Published Wednesday, August 28, 2002
about coach
Herald Staff Writer
Residents were stopped from speaking in public at a West Middlesex Area School Board meeting Monday about a man who is not allowed to be a volunteer football coach.
When Robin Fette, her father Charles Wheeler and resident John Pollock tried to ask why Mrs. Fette's husband, Doug, is no longer allowed to be a volunteer football coach for the high school team, they were told it was a personnel issue that could only be discussed in a closed-door meeting.
Fette, who has been a volunteer coach with the program for more than 10 years, was told earlier this month, after he had already attended several team practices, that he was not allowed to coach.
Mrs. Fette commended the Gridiron Club, the football team's boosters organization, for their volunteer work and financial support of the team. "But my husband, who was willing to ..." was all Mrs. Fette could say before Board President Thomas Hubert interrupted her, calling the situation a personnel matter.
Board Solicitor John Reed said the board would not address the topic in a public meeting. He said the board would meet with each resident individually in a closed-door session.
Mrs. Fette, who teaches in Hubbard Local Schools, claimed last month the school board never saw the credentials of potential hires and was hiring people who lacked teaching or extracurricular experience. Mrs. Fette, who applied unsuccessfully for district teaching jobs for two years, said there is no "rhyme or reason" to the board's hiring practice.
Mrs. Fette told school directors in July she was worried her speaking out would result in retribution against her children who are students in the district. It's her husband who's seeing the retribution, she said.
After her session with the board, Mrs. Fette said none of her questions were answered. She said she was told her husband isn't allowed to coach because he "didn't go through the proper channels" to be a volunteer.
Though claims were made it was Superintendent Al Jones who ordered Fette removed from the football program, Mrs. Fette said Jones told her he never said her husband couldn't be an assistant.
The board hired new teacher Kevin Briggs to be a varsity football assistant coach Monday. Director Warden Burger, who is also on the athletic committee, said the position is necessary because there is also going to be a junior varsity team and coaches are needed.
"I just told him (Jones) it's a joke to turn away volunteers," Mrs. Fette said.
After the closed-door meeting, Hubert said many times issues come up in regard to personnel that the board "cannot deal with in a public meeting." He said they "can't allow employees to be defamed."
Hubert said the personnel committee, including Burger from the athletic committee, is going to investigate the situation, report their findings to the full board, and the full board will make a decision.
Jones was quick to add that the results of the investigation "could be positive."
"I think right now we just need to step back for a little bit and get the facts," Hubert said.
Fette was not at the meeting.
Jones gave a prepared statement in July in which he defended the district's hiring practices. He said Mrs. Fette's criticism of the hiring practices "demeans the integrity" of administrators and "casts a cloud" over the new hires. Jones said the administrators followed the hiring policy when selecting and recommending teacher candidates to the school board.
That policy includes a combination of credentials, interviews, experience and teaching a simulated lesson. The board makes the final decision on whom to hire.
Mrs. Fette, who was a substitute teacher in the district during 2000-01, said she wasn't even given an opportunity to go before the board. She said the board should be given an chance to see the credentials of all applicants.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at kgarrett@sharonherald.com