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For nearly a half-hour, he told them their daughter was a liar and a troublemaker. She hasn't been showing up to work, he said, and she even stole his cell phone and sent sexual text messages to other girls on his contact list.
He explained he was just trying to help out a troubled teen.
They believed him. After all, the coach, Johnny Pride, was an adult, and he seemed convincing.
When the parents confronted their younger daughter, she told them Pride had asked her via text message to have sex with him. They thought she was lying and punished her for it.
Then their older daughter, a 17-year-old high school cheerleader, told them Pride had once invited her to a party at his Valencia apartment.
Pride, 26, told the girl's parents his cell phone had been stolen and someone else had sent the text messages.
But when detectives arrested Pride, who is running for Santa Clarita City Council in the April 13 election, for investigation of rape, the parents were horrified.
The District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute Pride, citing insufficient evidence. But sheriff's Detective Dan Scott said the investigation is continuing as detectives await DNA evidence. And he confirmed that at least one other alleged victim has come forward.
Pride could not be reached for comment and has not appeared at recent City Council debates or forums.
Despite Pride's release, Shelli and Pat said they're now convinced their girls were telling the truth.
"I feel bad because I gave Tina a bad time," said Shelli, the girl's stepmother. "I feel betrayed and I feel bad for her.
"This happened to two of my stepchildren. How many other girls have been involved in this? This is two in one house."
William S. Hart Union High School District officials have confirmed that while Pride was only employed by the district for about a month, he also volunteered as a pole-vaulting coach at Saugus High School for most of the 2008-2009 school year.
Spokeswoman Pat Willett said she had no record of Pride, who recently changed his last name from Scarpitta, volunteering as a coach at Canyon High School. However, two girls on the school's pole-vaulting team said he had been their coach for about a year.
