PN-GISD vows to keep coach applicants secret

[IndianFan]

Confidentiality should be honored. Newspapers and TV stations are just looking to benefit from selling the news. Good luck to the district on this.

PN-GISD vows to keep coach applicants secret

MIKE TOBIAS
The Port Arthur News

GROVES —

Mum’s the word -- as far as members of the Port Neches-Groves ISD Board of Trustees are concerned.

The board, minus Harvey Brown, who was in Houston preparing for a surgical procedure, voiced their opinions in favor of seeking a ruling from the State of Texas’ Attorney General’s office in an attempt to keep the names of the 30-plus applicants for the district’s athletic director and varsity head football coach under wraps.

Discussion to seek the ruling came while Superintendent Lani Randall was giving her report to the board Tuesday evening and stated that five Freedom of Information / open records requests from different entities had come in, wishing that the district release the applicants’ names.

“Sometimes its members of the media who issue the open records request, sometimes its private individuals,” Randall said, while addressing the board.

“This is always an area of concern for a school district regarding a high profile position. The only recourse a school district can have in this situation is to seek an opinion from the Attorney General’s office and talk about your specific local circumstances and see if you can get a ruling on that.”

“Otherwise, if you chose not to do that, then you would be obligated to release that information.”

Discussion then went around from each trustee, who offered their opinions on the matter, many in favor of seeking the ruling.

“This is a very important job and a very important process that we’re about to go through,” President Rusty Brittain said.

“I think it’s the district’s job, and our job, to get the best possible candidate for the head coach and athletic director for PN-G.”

“The confidentiality, I belive, is very, very important to this process. I can understand the enthusiasm; I can understand the excitement --- the anticipation from the community. If that wasn’t there, then I think we’d have a problem. I appreciate it being there, but again I certainly would not want anything to happen to hinder the best candidate coming to this district.”

Brittain went on to cite last Wednesday’s incident involving Boston College Head Coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who was fired after being warned by his athletic director that he would not have a job if he met with the New York Jets regarding their head coach opening.

“It’s very sensitive,” Brittain said.

“If there was an offensive or defensive coordinator at a school somewhere, wishing to advance their careers, that would be no problem. But if we had a coach at a very successful program somewhere, I would think that they would want it to be kept confidential until maybe the final interviews begin.”

“I’m not sure of the law, but I would like to see us do whatever we have to do to get an opinion before we release those names.”

Dr. Randall stressed that students are the district’s first priority and that the district wants to bring in an individual that is highly skilled and looking forward to coming to the community and being a key factor in the district’s athletic program.

We understand that people have been talking about what would occur if we would immediately just release all those names,” Randall said. “They (the trustees) have that option of going to the attorney general and they would like to exercise that at this point in time.”

“We are just getting all this paperwork together for these applicants. It has been an overwhelming task since Friday to come and get them all together, and categorize them and put it together so that the interview committee has it organized to go through it. It’s a lot of work.

The deadline to apply for the coaching position was last Friday, January 9. The interview committee will be meeting Wednesday to review the applications. The district hopes to make a recommendation to the board at the next scheduled meeting on February 10, with a preferred start date of March 2.

mtobias@panews.com

http://www.panews.com/local/local_story_013232253.html

 

[OldEagle]

I agree. Sure I would like to know who has applied but the important thing is who the one person is that actually gets the job. We don't have to know everything that is going on - just let the system work. I wouldn't want to jeopardize the livelihood of any coach that might apply.

 

[IndianFan]

I'd bet money that one of the candidates is in that position and has requested no publicity.

 

[allstarmom]

I completely agree! Confidentiality should be honored. I have certainly applied for jobs and didn't want to lose my current job if I didn't get hired. It sounds to be there is a high-profile name or two on there!! Give it time, we will know in due time.

 

[CardiacKids 92]

I would like to see the list of names but I totally understand the board not wanting to make the list public. They are thinking of the applicants well being and I think that's honorable. Like it's mentioned in the article there is a lot of excitement from the community and the easy decision for the board would be to publish the names and feed the frenzy. Again it's a tough decision to keep the names confidential but and honorable one. JMHO...

 

[kfdmcoop]

I didn't file for the list this time, but others did and they all said they have to release it on that 10th day!!!

