Most of my reporting has been in the education field, and I’ve always encouraged school officials to be open and accessible. Thankfully, most of them are. Years ago, I covered a sexual assault that took place in a high school football press box during school hours. I was among several reporters sent to the school, where Superintendent Harry Reynolds was investigating. He was in a closed-door meeting when we arrived, so we waited outside for a while. When he emerged, we followed him to his car, asking for any information he could share. We hoped he would tell us that whoever was responsible would be punished, that students were safe, and that classes had resumed. Instead, he briskly walked past us, hands in the air, saying only “No comment,” as if he had just been arrested for grand theft. That’s what you saw on the news. His relationship with the media only went downhill from there.
I’ve seen some elected officials go for years without saying much at their public meetings. Rarely a comment, never a question. Once, I asked a school board member about a tight-lipped colleague, and was told, “I think he only shows up because we get a free meal afterward.” Sometimes, they have good reason to remain quiet. On one occasion, board members approved a generous bonus for the superintendent. It was a close vote, and some in the audience were outraged. The next day, I tracked down the board member who had cast the deciding vote, and he told me, on camera, that he didn’t know what he was voting for. He had intended to vote the other way. Maybe he should have asked some questions?
Recently, Hamilton County Superintendent Rick Smith has come under fire for being elusive during the recent Ooltewah High basketball team rape/assault investigation. Granted, it happened over the holidays. School was out, and he, along with many others were on vacation. Other than a brief statement to one media outlet, saying the three arrested students were suspended from school, Smith did not return calls from the media. (To be fair, Smith has been quite open with me in recent years on several tough stories. He has not responded to my calls about this one).
Meanwhile, the questions from the public were overflowing. Fueled by social media, talk shows and news reports, people were outraged, and no wonder. This was easily the most sordid, widely publicized incident in recent school district history. A 15-year-old freshman, brutally attacked and violated by three older students (one of whom reportedly took video). The story was picked up by media outlets around the world. If ever there was a time for crisis management, this was it. This was no budget battle, no textbook shortage, no leaky roof. This was a safety issue that cut to the heart of every Hamilton County parent. “Who’s looking after our children?” was asked repeatedly, with no one standing in front of Central Office to answer.
Ironically, two months ago, I stood in front of every Hamilton County school district principal and Central Office administrator, speaking on this very subject. For years, I had requested an audience with this group to talk about crisis management. The school district has not had a communications director in several years, and the most recent one did little to improve the situation. One of her most notorious directives to principals was, “When interviewed by a TV reporter, how you look is more important than what you say.” That may be the worst advice ever.
So I gladly accepted the invitation to discuss school/media relations. I had done the same program for many area school districts, but not Hamilton. I covered the basics: how to request news coverage, what to expect when a reporter calls, and of course how to deal with a crisis. First and foremost, be responsive, be available, and tell the truth. Certainly, there are many cases, like the Ooltewah story, when you can’t tell the media every detail. You can, however assure the public that an investigation is underway. You can tell us that if mistakes were made, they won’t be repeated, and you can assure us our children are safe. A “no comment” will never do, and in this nonstop news cycle, even during the holidays, if something terrible has happened, you have to step up and face the cameras.
Thankfully, some of those in the audience paid attention that day, just like kids do in classrooms across Hamilton County. Unfortunately, others may have been doodling or daydreaming.
As one School Board member said this week, expressing disappointment in the lack of response to the Ooltewah crisis, “If a house is on fire, someone must respond. And our house was on fire.”
Well said. As I’ve told many public officials: If you can’t stand the heat, why did you want to work in the kitchen?
I understand school officials choosing their words carefully in consideration of the legal process. What I don’t understand is their lack of engagement, listening ear, and acknowledgement of parents’ concerns. That’s just not good leadership. What I’ve heard and read of that prepared statement (the complete text of which I’ve not seen) at tonight’s School Board meeting was disturbingly terse and distant.
Proud of you, David for saying these words that other reporters have been afraid to say. It definitely needed to have been said. Even if Rick Smith was “on vacation”, he is is an administrative position that requires action, regardless of holiday, etc. Besides, didn’t that Principal have any authority at all to cancel or suspend the basketball activities and upcoming schedule until an investigation was done? No wonder parents were scared out of their minds!! School is not what it used to be when I was teaching full time. As teachers, we had the authority to “control” our students. Sadly, all that has been taken away now. If parents cannot disciple at home for fear of legal retaliation and teachers aren’t allowed to do it at school, it sets everyone up for these same type scenarios to occur over again and again. These are punk kids who don’t even deserve the right to a public education in my opinion. Hopefully, Board of Education can learn a strong lesson from this. Prayers for the victim and his family. Thank you for your continued excellent reporting! Makes me proud to be an NSMer cause we would never have tolerated this crap.
