Here's a new wrinkle on the often heard complaint of unqualified high school coaches: an experienced non-teacher usatf/2 coach was passed over for possibly unqualified teachers. He does not mention his qualifications.
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Spurned track coach sues Rutland schools
Kent Smith claims “institutional cronyism” in the city school system has unfairly cost him several shots at head coaching jobs.
A former assistant track coach is suing Rutland City schools, claiming that cronyism caused him to miss out on top track coaching positions.
Kent Smith, who started his coaching career as an assistant indoor track coach for Rutland High School in 1999, said the city passed him over for head coaching positions in favor of less qualified candidates who teach in the city schools.
His lawsuit filed Monday in Rutland Superior Court called it an act of "institutional cronyism (that) is an abuse of power and the public trust."
He also claims that when he complained about being passed over, the promoted coaches and the RHS athletic department retaliated by trying to assign him to coaching positions for which he wasn't qualified.
Smith is asking a judge to order Rutland High to hire him as head coach for the cross country and indoor and outdoor track teams, adopt a merit-based employment policy, and pay Smith's legal fees and punitive damages.
"When school systems fail to carry out their educational responsibilities, but instead become focused upon taking care of themselves and their cronies by keeping employment opportunities 'in house' regardless of teaching competence, the students and taxpayers are harmed," the lawsuit stated. "This suit seeks to correct this situation."
Smith, one of the few coaches certified for U.S.A Track and Field Level 2 at the high school level in Vermont, claims he was first passed over for the head coach position of the cross-country team in spring 2005.
Instead, RHS hired English teacher Steven French, who Smith said in his lawsuit had "never previously competed in cross-country running nor coached cross-country runners."
The following October, when Smith applied for the position of head indoor track coach, Smith said he was passed over for Fieh Chan, a math teacher at the high school.
"Fieh Chan's only prior experience coaching runners was coaching … three Middle School runners," Smith said in the lawsuit.
Chan tried to transfer Smith to coaching jumping and throwing events for the indoor track team, Smith said. When Smith refused to perform duties he wasn't qualified for, and which involved risking serious injury to students, his lawsuit claimed, he was fired as an assistant coach.
He was replaced by Kelly Doherty, a RHS guidance counselor who was subsequently hired as the head coach of outdoor track, a position for which only she and Smith applied, the lawsuit said.
"Prior to being hired as an assistant indoor track coach, Kelly Doherty had never previously coached any athletic activity other than cheerleading, nor participated in or coached any running or track activity," Smith claimed.
His lawsuit added, "(The) pattern of conduct in failing to hire the most qualified applicant, hiring full-time school district employees for positions for which they are not qualified, and terminating Kent's Smith's employment after his complaint about hiring practices, demonstrates cronyism and vindictiveness."
Smith added in an interview Tuesday that he has nothing personally against the teachers who were hired over him.
"They're wonderful people who I like personally very much and I know they're trying to do their best," he said. "My complaint is with the administration and the way the school is run."
Mary Moran, superintendent of city schools, said coaches and leaders of other co-curricular programs such as drama and after-school programs are paid a stipend based on a number of factors, including the number of events, number of students participating in the program and years of experience.
But when she was informed of the lawsuit Tuesday, she declined to comment further on co-curricular positions and hiring practices, saying she hadn't seen the lawsuit.
Smith said the district hadn't passed him over in an effort to save money — claiming he'd offered to have his stipend spread among the other track coaching positions.
Asked about his claim for punitive damages, Smith said that part of the lawsuit was "to get people's attention."
"That money, if it's ever awarded, will not end up in Kent Smith's pocket," he said. "I'll find some use in athletics programs, probably track, for that money to be spent."
Smith, a retired lawyer, said he was coaching track for enjoyment, not for money. Since being dismissed from Rutland High School athletic positions he has started coaching for Fair Haven Union High School, even though the coaching stipend is much less.
"I said I don't care if they pay me at all," he said. "There's an affinity between Rutland and Fair Haven (track athletes). … It's a rivalry, but it's the most friendly rivalry you can imagine."
Asked if his lawsuit would force schools to always hire the most qualified candidate for any position, regardless of the cost, Smith said it wouldn't go that far.
"If you have two highly qualified people in an area, it's not necessarily an easy decision. … You look at experience and you look at promise, which in some situations are two sides of the same coin," he said.
"But it's (another) thing to hire a young, highly qualified math teacher, maybe without a Ph.D, over a home economics teacher if you want them to teach math," Smith said. "… You do have to hire somebody who knows the subject matter which they're hired to impart."
Peter Forshay, president of the city School Board, said the district does consider whether a perspective coach is a teacher.
"I do believe being a teacher is one of the criteria that is considered when evaluating the applications of coaches," he said. "We also always want to get well qualified candidates at the same time."
Asked about Smith's contention in the lawsuit that the other candidates were less qualified, Forshay declined further comment until he and the board had a chance to review the charges.
Bill Meub, the school district's lawyer, was out of town and could not be reached for comment.