 

[Gumbeaux]

I am not completely sure about that, I do believe that if the Attorney General sides with the district that MUM could be the word...

I am ok with the confidentiality becuase if in the future we were to look again for an applicant the "big applicants" would see that we would not put names all over the place. This in turn could pull more applicants....Just an opinion....

 

[NONS81]

I didn't file for the list this time, but others did and they all said they have to release it on that 10th day!!!

That means the Attorney General better hurry up and make a ruling...time is running out, it that is the case. I can see where they would not want to release the names at this point. Can a motion for the Freedom of Information Act be resended, in other words, can the person/persons just say "nevermind"?

 

[NONS81]

Confidentiality should be honored. Newspapers and TV stations are just looking to benefit from selling the news. Good luck to the district on this.

PN-GISD vows to keep coach applicants secret

MIKE TOBIAS
The Port Arthur News

GROVES —

Mum’s the word -- as far as members of the Port Neches-Groves ISD Board of Trustees are concerned.

The board, minus Harvey Brown, who was in Houston preparing for a surgical procedure, voiced their opinions in favor of seeking a ruling from the State of Texas’ Attorney General’s office in an attempt to keep the names of the 30-plus applicants for the district’s athletic director and varsity head football coach under wraps.

Discussion to seek the ruling came while Superintendent Lani Randall was giving her report to the board Tuesday evening and stated that five Freedom of Information / open records requests from different entities had come in, wishing that the district release the applicants’ names.

“Sometimes its members of the media who issue the open records request, sometimes its private individuals,” Randall said, while addressing the board.

“This is always an area of concern for a school district regarding a high profile position. The only recourse a school district can have in this situation is to seek an opinion from the Attorney General’s office and talk about your specific local circumstances and see if you can get a ruling on that.”

“Otherwise, if you chose not to do that, then you would be obligated to release that information.”

Discussion then went around from each trustee, who offered their opinions on the matter, many in favor of seeking the ruling.

“This is a very important job and a very important process that we’re about to go through,” President Rusty Brittain said.

“I think it’s the district’s job, and our job, to get the best possible candidate for the head coach and athletic director for PN-G.”

“The confidentiality, I belive, is very, very important to this process. I can understand the enthusiasm; I can understand the excitement --- the anticipation from the community. If that wasn’t there, then I think we’d have a problem. I appreciate it being there, but again I certainly would not want anything to happen to hinder the best candidate coming to this district.”

Brittain went on to cite last Wednesday’s incident involving Boston College Head Coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who was fired after being warned by his athletic director that he would not have a job if he met with the New York Jets regarding their head coach opening.

“It’s very sensitive,” Brittain said.

“If there was an offensive or defensive coordinator at a school somewhere, wishing to advance their careers, that would be no problem. But if we had a coach at a very successful program somewhere, I would think that they would want it to be kept confidential until maybe the final interviews begin.”

“I’m not sure of the law, but I would like to see us do whatever we have to do to get an opinion before we release those names.”

Dr. Randall stressed that students are the district’s first priority and that the district wants to bring in an individual that is highly skilled and looking forward to coming to the community and being a key factor in the district’s athletic program.

We understand that people have been talking about what would occur if we would immediately just release all those names,” Randall said. “They (the trustees) have that option of going to the attorney general and they would like to exercise that at this point in time.”

“We are just getting all this paperwork together for these applicants. It has been an overwhelming task since Friday to come and get them all together, and categorize them and put it together so that the interview committee has it organized to go through it. It’s a lot of work.

The deadline to apply for the coaching position was last Friday, January 9. The interview committee will be meeting Wednesday to review the applications. The district hopes to make a recommendation to the board at the next scheduled meeting on February 10, with a preferred start date of March 2.

mtobias@panews.com

http://www.panews.com/local/local_story_013232253.html

I wonder how much this will cost in fees?

 

[NewOldInjun]

Coaches know - big time or otherwise - that their names will likely end up in the paper if they apply for a head coaching job. It's the nature of the beast. So the theatrics with trying to defy the whole freedom of information thing is asinine. Other schools have consulted the AG before and time and again have found they have to comply with the requests.

