Missouri school’s first Black coach forced out. Was it his style — or is race involved? | Opinion

How does a successful basketball coach — the first head coach of color in any sport at Warrensburg High School, according to the booster club — lose his job after only two seasons without any justifiable reason?

So far, officials at the school district about an hour southeast of Kansas City are silent. But in correspondence we read, the reasons for not renewing the contract of girls basketball head coach Melvin Myers seem to be more about personal grievances over playing time and coaching style than about malfeasance.

Some players feared the coach, while other team members could do no wrong in his eyes, upset parents told school leaders, according to documents we viewed. He yelled too much and was an imposing figure on the sideline with a bad rep with game officials, others claimed.

For good measure, another parent griped that Myers didn’t discipline his players enough, especially African American student athletes.

What?

No record of discipline against Myers or his staff is on file. The only negative marks we saw were complaints from parents perturbed about diminished floor time for their children.

Did beefs from sports dads and moms play a factor in Myers losing his job? And was there an additional element?

“Let’s just call it what it is,” said Shawnacy Johnson Sr., treasurer of the Warrensburg High School booster club and a pastor at Bibleway Community Church in Jefferson City. “Racism.”

By season’s end, three freshmen and a fourth received more playing time than older teammates. Those players were all African American — like Myers and his top assistant, O.J. Rhone.

In that light, the optics of forcing the coach out are bad, Johnson said. He has a point.

There are no accusations of bullying, inappropriate conduct with students or cheating, those close to Myers contend. He is not under any criminal investigation and is still employed by the district, officials confirmed this week.

So why is Myers no longer the girls basketball coach at Warrensburg High?

Superintendent Andy Kohl, who is retiring at the end of the school year, didn’t reply to messages seeking comment, nor did activities director Keith Chapman, who is responsible for hiring and firing coaches. Principal Bret Pummill also didn’t answer questions.

Citing privacy issues and personnel matters, the school officials we did speak with wouldn’t comment on why the successful Black coach isn’t being retained.

Minority leaders held to different standards

What should have been a dream job for Myers turned into a nightmare, his supporters said. He is reluctant to comment for fear of damaging future job prospects.

Can you blame him?

People of color in leadership positions are often held to a standard different from their white counterparts, scholars have found. It’s a disturbing trend that should concern us all.

In professional sports, coaches of color are fired or not retained at higher rates than the average. We know these inherent biases creep into amateur and high school sports, too.

It appears Myers got a raw deal. And district officials must do all they can to clarify and then rectify the issue. If racial bias is found to have led to Myers losing his job, implementing mandatory unconscious bias training for all teachers, staff and administrators would be a good way to keep it from happening again.

Years ago, Myers moved his family to Warrensburg to be the head coach for girls basketball. In just two seasons, he moved the girls basketball program from last to first or tied for first place. Now, under a questionable narrative, Myers’ career has been uprooted.

How is that fair? Let us help: It isn’t.

Booster club treasurer Johnson is also a member of Warrensburg’s community change committee. He challenged district officials to give the public an unambiguous explanation about why Myers was relieved of his duties.

Johnson’s request is reasonable. It remains unanswered by school officials.

Myers’ hiring two years ago should have been a watershed moment for the school. The student body is about 78% white, according to the latest data from the state. Talk about taking one step forward toward diversity, equity and inclusion and two steps back.

In March, when Myers was told his contract as girls basketball coach would not be renewed, he was told he could stay on as a physical education teacher and assistant football coach, though. How does that even compute?

“It doesn’t,” said Myers’ assistant Rhone, who is also booster club president and a former Kansas City Royals draft pick and minor league player.

Rhone is also owner of the Youth Excited About Sports complex in Warrensburg. He has trained athletes in many sports. He bristled at complaints that Myers and staff did not properly develop players.

School officials knew of the experience Myers, a former assistant head coach at Jefferson City High School, brought to the school in rural Johnson County. He is a proven winner.

But if a few disgruntled parents forced him out after leading the girls basketball program to two winning seasons in two years on the job, that is beyond foul. District leaders should be embarrassed if they let a trailblazing hire slip away because a few adults wanted to act like spoiled children.