Memphis City Athletic Director Out

[wtnoff]

Word is out today that Memphis City Schools Athletic Director is out. My understanding is that no reason was given other than "your services are no longer required!" Wonder where the City Schools , since they can't find funding to handle the 08 school budget are going to find the money to fight all the lawsuits that they face. Here should be another!!!

[therealgame]

Word is out today that Memphis City Schools Athletic Director is out. My understanding is that no reason was given other than "your services are no longer required!" Wonder where the City Schools , since they can't find funding to handle the 08 school budget are going to find the money to fight all the lawsuits that they face. Here should be another!!!

 

 

Educate us and explain why you feel a lawsuit is inevitable.

[wtnoff]

Educate us and explain why you feel a lawsuit is inevitable.

 

 

 

In case you weren't aware of it, there is something called fair practice in this country regarding job employment! Consider the type of system you have in the MCS. When Weedon resigned his position at Memphis State and accepted the position of AD with the city, numerous coaches within the system went to the board of education complaining that they did not want a "white" AD. Guess what! Weedon was called in by then Supt., Dr House and the job offer was rescinded. He was only able to retain the position by threatening to file a Fed. law suit. Facts are facts! How many white head coaches are in the system. Of approximately 27 schools, I think that only Central and Cordova have coaches that are white. The numbers say that 25 are black and only 2 are white. Do little bells go off here? I know of numerous coaches that have applied for positions within the city that were more than qualified and were denied with the explanation "We feel we need a black coach to serve as a role model for our predominately black students." This is unacceptable! I believe if you check, and I have, you'll find a policy statement by the board saying "All employment decisions are based on QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB PERFORMANCE". How does the city explain the fact that quality, proven coaches have applied for positions and coaches with no or little experience have been hired over them? I think you know the answer. I only wish people like Weedon and others that have been turned down for jobs, or replaced with NO EXPLANATION OR CAUSE would flood the law offices in Memphis. Weedon's case is simply another in a LONG line of people that have been replaced simply because of the color of their skin! Through the years, the civil liberties of employees and prospective employees have been stepped on by this group. It is inexcuseable, and totally unacceptable in today's society, yet it is allowed to happen time and time again. There is an old saying that goes, "Evil prevails when good men sit idly by and do nothing." Hopefully, someone like Weedon will choose to "do something."

[therealgame]

In case you weren't aware of it, there is something called fair practice in this country regarding job employment! Consider the type of system you have in the MCS. When Weedon resigned his position at Memphis State and accepted the position of AD with the city, numerous coaches within the system went to the board of education complaining that they did not want a "white" AD. Guess what! Weedon was called in by then Supt., Dr House and the job offer was rescinded. He was only able to retain the position by threatening to file a Fed. law suit. Facts are facts! How many white head coaches are in the system. Of approximately 27 schools, I think that only Central and Cordova have coaches that are white. The numbers say that 25 are black and only 2 are white. Do little bells go off here? I know of numerous coaches that have applied for positions within the city that were more than qualified and were denied with the explanation "We feel we need a black coach to serve as a role model for our predominately black students." This is unacceptable! I believe if you check, and I have, you'll find a policy statement by the board saying "All employment decisions are based on QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB PERFORMANCE". How does the city explain the fact that quality, proven coaches have applied for positions and coaches with no or little experience have been hired over them? I think you know the answer. I only wish people like Weedon and others that have been turned down for jobs, or replaced with NO EXPLANATION OR CAUSE would flood the law offices in Memphis. Weedon's case is simply another in a LONG line of people that have been replaced simply because of the color of their skin! Through the years, the civil liberties of employees and prospective employees have been stepped on by this group. It is inexcuseable, and totally unacceptable in today's society, yet it is allowed to happen time and time again. There is an old saying that goes, "Evil prevails when good men sit idly by and do nothing." Hopefully, someone like Weedon will choose to "do something."

 

 

Thanks for the explanation. Is this essentially what happened to your coach at East who is now at Munford? What is the status of the lawsuit that he is rumored to have filed?

[truhoopsfan]

Thanks for the explanation. Is this essentially what happened to your coach at East who is now at Munford? What is the status of the lawsuit that he is rumored to have filed?

 

 

I don't know the story with Weedon or Coach Randall. However, in public education, classroom teachers are tenured after so many years of service and have to be given a reason for dismissal. I may be mistaken, but I don't think administrative positions earn tenure. I think the director can pretty much reassign them where he/she wants.

 

Truth is, companies eliminate positions everyday (downsizing, layoffs, etc.).

[riverrat]

I don't know the story with Weedon or Coach Randall. However, in public education, classroom teachers are tenured after so many years of service and have to be given a reason for dismissal. I may be mistaken, but I don't think administrative positions earn tenure. I think the director can pretty much reassign them where he/she wants.

 

Truth is, companies eliminate positions everyday (downsizing, layoffs, etc.).

 

 

Coaches are only protected by tenure on the teaching side. Coaching "duties" are not protected.

[Galilee]

So you are saying that he was replaced because he is White, man that is crazy. The new boss has the right to hire his own staff. The principals he replaced were all black.

[truhoopsfan]

Coaches are only protected by tenure on the teaching side. Coaching "duties" are not protected.

 

 

Yeah, that's kinda what I was hinting at. I just don't see any grounds for a lawsuit as was suggested by a previous post.

 

BTW, the new Director has some "different" ideas. And, it is probably time for some "radical change" in MCS. If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got.

 

Good Luck, Dr. Cash!

