Sam Buck

The Cody school board will soon be asked to decide the fate of a high school teacher and coach, who is contesting the district’s recommendation to terminate his contract.

In a rare move, Sam Buck — a special education teacher at Cody High School and assistant girls’ basketball coach at the middle and high school levels — waived confidentiality and opened his termination hearing to the public. It began Monday and wrapped up on Wednesday. 

While tenured employees are entitled to a termination hearing, it’s rare that they request one — and even more uncommon that they opt to have the proceeding opened to the public.

Buck stands accused of misconduct under Title IX and of acting against board rules and policies. Internal investigations spanned over half a year and Buck — who had been at the high school for five years — was placed on paid leave for nearly a year. 

Park County School District 6 administrators assert that Buck engaged in a variety of misconduct — including exchanging 1,300 texts to his athletes from his personal device throughout the day and in the evening, with a number unrelated to athletics or academics. An internal investigation also concluded that Buck sexually harassed a student in his classroom through shoulder rubs, and comments on her clothing.

The district asserts that Buck asked students for personal favors, transported them in his personal vehicle and inappropriately posted a video of the basketball team at the Thermopolis hot springs in their sports bras and spandex.

“While each of these instances alone may not be sufficient to fire a teacher besides the sexual harassment finding together under the totality of the circumstances, Mr. Buck’s actions towards his girl players and students are objectively unsettling,” Park County School District 6 attorney Alexandria Zafonte of Vincent and Zafonte said. “Mr. Buck’s unprofessionalism towards young, susceptible, innocent girls, starting in middle school and going into their high school career, creates an atmosphere where they are put at risk of being and are sexually harassed. This is grooming behavior.”

When confronted, Zafonte said Buck was arrogant.

However, Buck said the district’s case relies on second-hand information, hearsay and exaggeration, and he asserted there are vendettas in play. 

He told the Tribune the process has been “painfully excruciating,” “flawed” and should be changed.

“... this can’t be the way that school districts treat their employees and students in it,” Buck said.

As a part of his defense, Buck said the video from the hot springs was of an impromptu swim that followed a canceled game. It included two of Buck’s own daughters, he said, and he sent it to parents. Buck also posted the video on his personal social media where one of the accusing parents liked the post.

“So those are the truths that are being manipulated,” Buck said, adding, “This picture is not only false, it’s insulting to everything I’ve ever stood for in nearly two decades of service to young people.”

Buck added that many of the individuals he’s been accused of harming have supported him.

“I haven’t been perfect, I’m not perfect and I kind of explained that, and I’ve admitted to error, so definitely not arrogance there,” Buck said in his closing statement, adding, “My goal in this process has been simple, to ensure that the truth is heard and fairness prevails.”

However, Zafonte defended the two lengthy Title IX investigations, saying they show Buck should be terminated. 

“He fabricates conspiracy theories that people are out to get him and his wife, and he maintains that that is the motivation behind the administration seeking to terminate him,” she said.

Zafonte said the district has standards in place so teachers know appropriate student-teacher and student-coach relationships.

“This is especially important in a small community where people do know each other, because those lines can be easily blurred. The standard is that you cannot be the child’s friend, you cannot be the fun uncle,” Zafonte said. 

Teachers, she added, must be professional regardless of a relationship outside school. The district wants teachers to build healthy relationships with students, she said.

“He is insubordinate to the board and to the administration, and he has negatively affected the education of multiple girls,” Zafonte said. “The superintendent and the administration cannot allow him to continue teaching and to continue to sexually harass Park 6 students.”

Tense and crowded hearing

Over 20 members of the public attended the first day of Buck’s hearing in the district’s West Annex. The proceedings were overseen by Brian Hunter, a senior hearings examiner for the Wyoming Office of Administrative Hearings.

Buck, who had legal counsel prior to the hearing, represented himself due to financial constraints.

The climate within the board room was at times tense and the hearing moved behind closed doors after Buck mistakenly used the name of one of the complainants on two separate occasions. At other times, hecklers could be heard complaining when Zafonte raised objections to Buck’s presentation. One audience member removed himself after telling Zafonte to “shut up”; he was followed out by a Cody police officer.

The hearing followed two Title IX investigations into conduct involving Buck’s athletes and one individualized education plan (IEP) student in his classroom.

‘Inappropriate’ conduct?

The investigations reportedly began in the fall of 2024, when someone left a voicemail at the district’s Student Support Services Building alleging Buck had “inappropriate relationships” with female students. 

District Human Resources Director and Title IX Coordinator Chynna Singer said she then spoke with four staff members who indicated that Buck may have engaged in inappropriate conduct. She also interviewed five students, who mentioned potential concerns. 

The district then brought in an independent investigator, Paul Swenson, to compile a report, which was reviewed by Cheyenne attorney O’Kelley Pearson. 

The first Title IX investigation concluded that Buck, among other behaviors, exchanged text messages with his athletes, allowed students to regularly visit his classroom, and transported female students in his personal vehicle. An independent reviewer found Buck’s behavior did not constitute sexual harassment under Title IX but called his conduct “inappropriate and likely a violation of professional and ethical standards and several other board policies,” according to Singer.

The second investigation concluded that Buck sexually harassed a student on an IEP by telling her to change, because her clothing was a distraction.

Buck denies harassing any student, claiming the student had issues with other teachers and would exhibit work avoidance behavior. He claimed a former compliance facilitator who was not interviewed by Swenson could corroborate this. 

Making their cases

Buck admitted to texting students, but said the messages included some for coaching and others were congratulations on his recent marriage, other allegations included asking a female student to bring his son to the middle school from their shared location and allowing students to visit him in class (refuting bias based on gender).

He told the Tribune his “minor infractions” of policy are prevalent amongst staff and should have been addressed as a problem with the system or at least with an individual plan of improvement.

Buck and the school district must submit their proposed pleadings to Hunter by Dec. 5.

Buck said he’s seeking “accountability and justice,” specifically asking for a positive letter of recommendation and “a reasonable compensation package that would allow my family and me to begin rebuilding our lives and allowing the district to move forward without further division.”

“... I do not wish to pursue future litigation simply for the sake of it,” Buck said. “However, if it becomes the only remaining path to fully declare my name and restore the truth, it must happen.”

Following their submissions, Hunter will draft a recommendation on Buck’s termination. The school board then has 20 days to decide Buck’s status in executive session.

“Park County School District 6 will always follow federal and state law, the Department of Education rules and regulation and our school board policies, rules and regulations,” Superintendent Vernon Orndorff told the Tribune, adding, “We will always continue to put our students’ safety first and foremost and we’ll continue to do that.”