The superintendent for Portland schools said he planned to issue a joint statement with the president of the NAACP Portland branch after a scheduled meeting between the two on Monday, in the wake of an incident in November in which the football coach at Deering High School stepped down from his job.

No statement had been issued by Monday night.

Superintendent Emmanuel Caulk and Rachel Talbot Ross, president of the NAACP Portland chapter and state director for the civil rights organization, disagreed last month on an investigation the school district conducted into complaints against the coach. That disagreement immediately preceded Matt Riddell’s departure from the team the day before Thanksgiving, for what Riddell said were personal reasons.

Talbot Ross said at the time that the incident was brought to the attention of the NAACP because there was concern that an investigation into serious complaints had been handled “frivolously.”

The exact nature of the alleged incident isn’t clear, since none of the parties involved will describe what happened, what was said or who was present.

Caulk would not talk about the nature of the complaints or the investigation, saying it is a personnel matter. Talbot Ross did not respond to requests for comment on Monday, and Caulk said the two would issue a joint statement Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning, after their meeting.

In her initial comments before Thanksgiving, Talbot Ross said it was important for the district to determine how the alleged behavior occurred and how to take action to prevent such things from happening.

Caulk issued a statement last week about the coach’s decision to step down, saying he was limited in his ability to comment because personnel matters are confidential under state law. He said that confidentiality comes at a price.

“Unfortunately, our obligation to keep personnel matters confidential sometimes leads to unfounded speculation and innuendo, or the mistaken impression that something is being hidden,” Caulk said in the statement issued Thursday. “In this instance, the coach’s decision not to reapply was entirely voluntary.”

Riddell has previously declined to comment on the issue. He could not be reached by telephone Monday.

The school district denied a request filed by the Portland Press Herald under the state Freedom of Access law for documents in the investigation, saying they are personnel records.

Caulk did not address the NAACP’s specific concerns about the investigation of Riddell, but did say the school department treats allegations of improper conduct seriously.

“While I cannot discuss this matter specifically, I can say that when concerns about employees are brought to our attention, we conduct a thorough investigation in accordance with applicable policies, we reach conclusions and we take appropriate action that is necessary based on those conclusions,” he said. “We are not perfect, but we do not tolerate discrimination in any form, and we respond firmly when it occurs.”

The complaints, the investigation and the coach’s subsequent departure have created rifts among some parents, according to postings on social media.

In Thursday’s statement, Caulk pointed out that Portland schools are the state’s most diverse and that the district has worked hard to encourage cultural awareness and sensitivity in students and staff.

Before the complaints surrounding the Deering football program arose, Caulk had initiated staff training on different forms of bias and those programs will be expanded, including training on discrimination, harassment and bullying for coaches and athletic administrators, he said.