Horizon softball assistant coach fired, head coach investigated for alleged inappropriate comments

Orange County Public Schools’ Office of Professional Standards has opened an investigation into allegations against two Horizon High softball coaches regarding alleged inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of a pair of softball players, according to emails obtained by the Observer. 

Buddy and Katie Hernandez, parents of Horizon freshman Paisley Hernandez and junior Lila Hernandez; and Tania Lamb, mother of senior Addison Lamb, have both accused assistant coach Marlando Stiles of making inappropriate comments regarding the Hernandez sisters’ physical appearances and the fit of their school-issued athletic apparel. They asked for the removal of head coach Stephen Lenzi.

“At the Horizon versus Lake Brantley game on April 18, as the girls were warming up before the game — and Paisley was warming up with Addison — all of a sudden, Addison, stopped warming up and just held the ball … and her jaw dropped to the ground,” Katie Hernandez said. “Paisley asked Addison, ‘What was the matter?’ And Addison was so taken aback at first she didn’t even want to tell Paisley.”

According to the Hernandez parents and Tania Lamb, the senior pitcher heard Stiles making comments about the younger Hernandez sister’s body and comparing her to her older sister.

Lenzi allegedly laughed at the comment before noticing  Addison Lamb had overheard and said to Stiles: “Addie heard you.” 

To which Stiles responded, “Oh (expletive), I’m going to get fired.”

Katie Hernandez told the Observer her daughter went over to the coaches and asked what they had said, and they all “laughed at her, and Steve said, ‘We just said you needed bigger pants.’”

Emails obtained by the Observer show Horizon Principal Andrew Jackson told the players’ parents, following the allegations, Stiles had been removed from the Horizon softball coaching staff, and Martha Chang, executive area director of Orange County Public Schools, said the Office of Professional Standards is investigating. Lenzi was allowed to remain on as coach and finish the season.

The three players — all of whom have been vital to the Hawks’ success in 2025 — chose not to continue playing for Lenzi because they felt uncomfortable with him remaining on and missed the remainder of the season.

“Before we filed our incident report … I asked Paisley what she wanted to do,” Katie Hernandez said. “She told me that she couldn’t be around them because she felt so uncomfortable.” 

Buddy and Katie Hernandez contacted OCPS’ Title IX coordinator to file an incident report of sexual harassment on May 8, May 12 and May 14. As of press time, neither parent has received any communication from the coordinator.

“For all the money in the world, you couldn’t pay me to do this year all over again,” Paisley Hernandez said. 

Addison Lamb, the lone senior of the three and one of two of Horizon softball’s first four-year players, echoed her freshman teammate’s feelings toward Lenzi remaining on staff.

“It’s been really sad for her, for us really, because Addison loves softball, and softball was her happy place,” Tania Lamb said. “(Softball) was where she felt like she fit in, and then after this happened, she didn’t want to go anymore. Some people will say that she quit the team. But really, she just refused to play for a coach. Had there been an interim coach brought in or even if they had left the JV coach in charge, she would have kept playing, because she really loves the sport. The funny thing is that I have never been a fan of Coach Lenzi and have been asking Addison to transfer for the last two years. … But she has always liked him and would always defend him. I knew that this really affected her, because to decide to not play for him and finish her senior season was a big decision because she had always been a fan. She just wasn’t comfortable around Coach Lenzi anymore, after he laughed at the statement that was made, and then even his response saying, ‘No, we were just saying you needed bigger pants.’ It felt like he brushed it off like it was nothing. And so it’s been really hard.”

In an email obtained by the Observer, Tamika Redfin, a senior manager for OCPS’ Office of Professional Standards, confirmed to the Hernandez parents a decision regarding the allegations were made and they “will be notified via email once the case is closed with the findings.”

Redfin was contacted but declined to comment on the investigation and the decision she referred to in the email. 

On Monday, April 21, Buddy Hernandez received two voicemails from Lenzi, asking to speak to him “as a friend, as family.” He later left another voicemail on Saturday, April 26, asking Buddy Hernandez to call him back.

“Hey, man, I know you’re upset,” he said. “I’m not here to argue with you. I’m not here to lie with you, man.”

Lenzi was contacted repeatedly but declined to comment on the allegations. Multiple attempts to contact Stiles, Jackson and other OCPS employees were made but were unsuccessful, as were attempts to contact OCPS’ Title IX office.

This is an ongoing story and will be updated once OCPS’ investigation officially closes and the finding can be obtained via a public records request.