Besides, would you really want to hire a coach who wasn't man enough to tell his boss(es) that he was looking for a job or had applied for this job? If so, then folks had best be prepared for when he'd turn around and do the same to PN-G.

 

[NONS81]

Coaches know - big time or otherwise - that their names will likely end up in the paper if they apply for a head coaching job. It's the nature of the beast. So the theatrics with trying to defy the whole freedom of information thing is asinine. Other schools have consulted the AG before and time and again have found they have to comply with the requests.

Besides, would you really want to hire a coach who wasn't man enough to tell his boss(es) that he was looking for a job or had applied for this job? If so, then folks had best be prepared for when he'd turn around and do the same to PN-G.

Well said!!!

 

[OLD_cj79]

By stating this exemption under the FOIA one of the nine exemptions. I believe the school board could deny the applicant list's release, as a protection to the applicants personal privacy.. But then again i'm no lawyer. It seems as though the jobs a person applies for, are of no right to the community. Bye the way I do not believe anyone should have the right to a list of the jobs i have applied for in the past. that is my personal info! Although i would like to know who has applied for the job, LOL






"(iii) constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;"

 

[NDNPARENT]

By stating this exemption under the FOIA one of the nine exemptions. I believe the school board could deny the applicant list's release, as a protection to the applicants personal privacy.. But then again i'm no lawyer. It seems as though the jobs a person applies for, are of no right to the community. Bye the way I do not believe anyone should have the right to a list of the jobs i have applied for in the past. that is my personal info! Although i would like to know who has applied for the job, LOL






"(iii) constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;"

to me it the rights of the community that pays the TAX DOLLARS. to know . Besides the sports events WE HAVE TO PAY TO SEE, where the others events are not! So if they do not want us to know then the sports events should be FREE ADMISSION! We pay for it already with our tax dollars!

 

[NONS81]

By stating this exemption under the FOIA one of the nine exemptions. I believe the school board could deny the applicant list's release, as a protection to the applicants personal privacy.. But then again i'm no lawyer. It seems as though the jobs a person applies for, are of no right to the community. Bye the way I do not believe anyone should have the right to a list of the jobs i have applied for in the past. that is my personal info! Although i would like to know who has applied for the job, LOL






"(iii) constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;"

Not when you work for the state.....in fact all salary information is available online for any state position, this includes police, firefighters, and such.

 

[NDNTime]

Can we please not use the "we pay the taxes so we should know argument." We pay taxes for a lot of stuff and this will show you how weak that argument is. We pay taxes for our national security. Are we entitled to the classified briefings that the President gets to see on a daily basis? NOPE.

So, with that being said, there are things that we pay for that we don't immediately reap the benefits of. We will know soon enough. I trust that the board will make the right decision on when to release the names and which candidates will be in the running for the head coaching position.

No matter what happens, we will eventually reap the benefits of an outstanding coach.

 

[modmouse78]

Can we please not use the "we pay the taxes so we should know argument." We pay taxes for a lot of stuff and this will show you how weak that argument is. We pay taxes for our national security. Are we entitled to the classified briefings that the President gets to see on a daily basis? NOPE.

Are you kidding me? The reasons they don't share that information is because the people as a whole would freak out about what was going and to keep people alive. I don't think anyone will die from them letting out the applicants.

 

[kfdmcoop]

"This evening the attorney general has ruled in favor of the FOI and PN-G will be required to release the applicant list for the AD/HC position by the 10th day after the paperwork was filed, so the list will be out next week."

 

[IndianFan]

Media buzzards win. The people who have a vested interest in this decision potentially lose.

 

[Justafan]

Media buzzards win. The people who have a vested interest in this decision potentially lose.

Agreed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NDNTime]

Can we please not use the "we pay the taxes so we should know argument." We pay taxes for a lot of stuff and this will show you how weak that argument is. We pay taxes for our national security. Are we entitled to the classified briefings that the President gets to see on a daily basis? NOPE.

Are you kidding me? The reasons they don't share that information is because the people as a whole would freak out about what was going and to keep people alive. I don't think anyone will die from them letting out the applicants.

Ok, so here is a practical comparison for ya modmouse. You pay taxes for all of those on welfare. Are you entitled to a list of all of those receiving welfare or should we protect their wellbeing???