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Parent and coach urge Scotia-Glenville board to review handling of modified tennis dismissal
Summary
Two parents asked the board to review the district’s discipline and communications practices after an eighth-grade student was removed from the modified tennis team; they cited text-only notification, inconsistent explanations and delayed responses and asked for an in-person meeting and document review.
Patty Newell, who identified herself as a parent of three district students and as holding a PhD in education, told the board she was disappointed with how the district notified her family about her son’s removal from the modified tennis team and with follow-up communication. "Our son's dismissal was communicated through a parent square text message sent at 6:07 p.m. this past Tuesday evening," Newell said, adding that neither she nor her son received a prior phone call or in-person conversation.
Newell said the reasons provided in subsequent communications changed, multiple attempts to reach school staff went unanswered for roughly 16 hours, and that the family has not yet received a complete explanation or a formal in-person meeting to discuss the decision. "To this day, we have not received a complete explanation of the process used to reach this decision, nor have we been offered a formal in-person meeting to discuss our concerns," she said. She asked the board to review the communication and decision-making process for student discipline and extracurricular removal; to provide her family a formal in-person meeting; to review email exchanges among involved parties; and to reconsider how the district talks about athletics so that respect and transparency are guaranteed to every student.
Kevin Sullivan, identifying himself as a parent and as the president and head coach of the nonprofit Glennville Barntormers, expanded on the communication and policy concerns. He described inconsistent application of a 7:50 a.m. attendance rule, late or missing coach communications during the modified season, short and irregular practice times, and what he described as signs of favoritism by the coach. "When policies are hidden and communication is non-existent, coaches can operate with unchecked bias, and that is what leads to things such as an eighth grader being permanently dismissed with no parent or student notification indicating there was a problem," Sullivan said.
Both speakers asked the board to review policies and ensure clearer, documented procedures for coaches and athletic staff. Board members acknowledged the concerns and said they would follow up with district administration and the parties involved.
