Attorneys representing a former Kiski Area middle school assistant baseball coach say they plan to file a lawsuit against the school district after the former coach was not rehired for the job over what they say is political retaliation.
Attorney Amanda Shields said Tuesday her firm plans to file a federal lawsuit in the coming weeks on behalf of her client, Mark Flemm, after the Kiski board voted 6-2 Monday to hire another candidate for the assistant baseball coaching position at the middle school.
School board members Cheri Croney, Christina Mease, Jenna Rowe, Amy Halter, Dawn Mellinger and Melissa Kowalkowski voted to hire Kevin Glendenning for the position; Stephanie Jankowski and Nicole Kamer were opposed.
None of the school board members immediately responded to requests for comment Tuesday except Jankowski, who directed a reporter to her comments at Monday’s board meeting.
Jankowski said her vote wasn’t against Glendenning — her cousin — but rather a process that she said wasn’t followed.
“A departure from proper protocol is what I voted against tonight, not a person,” Jankowski said. “It sets a dangerous precedent, and I’m more concerned about what that communicates. It’s a baseball coach now. What is it next time?”
Shields said there is reason to believe the majority of school board members did not hire Flemm because of his political views and opinions.
Flemm is also a former school board member.
Attorney Joel Sansone, also representing Flemm, said the issue stems from a covid-19 masking debate during Flemm’s time on the school board.
“His opinion was, whether or not you and I agree with this, our funding is dependent of whether we follow it,” Sansone said. “It was a political statement steeped in common sense.”
“That rubbed people the wrong way. These people now have the opportunity to extract revenge. It’s so petty, I can’t believe it; and it’s so harmful to the student-athletes to play out petty revenge after all this time.”
Shields said Flemm had been the assistant coach of the middle school baseball team for two years and had done so successfully. He also has spent time coaching other sports in the area for 15 years.
When it came time to renew spring sport coaches’ contracts, Flemm originally was the only applicant for the position and was recommended to be rehired by Kiski Area administration, Shields said. However, the board declined to hire him, and later voted on a replacement candidate, according to Shields.
“It’s pure political revenge,” Sansone said.
Reached Tuesday, Kiski Area solicitor Ron Repak said no one was “fired.”
He said the Kiski Area board, each year following the previous sports season, opens athletic positions and coaches must be reappointed by the board.
“The position had been previously opened and a successful candidate had not been approved by the board following board action in December,” he said.
From there, additional candidates were sought when the applicant pool was limited, Repak said.
“Administration made a recommendation for a candidate chosen based on a history of experience in baseball and program familiarity, and the board exercised its authority to approve that recommendation,” Repak said.
“The district followed its established procedures throughout the process and per contract, the district has the ability to change athletic personnel at its own discretion.”
Repak said that, because of threatened litigation and it being a personnel matter, the board will not comment further.
“Should a lawsuit be filed, the district will review the lawsuit and respond as may be required to defend against said lawsuit,” Repak said.
At Monday’s board meeting, four people spoke in favor of Flemm and what they said was the positive impact he leaves on students in the Kiski Area School District. Claudia Hutcherson of Vandergrift said Flemm also has assisted football and basketball teams in the district.
“He invests in their growth not only as athletes but as young individuals developing character, discipline and teamwork,” she said. “To potentially take this opportunity away from someone like Mark, especially if it is rooted in what appears to be a personal issue, is deeply concerning.”
