Juani Tantillo reads an open letter to the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, Sept. 19, 2016.
As Columbia High School looks to hire new varsity baseball coaches, supporters of the longtime coaches Joseph Fischetti and Matt Becht showed up in large numbers at Monday night’s South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education meeting to protest the move and reveal information about how the district conducted bullying investigations related to the coaches.
In August, the South Orange-Maplewood School District posted job descriptions for the coaching positions, indicating that the district would not be reappointing Fischetti and Becht for the spring 2017 season. Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Ramos told Village Green at the time that “the district has decided to go in a new direction – something that happens in sports all the time across the country and at every level of competition.”
However, it was hard for many to separate the move from the allegations of bullying — including an investigation by the district as well as another by an independent consultant and a lawsuit — that have dogged the coaches for the past two years.
(Read about the allegations here and here.)
Results of an independent HIB (Harassment Intimidation and Bullying) investigation into the allegations were reported to the Board of Education in closed session in July. Despite open public records filings by Village Green, district leadership reported that the school district could not release information about or discuss the investigation due to the fact that it is a personnel matter, a position that Board of Education President Elizabeth Baker reiterated on Monday night.
On Monday night, dozens of supporters gathered at the Columbia High School auditorium to speak on behalf of the coaches or applaud those who did. One parent, Juani Tantillo, read an open letter to the Board of Education on behalf of the supporters.
The letter detailed a convoluted process in which the coaches were at first cleared, then investigated again, then found guilty of a “minor infraction” of “inappropriate language” and asked to resign. Tantillo read that the situation was one involving “a lack of due process, double jeopardy, and significant reputational damage to coaches who have been exonerated of the same HIB.”
Tantillo also referenced an August 2015 email from now-resigned District Counsel Phil Stern in which Stern wrote to Fischetti and Becht’s counsel that Dr. Ramos would inform the complainants in the baseball matter that he was finding for them and that “the only reason he is doing this is to end the debacle” and not on “the merits” of the case, and that “the sole purpose of this action is to end it – for your clients, and for the District.” (See Tantillo’s full open letter below).
A number of players also spoke on behalf of Fischetti and Becht.
Matt Kritzberg and Eliot Dix reported that they have gathered 365 signatures for a petition to retain the coaches that they had created just two days ago. Dix said that the number represented “at least 1/5 of the student body.” Kritzberg noted that the coaches’ reputations had been tarnished and said, “hopefully us voicing our concerns will influence people’s opinions around Maplewood and South Orange.”
Dix added that he had experienced “nothing but positive” behavior from the coaches. However, he said they were tough, teaching players “if you want something, you need to work hard for it to make it happen…. We would never have had this much success without the dedication of these coaches.”
One former player talked of the baseball program lacking guidance before Fischetti’s tenure. “He created a culture of discipline and accountability,” said the young man. “They continued to play players no matter their year if they upheld these values.”
One CHS 2015 grad said of Fischetti and Becht, “I love them. I love these guys. That’s what it’s all about.” He noted that there was sometimes a “fine line between being a jerk of a coach and being passionate.”
Yet another grad (CHS 2010) said he had gone on to play Division II baseball at Bloomfield College and was currently coaching and teaching. “It’s a game of failure,” said the former player. “It’s extremely difficult to deal with. Without [Fischetti and Becht] I wouldn’t be the teacher I am today…. They taught me to be humble … to be a good person. This is what I experienced. I just wanted to say I’m here because they helped me out so much.”
Village Green will continue to follow this story.
Read some more of Village Green’s reporting on this topic in these related articles:
A Month Later, Investigation into Baseball Bullying Accusations Remains Incomplete
