Salem, Ore. – The Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC) voted unanimously Friday to launch a formal investigation into Crook County High School Principal Jake Huffman, finding there is “a substantial objective basis” to believe he may have violated state ethics laws by using his public position and school district facilities to benefit a private wrestling business he owns.
The Commission’s preliminary review centers on Huffman’s operation of Central Oregon Wrestling Academy LLC—commonly referred to as COWA—from the high school gym without a contract in place between April 2022 and December 2024. Investigators allege that the for-profit business used school resources without paying required rental fees by operating under time slots formally reserved by another group, the nonprofit Cowboy Mat Club.
“The allegations in this case is that Jake Huffman used their official position as the high school principal and also used district resources to financially benefit the operation of a for-profit business, Central Oregon Wrestling Academy LLC, also known as COWA, and that organization is owned by Mr. Huffman,” OGEC Investigator Andrew McIntyre told commissioners during the hearing.
McIntyre explained that under district policy, Cowboy Mat Club qualified as a Type A organization eligible for free gym use, while COWA would be categorized as a Type B entity, subject to a $20-per-hour fee. “It does not look like COWA paid any fees to use the facilities of the gym between April of 2022 and December 21 of 2024,” he said.
Huffman admitted during his testimony that his organization operated under Cowboy Mat Club’s reserved time and that he later formalized a contract for COWA once he became aware of the policy violation. “Cowboy Mat Club asked me to run the advanced portion of the practice, so I did do that,” Huffman said. “As soon as I knew that I wasn’t supposed to do that, I got a contract signed so that the entities were separate.”
That contract—now in place between Huffman’s for-profit business and the school district—has raised additional questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Huffman’s ongoing role as a district official. He further acknowledged that he failed to file any required conflict-of-interest disclosures. “A lot of this is probably my own fault, because I didn’t do the necessary research to figure out what I needed to do,” he said. “At the end of the day, all we want to do is provide an opportunity for students to get better at wrestling.”
Huffman is a longtime district employee who previously served as head wrestling coach at Crook County High School. He was promoted to assistant principal in July 2019 and later advanced to his current role as principal.
While OGEC proceedings do not permit the public release of full investigative materials at the preliminary stage, the timing of the alleged facility misuse raises new questions about the district’s internal response. McIntyre noted that the uncontracted use of district resources ceased in December 2024—the same month Crook County School District became embroiled in a widely publicized controversy involving Athletic Director Rob Bonner and then-superintendent Melissa Skinner who resigned amid the intense controversy earlier this year.
At the time, hundreds of students walked out in protest of Skinner’s reported efforts to reassign Bonner, whose position includes oversight of facility usage requests. Initial reports suggested the dispute stemmed from a parent complaint about Bonner’s handling of issues involving a former volleyball coach before their resignation earlier in 2024. However, the emergence of the ethics investigation has prompted new questions about whether Bonner’s reported knowledge of Huffman’s uncontracted gym use may have played a role in Skinner’s decision to reassign him during a rumored district-led investigation last year.
Whether Bonner’s administrative actions or objections played any role in prompting the OGEC’s current investigation remains unclear, but community speculation has intensified as more facts come to light.
At issue are potential violations of two specific Oregon statutes. Under ORS 244.040(1), public officials are prohibited from using or attempting to use their official position to obtain financial benefits for themselves, their businesses, or their households that would not otherwise be available to the general public. Meanwhile, ORS 244.120(1)(c) requires public officials to publicly disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest when participating in decisions or actions that could financially impact them or an associated business.
Commission Chair David Fiskum emphasized that Friday’s vote does not represent a finding of guilt. “The motion uses the word ‘may.’ We’re not finding there to have been a violation. We’re expressing the need for more information,” Fiskum said, thanking Huffman for his testimony and cooperation.
The Commission voted 8–0 to move forward with a formal investigation. Huffman remains in his position with the Crook County School District. Requests for comment from Huffman and the district are pending.
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 voted unanimously Friday to launch a formal investigation into Crook County High School Principal Jake Huffman, finding there is “a substantial objective basis” to believe he may have violated state ethics laws by using his public position and school district facilities to benefit a private wrestling business he owns.){kind=link}