It is clear that people are misinformed about the concerns brought to the School Board, as a last resort, on Oct. 13, 2014.
The concerns were related to disturbing behavior on the part of a coach that had not been addressed adequately through proper channels. In fact, a meeting set for several parents to present concerns in a closed session was cancelled. Any parents desperately hoping to give kids a voice would feel backed into a corner-just as the Jacobs’ did.
I think Bill and Tina should be commended for speaking out. They are not the only parents who had concerns, but they are the only ones who refused to be stifled, despite knowing there would be backlash. There are other parents who had concerns, but for whatever reasons they backed down. Tina and Bill didn’t do that. And, they aren’t just advocating for their own kid.
I appreciate their tenacity and their example. They are demonstrating that you should do the right thing even if it doesn’t directly benefit you. I would like to see more support for doing the right thing. I think it would be a good example for our kids who don’t speak out about bullying they witness, out of fear that they will become the next target. Sadly, some adults in our community have demonstrated this notion perfectly.
Furthermore, these concerns were never brought forth as a personal vendetta or in an attempt to run someone out of town. It also had little to do with their son’s amount of playing time.
It was a plea, by passionate parents, for our administration and school board to address specific behaviors and issues that made kids feel unsafe and disrespected. It was about the kids who felt unheard, humiliated and afraid.
It was about the parents who had been dismissed and felt that pushing the issue would only cause increased frustration and retaliation against their younger children.
They didn’t call this coach a monster who should never have contact with kids. However, they have raised concerns about his actions as the varsity basketball coach which should have been addressed promptly, at the lowest administrative level, long ago.
At this time, the most important thing is to restore accountability and do the right thing for all involved, especially the kids.
Cathy Weis
Village of Oregon