Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
BOURBON - Parents, teachers and fellow coaches filled the meeting room at Monday's Triton School Board meeting in a show of support for suspended Triton Varsity Basketball Coach Mike McBride.
The board suspended McBride for the remainder of this season at their Feb. 14 meeting after several parents and players brought complaints that McBride was verbally abusive to the players and asked for his dismissal from the coaching job.
At Monday's meeting, patrons questioned the propriety of the board's actions in response to the complaints.
"How can you suspend him without an investigation?" asked parent Jay Montalbano. "I would not want to be a coach or a teacher at this school system if this is what we're going to do."
Brian Everett, parent of a Triton basketball player, told the board, "I felt the suspension was unwarranted and unnecessary. Coach McBride's conduct has not been abusive."
School corporation attorney Roy Burbrink spoke on behalf of the board. Burbrink said the purpose of the suspension with pay was to distance McBride from a situation of conflict with those asking for his dismissal.
"The simplest thing for the school board to do is to provide some distancing between the conflicting parties," said Burbrink.
Chuck Whiteman, who identified himself as a taxpayer, said he thinks the suspension was appropriate.
"The teachers work for the taxpayer, not the other situation," Whiteman said. "There was a warning a year ago. From what I understand, he [McBride] was warned last year and nothing improved."
Triton Varsity Volleyball Coach Gayle Perry read a prepared statement to the board. Perry said the statement was on behalf of the entire varsity coaching staff at Triton High School. In her statement, Perry asked the board to rescind McBride's suspension "based on misinformation and lack of a prior investigation."
Perry told the board that, in a Feb. 22 meeting, she and her fellow coaches discussed McBride's suspension and decided on the formation of a group to handle similar situations in the future.
"All coaches and their staffs stand united in the expectation that a committee will be developed to delineate a process for the establishment of rules and protocol regarding due process for coaches," said Perry. "The committee would be an investigative process to hear concerns that have been brought through the proper chain of command prior to board action. The negotiating duties of this committee should be involved in the next master contract."
Perry asked the board to consider her comments and respond by or before the next school board meeting.
Several parents spoke on behalf of McBride, who is also a teacher at Triton Elementary, at the meeting, citing his positive influence on their children as students or athletes. Parent Brad Nordman told the board his son learned valuable lessons facing challenges in McBride's fifth grade science class. He said he regrets the board's action may cost the school system a good teacher.
Parent and Triton Golf Coach Jack Carpenter asked the board what kind of signal McBride's suspension sends to other coaches.
"What kind of pressure does that put on our coaching staff?" Carpenter said. "To pacify those kids and keep them happy?"
Terry Alderfer, who introduced himself as a supporter of Triton athletics, read a prepared statement to the board asking them for a public apology for their suspension of McBride. Alderfer said he feels the suspension sends a wrong message to student athletes and parents.
"The message I am hearing is, 'In athletics, if mom or dad or Johnny or Susie don't like the coach, we will just go complain to the board and we will get the coach fired,'" Alderfer said. "So now, in athletics, we are telling the kids or parents they run the program. I can guarantee more than once a coach got in my face and challenged my character and heritage. Did I go tell mom and dad? No. I done my best to meet the challenge, no matter how often I was challenged. Even if I did not like the treatment, I finished the season. That was the rule when I was growing up. You finish what you start. Don't go out next year if you cannot take it, but you will finish the season. No quitting."
The board did not respond to Monday's comments other than to clarify that McBride's suspension was in response to complaints received and to say the comments they received were corroborated.
