—Scott Jemson, Gahanna Christian Academy, Gahanna, Ohio
Our school district has a media representative, so anytime there is any type of a crisis or situation pos- sibly involving media, we allow that special representative to handle it. Our athletic director and coordi- nators, along with campus admin- istrators, would all meet with the individual and decide on an appro- priate course of action. Usually, if a crime is committed or suspected in our school district, that employee is placed on leave until further in- vestigation. If it were me, I think the coach should at the very least be suspended and I do not think ad- dressing the team is appropriate. —Kelly Lozada, Caprock High School, Amarillo, Texas
In our district, coaches drive the bus to away games. The coach not only loses his or her license, but is also not allowed to drive for many years, which puts a burden on all the other coaches in the program. Sometimes this results in the coach losing his or her job due to the re- quirements of the position. Personally, I have never had this happen, but I believe that it all de- pends on where they were at the time. For example, if they were driving the bus or even their own car to or from a game, then I be- lieve that they should be removed from their position. That is just plain dangerous to be doing that on school time with children. If they were on their own time, on a weekend or during the summer, then the punishment from the law and the transportation department should be enough for a first-time of- fender. If it is a repeat offender, then suspension should be the result, possibly even termination.
—Kevin Johnson, Kingwood High School, Kingwood, Texas
If it’s a first-time thing with a coach in good standing we have
coachad.com
treated it like we do our athletes. They are suspended for 40 per- cent of their season, as we con- sider it a major infraction. We ask that he or she communicate with the team, and with the athletic di- rector and/or principal present for the purpose of being a witness, and then a statement is provided to the parents involved in the pro- gram as to what happened and the action taken.
If media information is neces-
sary, we let them know that the coach has been suspended while sharing the bare minimum of infor- mation given that we have not fired the coach and that we want him or her to continue working for us and want them to be effective in the fu- ture if possible. —Matt Tuggle, Attica High School, Attica, Ind.
If the arrest became public, I would have the coach apologize to the students and the staff. If it hap- pened again, I would fire the coach. If he or she learned their lesson, it would be a great teaching tool in terms of owning up to your mis- takes, learning from them and be- coming a better person as a result. This is a real-life event that every player can learn from. These are high school teenagers, and some of them are already drinking and they need to understand the con- sequences of their actions. Having someone who has gone through it may serve as a deterrent. —Joe Allen, Winston Churchill High School, Potomac, Md.
I have not had this happen to any of my assistants over the past 38 years. However, if it did happen I would first remember that we all make mistakes. Trying to be under- standing and fair with my judgment would be my first priority. I would not suspend the coach, but I would expect him or her to address our staff and especially the team to explain the mistake and take
March/April 2013 23
full responsibility by speaking out against driving under the influence. A short team meeting with a quick explanation from the coach and the danger of driving drunk would suf- fice for me.
I would not make comment to the media, depending on the circum- stances of the DUI violation. —Larry Zaragoza, Alamosa High School, Alamosa, Colo.
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