Give it a rest

We don't believe the search and selection process for a new Sandusky Schools athletic and activities director was rigged, racist or otherwise, as some, including Sandusky city commissioner Richard Koonce, are claiming. Koonce seems to be a man in search of a stage, looking for the limelight to air old personal grievances. Sandusky coach Lucas Poggiali gives instructions during pregame on Aug. 25, 2023. Register file photo/ERIN CALDWELL "Without saying it, at the center of the story is what?" Koonce asked during a community forum. "Race," he said, answering his own question. The wreckage Koonce is leaving behind, making unsubstantiated allegations and calling for resignations and boycotts, has been harmful to our community and to the Blue Streaks football program. On Tuesday, Lucas Poggiali, the head football coach for the past two seasons, said good-bye to his team, announcing he would not be back this year. This was not how Poggiali was expecting this summer to go. He was anticipating continuing to build a strong athletics department in the district along with Jamaris Brown, the Streaks' defensive coordinator for the past two years, who was selected to replace him as head coach. Poggiali was selected in May from among 20 candidates to become the new A.D. after an interview process that lasted weeks and involved a committee of district employees. Although none of the candidates not selected for the job have complained, Koonce alleges it was an unfair process that led to Poggiali being selected. Koonce sparked a brief firestorm of protest, making false and unsubstantiated allegations, in our view, that the process was rigged to pick Poggiali. Some contend the process was rigged 11 years ago to favor Koonce when the college and career readiness advisor's position was created, the job he has held since 2013. Koonce declined to address that question, and we don't know if that's true or not. But we don't believe that's what happened this time, with Poggiali's selection. Koonce seems more interested in his own self-promotion activity and growing his social media influence than he is interested in what's best for our kids and our school district. He makes allegations without substantiation and that is, in our view, irresponsible. He claims another candidate is more qualified than Poggiali, but he won't say exactly how he determined that; he won't say why he's right about that and why everybody else involved in the process is wrong. The process was not perfect. Scoring sheets were not filled out correctly by some committee members, but that does not appear to have been a deciding factor in the final selection or much of a factor, at all. Koonce also complains that committee members knew Poggiali, but every in-house candidate for every job, ever, has that same advantage. It's a fair advantage, not a nefarious one, as Koonce suggests. There also is no clear basis for why Koonce contends the candidate he prefers for the job is more qualified than Poggiali. He won't say why that is. The school district, just like any government or organization, must always be mindful of fairness and diversity issues in the workplace. It needs to be protective of everyone involved in a process, always on guard against systemic racism and bias. At the same time, we should not let misinformation, innuendo and corrosive conjecture harm our community and its institutions. We are deeply disappointed in Koonce and urge him to take a step back, take a deep breath and try to be respectful to others. Let them get a word in edgewise at least. But more so than that, we are deeply saddened that Poggiali appears ready to leave the district, to change his life's course, because of the misinformation that has been spread and the misstatements that have been made. Poggiali and Brown both decided to withdraw their names after Koonce and others alleged that the process was rigged. Because of that, a new search must be started. We were hoping both men would reconsider and that they would reapply for the jobs. If they did that, we think they would likely be selected again — not because the process is unfair or it's rigged — but because they are the best picks for the jobs.