Wednesday, January 28, 2004
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Wednesday, January 28, 2004 |
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‘Charge me, or drop it,’ BoE’s Powers says of coach flap By J. FRANK LYNCH Greg Powers finally broke his silence Monday night, nearly three months after the school board member was first accused publicly of arranging the “firing” of a middle school coach, allegedly because his daughter failed to make the team. “If you’ve got any evidence against me, file it with the ethics board,” a visibly shaken Powers declared after being admonished to “do the right thing” and “come clean” by two speakers during the public comment portion of Monday’s board meeting. “If you’ve got evidence, bring it forward.” It was the first time Powers or the board has openly acknowledged the charges trailing the second-term member, re-elected in 2002. The story first surfaced in The Citizen on Nov. 5 as part of the “Free Speech” section, claiming an unnamed board member got Whitewater Middle School girls basketball coach Jill Collins “fired” after his daughter failed to make the team. Subsequent “Free Speech” postings and a few letters to the editor also discussed the controversy, some arguing a coverup had occurred, others contending that nothing inappropriate had happened. Principal Sandra Kidd has said there is “no truth” to any of the rumors. She claims Conner volunteered to step down from coaching over an unrelated matter entirely, while Conner says she was forced to resign. Because coaches are appointed from among the ranks of classroom teachers, they cannot be “hired” or “fired,” Kidd said. Besides, Conner retains her teaching position and remains at Whitewater. But that didn’t appease parents and others convinced that Powers had somehow abused his authority. By Christmas, the story had taken on a life of its own, with inquiries from professional educators groups and ethics advocates and weekly demands from Citizen readers that something be done. Monday night, Peachtree City residents Jeff Wentzel and Chip Giertsen each took a turn at the podium, delivering pretty much the same message: By not responding to the charges, the school board and Powers in particular had caused the community to lose faith in its school system. “Mr. Powers has been elected to the public trust, and within the community there is perception, whether correct or incorrect, that there has been a breach of that trust,” said Giertsen. “Clarity is a better policy than silence,” added Giertsen, who attends most board meetings and is a self-described citizen watchdog. But Superintendent John DeCotis and board Chairman Terri Smith explained that because of policies that protect the privacy of the employee, they could not openly discuss the charges against Powers, who they say had no involvement in the situation at all. “This is a personnel matter and cannot be legally discussed in public,” Smith said. “The board and superintendent do not assign coaches and extra-curricular sponsors. These assignments are made annually by the principal. Principals may change coaches for whatever reason they deem appropriate. The principal has handled this appropriately within her jurisdictional authority.” Further, Smith said the board never considered a formal investigation or censure of Powers, believing early on that the matter was handled correctly at the administrative level and that he did not influence the decision that led to Collins stepping down from coaching. “The board had no meeting for the purpose of and has taken no action against any board member concerning the Whitewater Middle School coaching situation,” Smith said in a prepared statement Tuesday morning. “We did discuss the personnel matter involved in executive session.” But Wentzel and Giertsen each said not enough had been done. Wentzel suggested the entire matter points out the need for a countywide athletics director. Powers was identified as the board member in a news article in the Nov. 15 edition of The Citizen, but he did nothing wrong, say those who are closest to the situation. His wife did meet with the principal and coach, Powers said, which he said is her right and role as a mother. He chose to stay removed from that meeting to avoid an appearance of conflict, he has said. But that remains his only regret, Powers concluded Monday night. “The only thing I should have done was to be there with my wife during this,” Powers publicly, fighting to remain composed. “I left her there alone with my daughter and I regret that. I should have been there.”
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