Where is the Leadership of the Muscle Shoals Board of Education?

 

From a reader:

In light of the current situation surrounding MS baseball coach Blake Beck, one has to wonder: are the people in charge of the Muscle Shoals City School system taking this seriously? According to The Times Daily, the superintendent, Dr. Chad Holden, has said the situation is being "addressed". What exactly does that mean, Dr. Holden? The leader of the MSHS baseball program has at least twice now, very publicly, acted out in an aggressive manner toward a city employee. The most recent incident escalated to the point of alleged physical contact with the Park and Rec director and his wife. Where is the leadership of the Board of Education? Is the administration at the MSCS system asleep at the wheel?

 
Dr. Holden and the BOE would be wise to look back a few short years ago to 2015. A MSHS football coach was charged with, and plead guilty to, domestic violence assault. Then superintendent, Dr. Brian Lindsey, took swift action and suspended said coach from both teaching and coaching duties immediately. Lindsey was quoted in the Times Daily as saying, "We don't condone or approve of domestic violence, and we want to be proactive and we took steps immediately". While the individual was a tenured teacher, and thus protected from an outright dismissal, according to Dr. Lindsey, he was "no longer part of the coaching staff". This is what leadership looks like, Dr. Holden. Is the best you have to offer concerned parents of Muscle Shoals students that the situation is being "addressed"?

The football coach mentioned above was described as "an exemplary employee, with an impeccable record". And yet, the leadership at MSCS had the wisdom to remove him from coaching young student athletes when it was necessary. Will the current administration show the same wisdom as it relates to the baseball coach? Parents and citizens of Muscle Shoals, you need to make sure that your Board of Education members know your feelings on this. Contact your City Council representatives. Contact the Mayor's office. DEMAND accountability from your "public servants". Ensure that moving forward, MSHS baseball has a leader that exhibits "Class. Character. Excellence."