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Former California high school basketball coach sues school district regarding his sudden termination

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez03/20/26lawandfern

A former California high school basketball coach sued the school district where he had worked, alleging that he was fired without due process. Tarini Mehta of the East Bay Times reported that Benjamin Gongora sued the Napa Valley Unified School District and is seeking to have his termination reversed. Likewise, he wants a hearing to clear his name and payment for damages, including back pay.

Vintage High School rehired Gongora in 2019, 15 years after his previous stint. However, the district released him from his position in March 2025. The district did not offer a clear reason for his termination, which Gongora claimed blindsided him.

According to Gongora’s lawsuit, the district accused him of “assault” after disagreeing with a call during their game at Sonoma Valley High School. However, he claimed that he did not harm or criminally assault anyone, especially the officials.

After the in-game confrontation, Vintage High principal Jessica Hutchinson informed Gongora that she received a phone call from a Sonoma Valley High employee regarding his alleged assault of a referee.

While the district investigated the incident, Gongora claimed the process was fundamentally flawed because they did not review available video evidence of the game or interview independent witnesses. He also requested written documentation of the specific charges against him four times but did not get a response.

The sudden termination also tainted Gongora’s chances of finding employment with another California high school basketball team. He also suffered emotional stress aside from financial strain. In addition to Hutchinson, Gongora also included Vintage High Athletics Director Maika Watanabe in the lawsuit.

Gongora led Vintage High to two Vine Valley Athletic League titles. The Crushers finished with an 8-18 record in 2024-25 and 10-18 the following year. Gongora’s coaching journey also took him to Napa High and Silverado Middle School.