Report on player's death released

By ALEX STRICKLAND - Bigfork Eagle

The Bigfork District School Board voted unanimously to release the report of the investigation into the death of Bigfork football player Jeffrey Bowman on Monday.

The report was released to the Bowman family Monday evening at the board meeting and was released to the public and the media 24 hours later. The report was released after the Eagle went to press.

Bowman, 17, who had recently moved to Bigfork and joined the team, collapsed at a football practice on Aug. 13 and died one week later at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

The meeting Monday night was expedient, as the decision of whether or not to release the report was the only item on the agenda. Media from around the valley and Missoula was present as well as a handful of parents, students and the Bowman family.

Comments from the audience were restricted to non-agenda items, though Serra Valentine, who's son was a teammate of Jeff Bowman's, expressed concern over the handling of the incident and questioned whether appropriate actions had been taken to prevent similar situations in the future.

District Superintendent Russ Kinzer and Board Chaiwoman Maureen Averill explained some of the policies and procedures that are in place, including the staff review process that all coaches are subject to each year. They also explained that some faculty are trained in CPR or are Emergency Medical Technicians in what culminated in a terse exchange between sides.