Talks in works with NAACP, parent says

One of the parents who accused Whitmer High School basketball coach Bruce Smith of making racially insensitive and abusive remarks towards players during last season said she talked twice with a school district official Monday and that a meeting with administrators and the NAACP is in the works.

Talaya Davis, mother of Kenny and Nigel Hayes, said she and Washington Local Schools board President Steve Zuber had two conversations yesterday and that there were no details yet on a time or a location.

"All sides are trying to do something," Mrs. Davis said.

The Blade outlined some of the parents and players' allegations in a Sunday Page 1 story. The story reported that five families issued written complaints about the coach to the NAACP and that Mr. Smith received a verbal reprimand in early June for dividing his players into black and white squads for some drills.

Mr. Zuber did not return a call to The Blade yesterday. Mr. Smith also did not return a call.

Mrs. Davis and other parents say, at the least, they want an apology from the coach to players for what they say has been a pattern of verbally abusive behavior, including allegations of racially insensitive remarks and actions on several occasions.

She said she and other parents want assurances at the meeting that there will be changes to the way the coach behaves, she said.

The families say they filed the complaints in early May because they couldn't get the attention of school officials. They also said they wanted to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals against their children.

Several school officials, including Superintendent Patrick Hickey, Human Resources Director Nancy Brenton, and school board member John Adler, have said parents didn't avail themselves of several opportunities to bring forward their concerns.

Mrs. Davis said that Mr. Zuber told her he would wait to be contacted by the civil rights organization for the meeting to include parents, the athletic director, and superintendent.

Mrs. Davis said yesterday that she's not the leader of the group of parents and that she did not spearhead the push for an investigation of the coach.

She said she was just one in a larger group of concerned parents of players.

According to the NAACP complaints and interviews with players and parents, the coach referred to some black players as monkeys and racially segregated the team on several occasions for practice drills, telling multiracial students they'd have to choose which side to play on.

Mr. Smith told The Blade Saturday he did not say anything with a racial intent and never told a multiracial player that he'd have to choose sides.

He said he "categorically" denied many of the allegations and called the complaints and resulting media coverage a "witch hunt."

He referred to the parents as a "lynch mob" and said they were trying to stab him in the back.

The coach received a verbal reprimand in early June after an investigation into some alleged racial remarks and the segregated drills, both reported to a school official through a third party.

The coach said in a June 7 letter to his boss that he divided players into black and white groups for some basketball drills and said that it was fun for the players and not demeaning.

He told The Blade on Saturday he did that no more than three times over the four-month season.

He also said in the letter that he referred to players once collectively as "monkeys" simply because one of them was hanging on the rim and he wanted to start practice on a positive note.

Mr. Smith was told to stop the practice of splitting up students by race for drills, Ms. Brenton, the human resources director, said. She told The Blade he used poor judgment.

The school board's Mr. Adler said yesterday that he had not talked to parents but that he supported the coach 100 percent.

"As far as his integrity and how he treats his kids, I have always been a booster," Mr. Adler said.

Washington Local Schools issued a statement yesterday praising the coach's career and the opening up of his home each year to players for his annual 3-on-3 tournament and cookout.

Toward the end, the statement says: "We want parents and students to feel comfortable sharing any concerns they may have."

Superintendent Hickey is out of state this week, but assistant superintendent Cherie Moulam said that school officials planned to sit down and discuss the issues when the superintendent returned.

Ms. Moulam said that Mrs. Davis and Mr. Zuber have talked but she did not have details.

Contact Christopher D. Kirkpatrick at:

ckirkpatrick@theblade.com

or 419-724-6134.