Blackman

[texas23]

A Blackman High volunteer wrestling assistant coach has been dismissed by Rutherford County Director of Schools Harry Gill Jr. because of inappropriate language found on the coach’s Facebook page.

 

Kenneth Hammonds, who has been a volunteer coach for nine seasons, has been told he no longer can volunteer there after a parent discovered the Facebook page and reported it to the Rutherford County Schools central office.

 

School spokesman James Evans said the language was not sexual in nature, but it was “inappropriate in nature.â€

 

“He had given several students access to his Facebook page and was communicating with kids through that,†Evans said. “We feel it’s important to keep a professional buffer.

 

“We’ve been training principals and teachers for a number of years about the importance of keeping that buffer, such as not giving cell phone numbers and texting students.â€

 

Evans said that buffer includes not using personal web pages, personal e-mail or social media such as Facebook and Twitter to have direct contact with students because it could lead to inappropriate situations.

 

Hammonds said he was upset over the dismissal.

 

“I poured my heart and soul into Blackman and never thought something like this would happen,†Hammonds said. “I’m heartbroken about it.â€

 

Evans said Hammonds was solely a volunteer.

 

“He was not an employee of the school district,†Evans said.

 

Hammonds had been approved solely to volunteer for Blackman High wrestling by the school board. Evans said Hammonds could apply to volunteer at a different school, but he didn’t know the likelyhood that Hammonds would be approved.

 

Evans said Hammonds hadn’t received that specific training with the central school office, but all principals have been told to go through the training with teachers, coaches and volunteers.

 

Evans said he did not know if Blackman High principal Gail Vick held any previous training with Hammonds. Vick deferred all questions to Evans.

 

“He agreed it was inappropriate,†Evans said of Hammonds. “He’s been very cooperative. He apologized and admitted he probably shouldn’t have had it.â€

Hammonds said the language was on his profile page on Facebook.

 

“When you log on, you don’t go to that,†Hammonds said. “I hadn’t seen it in forever. I hate how it turned out.â€

[PRTiii]

This is very sad to hear. Hamm was a great coach and a very funny man, and this is a very awful thing to hear. Hamm put his heart and soul into this team and to get what he is getting out of it is just pathetic. I have all the respect in the world for this man, and I hope that everything works out, he will be in my family's prayers, as well as in many others.

 

PRT iii

[rjennings91]

This is a shame. Hamm was always there for me at anytime even though i was not a wrestler of his. He helped make me the wrestler i am today and i know a TON of kids who feel this way. This man is a true role model period.

[maj]

A Blackman High volunteer wrestling assistant coach has been dismissed by Rutherford County Director of Schools Harry Gill Jr. because of inappropriate language found on the coach’s Facebook page.

 

Kenneth Hammonds, who has been a volunteer coach for nine seasons, has been told he no longer can volunteer there after a parent discovered the Facebook page and reported it to the Rutherford County Schools central office.

 

School spokesman James Evans said the language was not sexual in nature, but it was “inappropriate in nature.â€

 

“He had given several students access to his Facebook page and was communicating with kids through that,†Evans said. “We feel it’s important to keep a professional buffer.

 

“We’ve been training principals and teachers for a number of years about the importance of keeping that buffer, such as not giving cell phone numbers and texting students.â€

 

Evans said that buffer includes not using personal web pages, personal e-mail or social media such as Facebook and Twitter to have direct contact with students because it could lead to inappropriate situations.

 

Hammonds said he was upset over the dismissal.

 

“I poured my heart and soul into Blackman and never thought something like this would happen,†Hammonds said. “I’m heartbroken about it.â€

 

Evans said Hammonds was solely a volunteer.

 

“He was not an employee of the school district,†Evans said.

 

Hammonds had been approved solely to volunteer for Blackman High wrestling by the school board. Evans said Hammonds could apply to volunteer at a different school, but he didn’t know the likelyhood that Hammonds would be approved.

 

Evans said Hammonds hadn’t received that specific training with the central school office, but all principals have been told to go through the training with teachers, coaches and volunteers.

 

Evans said he did not know if Blackman High principal Gail Vick held any previous training with Hammonds. Vick deferred all questions to Evans.

 

“He agreed it was inappropriate,†Evans said of Hammonds. “He’s been very cooperative. He apologized and admitted he probably shouldn’t have had it.â€

Hammonds said the language was on his profile page on Facebook.

 

“When you log on, you don’t go to that,†Hammonds said. “I hadn’t seen it in forever. I hate how it turned out.â€

 

Confederacy of dunces strikes again. The politically correct cowards go after a volunteer while ignoring their own shortcomings as well those of much of their staff. Another Tennessee wrestling program circling the drain.

 

I hope someone posts this " inappropriate " language, I would wager whatever it is much worse can be heard from the students on any given hour in any given classroom and corridor in the hallowed halls of the Blackman asylum.

