Published Tuesday, January 14, 2003
By Amanda Smith-Teutsch
Herald Staff Writer
Parents of Sharpsville High School basketball players arrived en masse to the school board's meeting Monday night to talk about the controversial forfeiture of the Jan. 7 game against Wilmington High School.
About 25 people attended the work session, eager to share their views about the situation.
The crowd was drawn to the meeting after learning the game had been forfeited because a player, Tim Gardner, was tardy without an excuse the day of the game and therefore was ineligible to play.
On the absentee bulletin that head coach Rob Spon received the day of the game, Gardner was marked as having an excused absence, making him eligible to play.
He checked in at 8:04, four minutes after classes started.
"When I was handed the report as we were getting on the bus, it was the first time I'd ever gotten one. I saw a few of my players on the list, and I made sure no one was unexcused. I would never play a kid who was ineligible," Spon said.
Board President Terry Karsonovich did not want to let the audience members speak at the work session, saying it would "break the policy."
After a majority of the board voted to let the audience speak, Rick Supel of South Pymatuning Township presented a written statement to the board.
"I am not here to point fingers," he read. "I am here to ask each and every one of you ... to look into what happened to this basketball team last week. I hope after your research, you will come to a decision that is in the best interest of these kids."
Supel, who has a son on the team, said he felt the "ordeal could have been prevented if handled in a different way."
Some people were angry with the school's policy, saying it has nothing to do with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
"It was just a misunderstanding that could have been handled differently," Spon said, "and could have been avoided with communication."
Spon, who does not teach in Sharpsville, said he doesn't disagree with the policy. "It teaches responsibility. But if someone would have called, said there was a mistake, and said, 'Don't play this kid,' I wouldn't have."
Gardner's mother, Kim, attended the meeting to protest the fact her son's name was given to the media without her permission.
Before the floor was opened to the audience, school board solicitor John C. Reed cautioned those in attendance to watch their words.
"If this has to do with any specific person, we must go into executive session," he said, explaining that would make the matter a personnel issue. "I must protect the school district and the audience from lawsuits," he said, adding that any derogatory remarks could be grounds for a defamation-of-character lawsuit.
The board did hold a closed-door session, and during it, Reed came into the hallway to answer questions. Many wanted to know when their concerns would be addressed.
Crowd members said Reed told them neither the game's forfeiture nor the school's policy could be added to the board's agenda for this month's regular meeting, and any change in the policy would have to have two hearings before it could take effect.
Also, he explained, since Monday's meeting was a work session, school directors could take no action on anything and could not answer questions. All they could do was listen to the public, he said.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at: ateutsch@sharonherald.com