“06880” asked Kevin Christie why he recused himself from participation in Monday’s hearing regarding the non-renewal of Staples High School boys soccer coach Russell Oost-Lievense’s contract. The Board of Education member says:
I made the difficult decision to recuse myself from this hearing, well before expressing any interest in other local offices, because of my personal connections to the soccer program and case.
Leadership and good governance can often mean making challenging decisions, and I made this decision out of respect for everyone involved. It was not an action I took lightly, and I continue to stand by it.
Kevin Christie
Your connection to the soccer program was barely tangential at most. You want people to vote for you to lead with you willfully take an exit ramp long in advance of a having to sit and decide a matter of town wide significance. And then long after that process turns into an utter miscarriage of justice you drop a note and say you stand by your reluctance to serve and decide? What is it that you plan to tell voters when they ask for more than a blurb to 06880? What is going on in this twilight zone of a town these days?
Just curious. What is his connection to the soccer program?
Typical politician’s response, vague and unchallengeable, probably written by his crisis management person.
Give me a break.
When you chickened out doesn’t matter.
If that’s a “challenging decision” you can’t run a town.
Typical and he’s wants to run Westport. He must be another spineless republican.
Nope. Seems to be a Democrat…
Isn’t he running for First Selectprrson? Hmmmmmm!
Kevin, not participating in governance is the opposite of leadership from an elected official. May you never be elected in this town again.
Leadership is indeed about making difficult decisions, Mr Christie. However, recusing yourself seems more of a cop out than anything else. A difficult decision would have been standing up for what is right and voting with Mr Harrington against your superintendent and your embarrassing BoE peers.
Perfectly said! As a First Selectman candidate, Mr. Christie’s recusal was unfortunate and an example of how we will not his support on the side of what is right and difficult. Another politician protecting his election. Failing big time to show what you’ve got to be our First Selectman.
I would just like to express my complete astonishment and confusion over this absurd situation. Did the town really have a 14 hour meeting with attorneys in front of the public? Over the non-renewal of a high school soccer coach? How is this possible?!
This country is a horrible soccer nation, every coach at every level should be fired. It’s the richest nation in the world, and the USMNT is playing against Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti next month. They finished LAST in the CONCAF Nations League Final in March. The entire world laughs at us. (Not the women’s team, of course, they’re up there with Canada.)
If we’re going to dump so many resources into this, maybe think out of the box and hire an actually good coach from a real soccer nation like Brazil or Argentina or Spain or whatever. What is the point of all this if we’re not bringing in the best coaches?
Otherwise, cut the program and have the kids focus on something else.
Totally agree with this comment. The amount of energy being put into such mediocrity is astonishing.
Lord, you have 40 sports at STAPLES with a variation of number of coaches and players AND you don’t have a SOP on hiring/termination of said personnel????? Who is running the Blue Ribbon Show? http://www.carladdisonswanson.com
Thank you, Kevin, for being the ethical voice in the room. We don’t have enough of this in our country these days. You have taught all of us an important civics lesson.
When there is a conflict of interest, or even THE APPEARANCE of a conflict or bias, recusing is the right thing to do. More of our elected leaders across the boards and commissions would do well to disclose these biases or conflicts.
I will remind all that Mr. Christie is the one who stayed at the board table to listen to student and parent complaints about racial bias and bullying when the rest of the board walked out of the room (Mr. Harrington was absent). That was leadership.
Well said.
I’m confused “Jake” is it because you peaked in high school that you’re upset or is the light shining off that bald spot a little too bright these days?
I think when a parent dedicating himself to a volunteer position to serve our town recuses himself, the first thought (and accusation) should not be that he did so for political reasons. Toni said it better than I did , anyone commenting here doesn’t know exactly what his connection is to any of the parties but he does – and he did the right thing to recuse himself. Others have done it for various other reasons. I was also going to remind everyone that he was the one to stay and listen at that BoE meeting. Lastly, I do think that people forget that these neighbors of ours are volunteers and are doing this for our kids, our parents, our town. While I don’t always personally agree with a decision or action you should respect the many hours they dedicate and their unselfish motives.
What was Mr Christie’s specific conflict of interest that made the recusal anything other than political expedience?
It just seems as if he was avoiding involvement in a controversial decision because he’s running for FS.
That’s my point Chris. If we don’t know what his personal connection was I think as a dedicated volunteer he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Why would we jump to thinking its about the FS election.
Well said, Lauren.
There is a student-organized walkout at Staples High School tomorrow (Friday, May 16th) @ 9am to support the coaches whose contracts have not been renewed. 4 things you can do to support the coaches and protest against the administration and board of education:
1. Attend the walk-out
2. Sign the petition: https://chng.it/9yML5hwm
3. Donate to the GoFundMe: tinyurl.com/35h4vnuc
4. Spread the word within and outside our community
An Instagram account has been made with more information: https://www.instagram.com/wreckersforruss?
Bring back Dan Woog as Staples Head Coach. Give him authority to hire/fire his own staff. He’s the only person with the unblemished track record and he’s shown himself to be above petty partisan politics that have corrupted every element in our society. Someone will have to take over 06880. Any volunteers?