Dear Editor, This is an open letter to Superintendent Debbie
Flores and GUSD trustees:
Dear Editor,
This is an open letter to Superintendent Debbie Flores and GUSD trustees:
I am writing this letter to let you know how outraged we are to hear about how you are handling the situation with Jack Daley. Mr. Daley has always been the most calm, consistent, understanding and accountable employee to represent the Gilroy Unified School District athletic department.
Mr. Daley always took the time to listen to any concerns from a player, parent or coach. He always took the time out of his very busy schedule over the years to write numerous letters for student athletes for scholarship and college applications. He is a big reason that student athletes from Gilroy have been so well recognized at the collegiate level.
On the field and in the office, he was always impartial and acted as a liaison for the athletic department. Mr. Daley did the very best with the small budget he had to work with, and its amazing the awesome sports program this town has had for so many years considering the very little it was run on compared to the other Division I sports programs.
The matter of “backgrounding” teachers, coaches, administration is a job for a Human Resource Department and not the faculty of the school. If this is not your protocol, then it definitely should be and it is inexcusable that this wasn’t the procedure followed by the school district. Nobody should be allowed contact with any student without a release from the HR department that a full background check, including a criminal check, has been done and passed with flying colors.
Blame and consequences should be placed where blame belongs and that is with former coach Alvin Harrison and Harrison only! He allegedly took the keys to the van, he drove the van, and he allegedly drank before driving the van. He is ultimately responsible for any and all consequences in regards to this situation.
I would expect integrity, honesty and responsibility from an Olympian, but then again we as a community put an athlete on a pedestal that should never been given access to our students. This man should have never been representing our school or district. While this man deserves second chances and compassion, he does not deserve access to influence or be around the students of Gilroy in a leadership role. All of this is unacceptable and inexcusable at the district level, and ultimately the leadership of the school district should be responsible for this serious and expensive mistake.
The school board can turn this around and reinstate Mr. Daley and move on. If the school district decides to do nothing, this is only going to bring more attention to this case, escalate and could actually end up backfiring and ultimately hurt the district in the court case with the injured parties.
Ms. Flores, you can make the difference here by acting responsibly and by doing the right thing. This wrong needs to be made right and that right is to reinstate Mr. Daley and apologize for the mishap. This man devoted his time and loyalty to a district and town he loved. The same loyalty and respect should be shown to him in return and not kicked to a curb like the thrown-out trash!
We expect all parties to do the right thing and turn this into a positive example on how to apologize and correct a wrongdoing, and that wrongdoing is removing Daley from his position as athletic director. Blame needs to be put where blame is deserved, and that is with Mr. Harrison the Olympian.
Steve and Erin Gibson, Gilroy
