Durham High principal, athletic director resign following football coach's dismissal

Click photo to enlarge

The decision of the Durham Unified School District superintendent to not renew the contract of football coach Kevin York (right), seen here during an Aug. 2012 game against Colusa, has caused the school's principal, Bill Frey, and athletic director, Jean Atkins, to resign. (Jason Halley/Staff file photo)<p class='dotPhoto'>All Chico E-R photos are available <a href='http://chicoer.mycapture.com/'>here</a>.</p>

DURHAM ? Durham High Principal Bill Frey and Athletic Director Jean Atkins have resigned from their positions, in relation to the Durham Unified School District superintendent's decision to not renew the contract of football coach Kevin York.

Frey said York, the coach of the Trojan football team the past two years, was notified April 5 that he would no longer have the position, despite recommendations from both Atkins and Frey, as per the school's athletic personnel re-hiring protocol.

District Superintendent Mary Sakuma could not be reached for comment on Thursday night. Board member Mark Kimmelshue said only, "I have no comment. I can't say a thing about it."

The resignations were first reported by KHSL-TV 12 Thursday afternoon.

"Kevin York's done so much for our district. I am just in shock. There's no valid reason," Atkins said. "Yes, they're totally legal in doing what they do and not saying a word, but there's something I feel is back-door going on, because there was no protocol followed. It's myself and Mr. Frey that deal with these things; we were not allowed in on it."

Atkins and York both said the former coach was given no reason for the decision after York met with Sakuma.

"I was called in, I was told that I would no longer be the football coach, and 'It's a district decision and I can't tell you why,'" York said. "I have not been given any reason. They've given us no reason why. I just have no idea."

Frey said that in February, when

the school submitted that York return as coach, the board expressed some concerns that were "not football-related," and that tied in to York's previous employment as a coordinator at Chico High.

"We called (Chico), verified his employment, and heard what we were looking to hear when we were looking for a football coach," Frey said. "They had questions, and all I can tell you is the questions they asked me about, Jean and I checked on those concerns and none of it came back. We didn't hear anything negative, and for me, that and the fact the board hired him two years ago was enough.

"Obviously, the answers (the board) got from us didn't please them," Frey said. He said he attempted to put up York and his entire staff for the position again, but was told he could not submit York as the program's coach while the board's concerns were still being reviewed. Frey said he still doesn't understand why.

"The board had some questions ? nothing to do with Durham High School ? and I answered them for them," he said, declining to say what those questions were.

York is not a teacher at Durham High, unaffiliated with any union, he said. None of his staff, including varsity assistants or any junior varsity coaches, will be brought back, either.

"At this very moment," York said Thursday night, "the entire program is without coaches. It's unfortunate for the kids. It affects a lot of them and it's going to be difficult to overcome this."

Typically, Atkins said, the school's rehiring process with coaches takes into account the candidate's body of work, an exit interview and parent and student feedback. Coaches are given a yearly contract, and the exit interview is mandatory before the coach is paid. Atkins said she was "really happy" with York's performance ? he has led one of the program's large fundraising projects while "singlehandedly" restoring the school's weight room, on top of his duties as coach.

"We were excited about it, about having him and all his coaches back," she said, "and the board just says, 'We have some problems,' and won't talk about them at all."

Atkins said she and Frey received just two phone calls over York's tenure ? one who felt York wasn't "motivating kids enough," and another who had a "personality issue with the coach." She said the latter complaint was quickly resolved with a discussion; the former was taken into consideration but not deemed as nearly negative enough to outweigh the good the school's supervisors felt York had done.

"As a parent, you have the right to feel anything you want to feel when it comes to your child, and it's a valid complaint. But is it something we'd get rid of a coach over? Absolutely not," Atkins said. "He has done so many positive things here for our student-athletes, it wasn't even a thought to get rid of Kevin for us."

Atkins, who also teaches at Durham and is the school's girls cross country and track coach, said she will step down from those roles, too, at the end of the year, unless the York decision is reversed.

"If this is how they choose to treat the coaches, with no protocol, I'm not going to be a part of it," she said. "It makes me sad, because I absolutely love what I do."

Frey's reasoning was similar.

"My concern is for the future. This could happen to any public staff or employee," he said, "and I didn't feel I could compromise my beliefs or principles. Not even allowing Kevin to hear why, or ask why, it's not how it should be done."

Connect with Sports Writer Travis Souders at twitter.com/travissouders.

Source: http://www.chicoer.com/ci_23058923/durham-high-principal-athletic-director-resign-following-football?source=rss_viewed

ann romney Paul Ryan Speech chris cooley chris cooley condoleezza rice Perry Hall High School bill cosby