Supporters Speak Out for Fired Basketball Coach

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. -- Current and former players along with fellow coaches, family and friends of Williamsville South's longtime basketball coach packed into the school board meeting Tuesday night to protest his firing.

Coach Al Monaco has been a basketball coach at Williamsville South for 24 years. But the superintendent relieved him of those duties after allegations that he verbally harassed players.

Although Amherst Police investigated and decided not to file charges, the district still fired Monaco as a coach.

It was standing room only at the board meeting with the vast majority of people there to support Monaco, one of the most well-known and well-respected coaches in all of WNY high school sports.

The president of the board, Carrie Kahn, read a statement before the public comment. She said the board stands behind the superintendent's decision "100 percent" and said, "We ask you to keep in mind that you do not have all of the information that is available to the Superintendent and the Board of Education concerning personnel matters."

But that didn't satisfy the coach's supporters.

"We feel like a great man has been stripped of a job that... he cared so much about," said Christopher O'Connell, a former player of Coach Monaco.

Fellow basketball coach Steve Allen warned the members of the school board that their support of the superintendent's decision to fire the coach may cost them votes and their seats on the board.

"We are going to show you what we feel like when you are up for elections come this fall or next fall," Allen said. "And we are not going to vote for you."

But the parents of one of the students who claimed he was verbally abused by the coach, defended their son and said the board made the right decision.

"I wanted to personally thank the Amherst Police Department, the school board and the superintendent, because you're praised sometimes, but when you make tough decisions, sometimes people want to get on you," Marvin Sanford said.

While Coach Monaco was not in attendance at the board meeting, his sister spoke out against his firing.

"What is Al's terminable offense?" Lynn Monaco asked. "You don't have to tell us here, because of confidentiality. Please (Superintendent) Dr. Martzloff, tell Al. I've read the letter that you sent to him. It's pretty vague."

It appears the board has made its final decision, but Coach Monaco's supporters said they will fight on.

Meantime, Monaco remains a health teacher at Williamsville South. He told 2 On Your Side's Michael Wooten that he cannot comment at this time.

Source: http://williamsville.wgrz.com/news/news/69166-supporters-speak-out-fired-basketball-coach

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