Witnesses, Evidence Say Man Arrested At Speech Tournament Was With East High Team

The Wyoming man who made international headlines for allegedly causing a panic that prompted a massive stampede exodus from a debate tournament Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, was there with Cheyenne’s East High School, contrary to the district’s official statement that he wasn’t associated with the team.

The man was with Cheyenne East students and coaches throughout the day Thursday, according to a parent and a student who attended the event and who spoke to Cowboy State Daily on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Jayden Roccaforte, 22, of Cheyenne, was arrested after mounting the stage of the 2025 National Speech and Debate Tournament and making unsettling gestures and statements that prompted a sudden evacuation of thousands of spectators from the venue.

Wearing a backpack, swaying after taking the stage, Roccaforte asked "You wanna hear a joke?" then yelled "knock knock!" according to media accounts and videos of the incident. He turned, removed his backpack and crouched over it as if to remove something.

"Run away?" an attendee asked, and the stampede exodus followed.

Roccaforte faces one charge of disorderly conduct and two counts of drug possession, according to the Des Moines Police Department.

An August 2024 blog post by One Clap Speech and Debate says Roccaforte, a four-time national champion in the field, also has coached East High students after his graduation.

Denied Connection With School

Laramie County School District 1 on Friday denied Roccaforte’s connection with the school at Thursday’s event, but the parent and student say he was there with the team and coaches during the event. Also, screenshots of a group chat with coaches and students show Roccaforte was part of the chat and closely associated with the team.

Roccaforte had gone to watch the East High team win an award and was involved in the team’s group chat along with the high school students, the screenshots show.

Now a West Kentucky University student, Roccaforte went to the city independently, the parent said, but traveled around Des Moines with students in a school district vehicle and accompanied students to at least one meal once there.

“He was, like, sitting right next to the East speech and debate coach,” said the parent in a Friday evening phone interview. “And then to find out that not only was this kid allowed in the vehicles with our kids, he was in the vehicle and had possession of two different controlled substances — whatever they may have been.”

The student said Roccaforte wasn’t there to coach, but was there supporting the team.

“He was kind of just hanging out with people,” said the student. “There wasn’t really anyone to coach at that point; we were just going there to (perform).”

Roccaforte had accompanied the team in past years, the parent added.

The Orange Ribbon

In TikTok videos of the incident, Roccaforte is shown wearing an orange “attendee” ribbon, which indicates a school or team had approved him to join the event as an attendee.

Contestants and students wear color-coded ribbons for security reasons, according to the National Speech and Debate Association.

Another page on the association’s website addressed to school personnel says, “You must register any individual entering a tournament venue with your school.”

What The District Claimed

Mary Quast, community relations director for the school district, told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that Roccaforte was not affiliated with the school or the East High speech and debate team.

“The individual is not an employee or a volunteer; not affiliated with East — that’s probably key as far as what you were asking,” said Quast.

Quast said she had “no idea, sorry,” whether Roccaforte traveled to the event with the team, but that he was not “associated with East High speech and debate.”

Screenshots

Screenshots of the group chat sent to Cowboy State Daily, coupled with the interviews, tell a different story.

Roccaforte joined the group chat with coaches and students June 11, one screenshot shows, indicating he would have been involved in the group’s communications throughout the tournament, which started Sunday.  

Roccaforte was removed from the chat after the Thursday incident.

An email from team head coach Marcus Viney sent to tournament attendees from East High at 9:45 p.m. Iowa time Thursday, emphasizes that Roccaforte traveled to the tournament “independently,” but also notes he was there to see the East High students.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that the person responsible for the disruption is a former student of the East program,” wrote Viney. “He travelled to the tournament independently of the team with the intent to celebrate an important team award.”

Don’t Talk To The Press

Another screenshot shows that Cheyenne East Assistant Coach Ashley Schulz dispatched a group text message midday Friday to the team, saying: “If anyone gets contacted by the news, we are not allowed to speak with them at all. the district will comment. NOT us.”

Schulz did not respond by publication time Saturday to a voicemail lodged with her listed cellphone number asking for comment on the text, and about whether students would face any discipline for speaking to the press.

The message she sent at two minutes after noon Friday, Iowa time, would have coincided with about 11 a.m. Wyoming time as Cowboy State Daily was calling district personnel seeking comment.

“Please let us know if someone tries to contact you,” added Schulz.

Principal At Tourney

Viney had sent another post-incident email to the tournament attendees connected with Cheyenne East, updating them that “All East kids are safe and with me,” and that East High School Principal Marc Kerschner was also with the team.

Viney did not respond to Friday and Saturday voicemail requests for comment.

When Cowboy State Daily attempted to contact Kerschner on Friday, his wife’s cellphone number was unintentionally called instead. His wife offered to put Kerschner on the phone but after relating to him that it was the news outlet on the phone, she said he was no longer available.

No Word

Quast didn’t respond to a voicemail and an email sent to her early Saturday morning seeking comment and clarification on the district’s statements that Roccaforte wasn’t associated with the East High team.

An email also was sent to Laramie County School District No. 1 Communications Coordinator Brad White.

Neither responded by publication time.

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.