[wtnoff]

Coaches are only protected by tenure on the teaching side. Coaching "duties" are not protected.

 

 

 

 

What a fallacy!!! Do you really think schools hire coaches (ex. Head Football Coach) because they are outstanding teachers. Most job boards advertise for a coach and don't even mention teaching positions. The cloak that School Boards hide behind is "Coaching is an extracurricular activity" and "Coaches are hired as teachers first". Consider the case of a coach that demonstrates outstanding teaching abilities, and his students perform at a particularly high level. Now let's assume that this great teacher/coach goes 1-9 at a school that traditionally wins region championships and misses the playoffs. Let it happen a second time and he's out! A teacher will earn anywhere from 45.00 to 68.00 per hour. Now before you start howling, remember a teacher is on a 190 day contract. With lunch and one off period look for that teacher to be in the classroom approximately 5.5hrs per day. Multiply 5.5 x 190 and you get the actual number of hrs. worked. Divide the annual salary by this number to get the rate of hourly pay. Do the same thing for a coach. Start in the Spring, include the weight program, spring practice, then add summer conditioning, Fall practice, Friday night games, Sat. washing, lifting etc.. Total these hrs and see what you get...Hundreds of hours. Divide the coaching supplement by the number of hrs. and look at the difference between pay. In Memphis, many coaches rate of pay comes out less than .25 cents per hr. NOW...Let's assume a coach does a lousy job in the classroon but a great job on the field, gym,etc.. Guess what...He/She is great. Now let's assume this same coach does a great job in the classroon but is a loser on the field or gym floor and more than likely they are gonna get canned. This translates to...Do a lousy 50.00 to 60.00 dollar an hr. job but a great .25 cent an hour job, here comes tenure and accolades. Do a great 50.00 to 60.00 dollar an hr. job but a poor .25 cent an hour job, you get canned! Does something look wrong here? The fact is (and has been accepted in numerous courts across the South) that now Coaches are being reconigized as what they are..Coaches. The courts have ruled in numerous cases that coaches have the same rights and protection as teachers. That's the way it should be!! Do you think Melrose hired the guy with 4 Super Bowl Rings because he's a great teacher? Do you think Coach Gaddis at Henry

was hired for his expertise in the classroom. No! He was hired to turn the football program around. What about George Quarrles at Maryville. How many classes do you think he teaches? Check the successful programs around the state and you'll find that most Head Coaches at large schools with traditionally successful athletic programs teach either one, or no classes. They sit in lunchrooms, studyhalls, serve as ADM. Assts. etc. Let's get real here. Now I generally don't give out information for free, I'm going to here because I am SICK of watching these atrocities happen. I will refer you to a case called White v. Banks (Cited as Tenn, 614 S.W.2d 33). The law states... "Relieving a teacher-coach of his coaching duties alone is not a "dismissal or suspension" of the teacher, but is equivalent to a transfer within the system and is goverened by transfer statue under Teacher Tenure Act. Now...here comes the IMPORTANT part. The transfer and dismissal of a coach is a transfer as long as "IT IS MADE IN GOOD FAITH, FOR THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND IS NOT ARBITRARLY, CAPRICIOUSLY, OR DUE TO POLITICAL OR IMPROPER MOTIVES. (Guess what..Racial discrimination falls in here!) To win in court one must demonstrate and provide facts, witnesses, etc to show that a discriminatory act did in fact occur. The days of the "change in direction, etc" are fast coming to a close for improper dismissals by school boards.

[wtnoff]

Thanks for the explanation. Is this essentially what happened to your coach at East who is now at Munford? What is the status of the lawsuit that he is rumored to have filed?

 

 

 

My understanding is that there are two suits pending awaiting a court date.

[noonesfool]

Teacher contracts across the state are for 200 days. 180 teaching and 20 days inservice or administrative.

The "period off" is a planning period where teachers prepare for their classes or grade papers (At least that what happens in the good school systems).

 

Coaches and administrators do not have tenure. However if they have tenure as a teacher or tenure prior to becoming an administrator they can go back to the classroom, unless they were released for very unprofessional conduct.

 

A coach or administrator without tenure when released is just that, released.

I know nothing about the Memphis city situation, but this is standard operating procedure across the state.

 

Retired former teacher/coach, administrator

[wtnoff]

Teacher contracts across the state are for 200 days. 180 teaching and 20 days inservice or administrative.

The "period off" is a planning period where teachers prepare for their classes or grade papers (At least that what happens in the good school systems).

 

Coaches and administrators do not have tenure. However if they have tenure as a teacher or tenure prior to becoming an administrator they can go back to the classroom, unless they were released for very unprofessional conduct.

 

A coach or administrator without tenure when released is just that, released.

I know nothing about the Memphis city situation, but this is standard operating procedure across the state.

 

Retired former teacher/coach, administrator

 

 

You are correct in one sense...however, when an administrator is moved back to a classroom, again it is not considered a dismissal or suspension but rather a transfer within the system. This is perfectly legal as long as it is not done for improper reasons. If a plantiff can provide proof of improper reasons, l.e. Discrimination as an ex., He or She is entitled to relief as deemed fit by the courts. As far as a coach is concerned, (let's use one with tenure as a teacher for example) he/she may be transferred within a school system (shipped off to another school) with absolutely NO RIGHTS ...UNLESS ..Some type of improper motive was behind the transfer. Prove it with facts and the transfer become invalid and damages (according to the extent) are ruled on. Hoperfully for the plantiff, in proving improper motivesw, punitive damages can be awarded along with actual damages. We are..Still in America.