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Clackamas won't charge snowboard coaches By JONEL ALECCIA No charges will be filed against three Medford snowboarding coaches accused of providing alcohol and marijuana to students at a state competition in March. "Unless they have any additional information for us, this is it," Shannon Kmetic, a deputy district attorney for Clackamas County, said Tuesday. "We're not finding a basis for criminal charges." Kmetic made the decision after reviewing results of a nearly two-month investigation by Medford police. Her agency handled the matter because Clackamas County has jurisdiction over Mount Hood Meadows and its environs, where the alleged crimes occurred. Kmetic said there was insufficient evidence to support charges of furnishing alcohol to minors or supplying a controlled substance to minors. But the Medford officer who conducted the investigation said he believed "it could have gone either way." "There was stuff there," said Ernie Whiteman, a community service officer. "But all the statements were made by kids and those are usually kind of hard to prove." Medford Police Lt. Tim George said it was unlikely that his department would seek new information for a reconsideration of the evidence. "We've exhausted all leads on that case," he said. The decision vindicates head coach Sean Crosby, 30, of Medford, and assistant coaches William Carl Peterson, 22, and Brendan Patrick Boynton, 24, both of Ashland. Hired by the Medford Ski Education Association, the men coached Medford high school snowboarding teams. But the fracas caused by the accusations will make Medford school officials more cautious in the future, Athletic Director Bruce Howell said Tuesday. An arrangement that allows the ski association to retain skiing and snowboarding coaches will continue, but the district's athletic code of conduct will be emphasized. "We're going to go back and re-teach those standards to those coaches," said Howell. "We need to stress the responsibility involved in this." Medford and Ashland school officials asked police to question the coaches after a parent complained that the coaches had furnished students with illegal substances while at a private lodge near Mount Hood Meadows. Four North Medford High School snowboarders were disciplined in accordance with school rules after the incident. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.