[StarRaider]

Dismissing Coach HAMM over something as silly as this is just s-t-u-p-i-d on the Rutherford County School Super's part. Embarrassingly stupid.

 

Do your job RC Schools. Train the man. then

 

REINSTATE HAMM!!!

Edited January 21, 2011 by StarRaider

[THEANIMAL]

I CAN BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED. WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO.

 

THE ANIMAL

[texas23]

I CAN BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED. WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO.

 

THE ANIMAL

 

????

[bozo]

curious? what was on the face book?

[StarRaider]

curious? what was on the face book?

 

I have no idea.

 

Things I do remember on fb were;

 

McCoy Newburg jonesing for some wrestling competition on snow days and Coach Hamm saying "come on over"

 

A kid wanting to blow town over a gf breakup and Coach Hamm dropping everything to make sure the kid was ok

 

A coach wanting to know what Hamm thought about a certain strategy and Hamm giving some of the best candid advice I have ever heard...

 

and about a million more things like that.

Edited January 21, 2011 by StarRaider

[PUMMELKING]

Once more it is getting to be negative to be a teacher/coach. More parents are out to nag and bicker about the slightest of things ever so picky. Not focus on the good things that have been done to benefit and encourage those who have needed help and received it from great people like Hamm.

Its a witch hunt to plunder into a persons life away from school. More parents need to be envolved in their kids life after school hours particuliarly at home and weekend when not being supervised by coaches.

[coachknepper]

First of all, I want to be clear and concise with this message (as I am emotionally involved in it).

 

The fact that Kenneth Hammonds (aka Hamm) was released by Rutherford County Schools as a VOLUNTEER is an indictment on our education system as a whole. Too often administrators bow down to the politically correct and use a Cover Your (Butt) mentality and don't take one SECOND to realize the effect(s) their decisions will have on the very students they are "protecting."

 

I have known Ken personally for the last 4 years and have spoken with him, been in a wrestling room with him, or interacted with him on "social media" for just about everyday of that 4-year period. The fact that anyone would deem him as a MENACE TO SOCIETY or harmful to these young, impressionable youth is SO UNBELIEVABLY FALSE and FARTHEST FROM THE TRUTH, i can barely wrap my mind around it.

 

We have all learned a valuable lesson from all of this:

 

You are not allowed to make a mistake. Please tell your children in order to become a successful mentor and to volunteer thousands of hours of your own time that you must be PERFECT.

 

Was Ken in the wrong on this? Unfortunately from the way it was handled/reported, the school had "no choice" but to do what they did...but here's another life lesson for your kids:

 

If you make a mistake, by all means don't be honorable and own up to it and say "I made a mistake, I will fix it immediately..." Owning up to your faults is WRONG.

 

If Ken had been a teacher he would have been able to hire a lawyer and go through a review process...but see we VOLUNTEERS aren't afforded that fundamental right. YOU ARE GUILTY until proven innocent, and at that point, it is too late for the kids, who are the REAL victims in all of this.

 

Here are the simple facts:

 

Those responsible for molding this wrestling program and literally hundreds of kids in the recent past have been forcibly removed from mentoring in a positive manner. The situation with Coach Kennedy and Coach Hammonds is beyond ridiculous and has made me physically sick and emotionally scarred.

 

Furthermore, I am attempting to be approved by the state/county to step in and help out the team for the remainder of the season as this vaccuum will undoubtedly effect many of the Seniors and Juniors that have a REAL shot at state placment. Although if any administrator reads this, they will undoubtedly conclude that I am unfit to volunteer as my knowledge of RIGHT/WRONG is so clouded.

 

Coach Knepper

(931) 222-7213

[2blLeg]

Once more it is getting to be negative to be a teacher/coach. More parents are out to nag and bicker about the slightest of things ever so picky. Not focus on the good things that have been done to benefit and encourage those who have needed help and received it from great people like Hamm.

Its a witch hunt to plunder into a persons life away from school. More parents need to be envolved in their kids life after school hours particuliarly at home and weekend when not being supervised by coaches.

 

The sad part is, it seems that everyone has forgotten everything in life. We are so quick to condemn, but no where near that quick to forgive. I'm not sure what was written, but I promise you from what I know about him, it couldn't be so bad that an appology and clean up of it wouldn't do. Not one of us hasn't said or written anything that we wish we hadn't, but it seems that in today's world, everyone is out to get everyone and no one is here to forgive. And I'm not even saying something needs to be forgiven here, but I am saying that if someone is willing to give their FREE time to help kids, then often there should be a lot more tolerance than one single mistake.

 

And the REAL sad part here is, the kids are the losers in all this. Not the men, they will move on and find others that want their help, but the kids will lose out. Sad, just sad.