Report clears high school
Deirdre Newman
NEWPORT BEACH -- The Newport-Mesa Unified School District released a
report Friday that clears Newport Harbor High School officials of any
wrongdoing regarding the school’s cheerleading controversy.
The report responded to a grievance filed against the high school in
January that alleged Principal Michael Vossen and other school officials
handled the cheerleading situation incorrectly.
Kim Stephens, who filed the grievance with parent Sherry Black, said
Tuesday that she is upset no punitive action was taken toward any of the
school administrators.
The grievance involved a litany of issues surrounding the cheerleading
controversy that exploded last fall after allegations of inconsistencies
in the tryouts’ judging process.
The report, released by Supt. Robert Barbot, absolves Vossen,
Assistant Principal Kathy Slaussen and Cheer Advisor Jennifer Cilderman
of any wrongdoing and mainly calls for clearer lines of communication
between school administrators and parents. The grievance had called for
Vossen and Slaussen to receive reprimands and for Cilderman to be removed
as cheer advisor.
Vossen said Tuesday that he sees the report as a clear mandate that
the school and the district need to work together to allow the school to
handle problems before they get to the district level.
“I think a good portion of the parents were going to the district
because they weren’t getting some of the answers that they would have
liked,” Vossen said. “I’m optimistic that we can find a way to make the
communication better.”
Stephens said the district did little to address her concerns.
“It was a slap in my face, a complete waste of my time and their time
because nothing was accomplished and certainly no amends were made,”
Stephens said. “They certainly didn’t try to console us in any way.”
The saga started in late November, when the cheerleading rosters were
posted and former cheer coach Lisa Callahan told administrators she had
witnessed irregularities in the judging that distorted the final results.
In response, school administrators and Callahan agreed to allow onto
the two squads all 48 girls who tried out. But Vossen then reversed that
decision, acting on the recommendation of an ad hoc committee. Vossen
decided to hold new tryouts to fill two more spots on both the varsity
and junior varsity teams.
Practices resumed, but Callahan was eventually dismissed from her
position in a memo sent by Lorri McCune, a district assistant
superintendent.
Stephens and Blake filed the grievance Jan. 29. Stephens’ daughter,
Katie, did not make the team. Blake’s daughter, Erin, made the varsity
squad.
A district-level committee heard the grievance March 21. Some of the
complaints in the grievance included accusations that the judges in the
original tryouts were not professional, Vossen failed to handle the
situation correctly, and the civil rights of Callahan and some of the
students were violated. During the hearing, 10 witnesses supported the
complaints in the grievance, Stephens said.
The committee made a recommendation to Barbot, who issued a final
ruling last week. His report found that the judges acted professionally.
But it also found that Vossen did not communicate well with the parents
and that an open line of communication was not granted.
Assistant Supt. Jaime Castellanos said he would help Vossen enhance
the school’s communication.
“I think a lot of it is any time there are issues that parents have,
we have to continue to be as responsive as we can,” Castellanos said.
“Some of those times, we may need to call parents over and over again.”
The report did not address the issue of civil rights violations
because Callahan and Cilderman were not named directly, Stephens said.
She and Blake now have the opportunity to refile that portion of the
complaint using specific names, Stephens said.
Since she is not satisfied with the outcome of the grievance process,
Stephens said she is going to consult an attorney and will probably take
the next step and set up a closed meeting with school board members to
discuss her lingering concerns.
Vossen said the school is eager to put the cheerleading controversy
behind it once and for all, and will soon announce the addition of two
new cheer coaches.
* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)
574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .
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