The Eastern Pulaski School Board has removed Kyle Johnson from his coaching positions. During a two-minute special session Thursday, board members narrowly voted to cancel Johnson’s athletic contracts.
School Board President Joe Cunningham said the decision came at the recommendation of the high school principal and athletic director. “On October 5, 2017, Mr. Kyle Johnson was given written notice of the decision of Mr. Bill Ball, athletic director, and Mr. Rick DeFries, principal, to cancel his coaching contracts, football and basketball, effectively upon the final decision of the school board,” Cunningham said. “Mr. Johnson requested a conference from the superintendent within the allotted time, and was held on October 13 at the administration building at 9:00 a.m.”
Cunningham went on to explain that Johnson was not entitled to meet with the school board to discuss the matter. “Under Indiana Code, an individual providing services on a supplemental contract is not afforded a conference with the school board. Therefore, I move that the board of school trustees cancel the football, basketball coaching contracts of Mr. Kyle Johnson, effective immediately.”
The school board went on to approve the cancellation of Johnson’s coaching contract by a vote of four-to-three, with members Terri Johnston, Tim Rausch, and Beth Ruff voting against the measure. No action was taken on Johnson’s employment as a teacher Thursday, but board members did not elaborate on that, when asked by the audience after the meeting.
Once the meeting adjourned, the full room of community members continued to voice their opposition with the move, saying it would negatively impact the community’s children. “Can you see the emotion?” one audience member asked. “If you fire him, his family’s gone out of this community. I would almost put money on it. They’re going to leave, and you guys don’t care!”
Several complaints were directed at Ball, DeFries, and Superintendent Dan Foster. On top of that, many people vowed to vote the school board members out of office, while others said they’d leave the school corporation entirely. A substitute school nurse also appeared to resign in protest Thursday.
A big part of their concerns had to do with board members’ reasoning for the decision. Discussions about Johnson’s employment began after he was arrested last month on preliminary misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement and refusing to leave an emergency incident area. Many of those in attendence questioned why the corporation would take action before he was actually convicted of wrongdoing.
Johnson was at Thursday’s meeting with his family. “Thank you for your support,” he told those in attendance. “Please continue to keep it peaceful.”
In the meeting’s only other item of business, the Eastern Pulaski School Board voted to extend Athletic Director and High School Dean of Students Bill Ball’s contract through June of 2019. No replacement was announced for the position of basketball coach.
