Cheer coach canned after Playboy pictures surface

Cheer coach canned after Playboy pictures surface
In Playboy online, she was a "Cyber Girl of the Week" under the name Carlie Christine. But when officials in the San Juan Unified School District found out she was also Carlie Beck, cheerleading coach at Casa Roble High School, it apparently cost her her job.

According to district spokesman Trent Allen, Beck was hired in February and paid a stipend to coach cheerleading. But now, in Allen's words, "She's no longer employed by the district."

Allen would not elaborate, citing personnel confidentiality.
"I posed for Playboy before I was employed by the district," Beck told News10. "I feel I was honest and forthright about my modeling history before I was employed."

Cheerleading tryouts were postponed last week but started up again this week under the district's assistant cheerleading coach.

Parents and students were stunned at the news.

"It's kind of shocking because I had no idea that she would do something like that," said cheer parent Susan Calhoon. But she said her daughter enjoyed having Beck as her coach, adding, "She did a good job with the girls. I never heard anyone complain."

Some parents say the issue of Beck's pictures online came from parents who were upset their daughters didn't make the cheer squad.

"Jealousy issues or whatever between parents and other students and stuff like that with Carlie herself brought this all on," said parent Richard Spradling. His daughter is a cheerleader who says morale went up and the team turned around under Becker's guidance.

Calhoon said she believes the original complaint came from one disgruntled parent whose daughter wasn't allowed to try out for the team.

"I don't think it would have been an issue if her daughter would have been able to try out," Calhoon said.

Another parent, Sue Feather, said she felt sorry for Beck, but added it was a lesson for students, including her own freshman daughter at Casa Roble.

"Be careful what you get out there because it will follow you all the way through your life. And this is a great example for this gal and it's a great teaching moment as a mom for my child," Feather said.

Beck says she agrees that kids should be careful what they do online. "I went into this understanding that it would be on the internet and I think it's important that anything you put on the internet will be there the rest of your life and there is access to it, so it's important to understand that," she said.

Students who were aware of the situation generally seemed to feel the firing was unfair.

"I think that it shouldn't have anything to do with the school or anything. It was her personal life and it shouldn't have to be brought (up) for her career," said Casa Roble senior Rachael Powell.

Junior Megan Arosteguy agreed. "If she kept it secretive and made sure it wasn't any part of her cheer job, then I don't think it should have anything to do with it," Arosteguy said.

Beck says she plans to continue on with a modeling career that's included several less racy assignments. She says losing her coaching job was difficult for her. "I really learned to love these girls as well as their parents. And I definitely appreciate all of the support that I have been shown," she said.