was fired because he vandalized school lockers. O'Brien said he had painted a yellow X on lockers that were broken so that students wouldn't use those lockers because items were being stolen out of them.
In the video, O'Brien also said he felt school district administration have a "personal vendetta" against him because after being reprimanded for taking girls on a pre-season team trip to Mammoth Lakes for altitude training, he won a grievance against the school district.
Gary Yamada, one of the parents who is organizing the effort to reinstate O'Brien, said he is hopeful a school board member will initiate a vote Tuesday night to reinstate the coach.
"My hope is that a few of the board members would have the courage to make that vote," Yamada said. "I know it's unpopular to go against a recommendation made by a superintendent, but that's why we elect the officials, to speak for the people."
There are some supporters who are willing to initiate a recall effort of some school board members if no action is taken, Yamada said.
One organizer, Esmond Wei, who graduated from Arcadia High School in 2011, credits O'Brien with helping him get into New York University, where he runs and is studying finance and math.
"He brings something out of people that you just can't teach," Wei said.
O'Brien said the school district offered him a paid consultant job, where he would be able to interact with other students-- just not cross country team members.
O'Brien has said he would be willing to take the job as an assistant coach. The district hired Michael Feraco-Eberle, who worked under O'Brien for several years, as head coach.
His supporters do not think hiring O'Brien as an assistant coach is an acceptable option.
"We don't want to settle for anything less but to have the best coach in the country lead his team to another national championship," said Wei.
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