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Published on 09/04/1995 All articles from this issue

Baseball coach's termination triggers barrage of parent reactions

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

Bob Bowers, whose contract to coach varsity baseball at Los Altos High School was not renewed, attended the Aug. 28 Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District trustees meeting with his attorney looking for answers.

Thirty-six people, parents, students and coaches, came to the meeting to speak for and against the decision not to renew his contract.

Bowers, a 1972 LAHS graduate, has coached at the high school since 1989.

"It was a very unprofessional way he was terminated," said Gloria Dralla, Bowers' attorney. "I have his personnel file, and there is nothing negative in it."

Calling the action arbitrary and capricious, Dralla requested the board put the coach's termination on the agenda for the next meeting and investigate why his contract was not renewed.

"I'm very upset by the process of his non-rehire," said Mike Sanderson to the board. His son Dylan is a sophomore. "We need to treat people with dignity and fairness, and this did not happen with Coach Bowers. There was no process involved in reviewing his performance for seven years."

Jim Wilson, whose son Ben is a junior and in the baseball program, spoke in support of the decision not to rehire Bowers.

"It is unfortunate the way the decision has divided the parents," Wilson said. "But we (he and other parents) felt a change was appropriate."

Board members said they could not discuss personnel matters in open session.

Two days after the meeting, Gil Lopez, father of two sons who have played in Bowers' baseball program, said he believes Bowers is not a good role model.

"He chews tobacco. I saw him during practice sessions and during games. This is in violation of school board policy," Lopez said.

The district has a tobacco-free statement that was adopted in 1992 and reaffirmed this past May.

"This policy prohibits the use of tobacco products on all school district property including school buildings, grounds, school-owned vehicles and at all school sponsored events off campus," states the policy.

Dralla said she had no idea if Bowers chewed tobacco. "I suppose he might because baseball coaches chew tobacco," she said.

"But there's nothing in his personnel file that anyone complained, that the school was enforcing this policy, and there was nothing in his letter of termination about chewing tobacco."

Don Phillips, superintendent of the Mountain View/Los Altos Union High School District, declined to comment on whether or not tobacco use was a factor in not renewing Bowers' contract.

"But smoking or tobacco use around kids is obviously an inappropriate behavior," he said. "We look to all our adults in the schools to be role models. But the primary issue here is not tobacco."

When evaluating coaches, the district considers the role model the person offers, the performance record, the training and skills development provided the athletes, Phillips said. "We look at the coach's overall judgment."

LAHS principal David Brazer said he approves all people who are hired or whose contracts are not renewed at the high school.

"I was only recently made aware that he (Coach Bowers) was chewing. And since then I've not had a chance to discuss it with him," Brazer said.

Brazer scheduled a June 14 meeting with Bowers which Bowers called and canceled. Brazer tried to reschedule. In the meantime, he met with different parent groups to discuss the characteristics of a good baseball program, Brazer said.

Brazer made his decision June 30 "after completion of parent input" and sent the termination letter to Bowers July 3.

Parents hold strong feelings about the decision.

"All of us in our family," said Jeanne Searles, mother of Kevin who is a senior at LAHS and varsity baseball player, "totally support Bob. We feel his release has been a mistake. We want the decision reversed."

Jim Wilson disagrees.

"I'm not out to get Bob in a personal way. But I feel he should not be rehired because of his tobacco. This is not a win-loss issue."