Booster Club president criticizes apparel contract selection, says coaches and parents were sidelined

Nate King, president of the Franklin Athletic Booster Club and a parent of five Williamson County students, used public comment time to criticize the district’s recent apparel contract decision and the bid evaluation process.

King said the district had the opportunity to provide Nike apparel to thousands of student-athletes but instead selected a vendor that "has consistently failed to honor the current contract by failing to provide for the needs of the student athletes in the county." He said athletic directors and coaches, who traditionally had input and a vote on such contracts, were not given a voice in the most recent selection and that one district employee had unduly influenced the process.

"You had the chance to do something great for the kids, but chose the status quo instead," King said. He also criticized the winning vendor’s owner, saying the owner professes commitment to the district while reportedly sending his own children to schools where they compete in Nike uniforms.

The board did not take action on apparel procurement during the meeting; King provided the board with a packet of detail and said it would be emailed later. He said the packet documents problems with the apparel bid process and the current contract and asked the district to reconsider how future apparel contracts are handled.

No formal board response or vote on the apparel vendor occurred later in the meeting; the matter remained in the public-comment stage at the close of the session.