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Parents urge removal of Parks and Recreation coordinator, allege bullying and retaliation
Summary
Multiple parents accused Parks and Recreation coordinator John Witick of bullying, retaliation and mismanagement at the council’s open forum; council members asked staff to gather facts and said an outside investigation may be appropriate.
At the June 3 East Grand Forks City Council meeting, several parents urged the council to remove Parks and Recreation coordinator John Witick, saying his conduct toward youth and volunteers has driven players and families away.
Matt Hanks, who identified himself as a parent and longtime youth coach, spent more than 20 minutes outlining a written complaint and asking the council to remove Witick from his city position. "I'm here tonight to formally request that the city take action to remove John Witick from his position with our park and recreation department," Hanks said, then described a year-long pattern of "bullying, retaliation, dishonesty, and mismanagement" that he said affected his children and other participants.
Hanks alleged specific incidents…
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