David, I think you should run for school superintendent! This is just getting worse by the day. Such a sad thing. I find it so odd that when things like this happen, officials NEVER want to own it. I think it would be so different if it were their child that this happened too. I understand that the son of the principle was there. What would happened if it were his son this happened to. What is the point of having chaperones if they are not going to project the children? This young mans life is changed “forever”, I have a feeling that the kids that did this have been in trouble before. If we don’t protect our children, who will? Thank you David for ALL that you do!
Thanks, David. How, when, where and what to say to the media is crucial in a situation such as this. Hamilton County school officials have failed miserably in this on numerous times. Maybe it’s time for Superintendent Smith to invest in a GOOD communications director. Now, I understand a gag order has been issued by the Sevier County authorities, so the situation will only worsen in regards to the information flow. This will make it tough on the general public, but probably necessary so as not to impede the investigation. Our trust must now lie with the investigators to uncover the sordid details of this heinous felony and bring the perpetrators to justice under the full extent of the law and that changes will be made at the faculty and staff level at Ooltewah High.
I have confidence that issues are being handled. We are not entitled to know every detail into the investigation, although I realize that drives the media. There is a legal process in place that prevents officials from answering a question just because it is asked. If it was my child, I would want to be informed, but not feel the general public is entitled to all information. We are all very disturbed by this, so maybe we are all just trying to process it all. Prayers for all!
Well, considering that the principal, athletic director and coach are still employed, I have ZERO confidence that issues are being handled.
Neither do I Bill! And considering many of the “general public” have children attending Hamilton County schools AND our tax dollars pay their salaries, we DO have a right to know that steps are being taken to protect our children. Silence is NOT golden in this case…
The solution for schools in our county is to blow up (figuratively) the Board of Education and to have charter schools. I read an interesting quote by McCallie headmaster Spencer McCallie a few years ago on how he would improve public schools: “Give power to the principals.” In other words, to the schools themselves.
Every school should have a Board of Trustees made up of parents, alumni, and any other person from the school area who has an interest. THEY should govern the schools, not the Board of Education. The Board of Education is obsolete. For example, we have a Director of Nutrition at the central office. Why do we have that position? Can each school’s cafeteria staff not make up their own menus? The private schools do it! Why can’t public schools?
Think of the money that would be saved if we eliminated all the money associated with a Board of Education. I’m sure it totals into the tens of millions of dollars.
Some might say that we need a central office to determine when a new school would need to be built, where to build it, etc. Nope, you don’t need a central office for that. The principals could meet 3 or 4 times a year to deal with business like that. They are smart people. They could say, “Hey, we need another school out in East Brainerd.” And then build it. The principals could set their own districts, also.
Principals would be hired by a Board of Trustees from each school and would be responsible for everything and would answer to no one other than that Board. If a new building needed to be built, each school would have the money since the Board of Education would be gone. And principals would be ACCOUNTABLE to their Board of Trustees. That’s one of the things we are missing now: accountability.
All we need is one person to divvy up tax money to the schools, based on enrollment. That would be the only “central” person needed.
Where are the hazing lawyers? What are the laws on Hazing in Tennessee? From everything I have read, looks like a clear cut case of hazing. And possibly a long history of institutional hazing. How long has this been going on? Someone needs to address the hazing issues to ensure this kind of behavior is stopped before someone dies. The coaches,staff and school adminatration needs too be held accountable as do the individuals directly involved. Is this going to be a missed opportunity to stop this kind of behavior, again? So sad!
Well said David Carroll. This is what anyone as a parent wants to hear. We want to know our kids are safe, that the people who hurt this child are going to be punished. Yes, the adults and board have not handled everything right, but admit it. Tell us you want to punish the ones who did this but protect the kids in the future. You must learn from this. The lack of response is almost as bad to this child and his family as the incident itself. The kid abused has a long road to walk. The superintendent, principal, A.D., coaches need to step up and make some half attempt to make things right, not just sweep it under the rug. Prayers go to this child and his family.