001Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls, I guess I'll say. Um, I'd like to call the meeting to order. Can you hear me, Mr. Downing? Can you hear me, Mr. Downing. I'm going to say no. We'll wait for Mr. Bradford to get down here. We'll call the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. I don't I don't know if he can hear us. He can't. Can you hear me, Mr. Downing? I can now. Yes. Okay. Thank you. you. Before we open the floor for public participation, I'd like to take a moment to go over a few important guidelines to ensure this portion of the meeting is productive and respectful for all involved. Comments must be only related to the agenda items. To keep things orderly, please state your name and affiliation to the agenda
002subject. Please direct your comments to the chair only. That's me. And please be courteous. We ask that comments remain focused on agenda issues and not directed to any individuals that may be involved. This is not the time for debate between the public and the board. All comments will be taken seriously and considered. Disrespectful, derogatory or accusation towards the board or any school employee will not be allowed by policy. Personnel issues cannot be discussed in public sessions. Questions may or not or may not be answered by the board chair. The chair may allow a few fellow board members to answer if they feel it is valuable to the agenda item. If you wish to speak and haven't signed up, please do so at the sign-in sheet in which I have here. And I believe somebody thought
003that they were just signing in to acknowledge they were here and they might not be speaking. So I will read it off as we go. So thank you. Um there is a three minute time limit um so that whoever wishes to speak we can get you all in. Um we'll try our best to um the first speaker will be Mr. Baggley if he'd like to speak. And there is mics here or right behind you. So, please use them so we can all hear. Thank you. Good evening. One of you vote yes to confirm, two no, and two abstensions to deny him the opportunity to mentor a former student and player so he can begin his coaching career to save our program. I would think if something so horrible happened to change your minds, the vote
004would have been a defining no. This type of vote makes me wonder what really happened. It is something is it something so bad I would hope that it had been addressed with our administration and school board like things have been addressed in the past. The two no votes puzzle me. But what puzzled me most is the two abstensions. Unless you've lived under a rock or just moved to RSU 20 in the last eight months, you know who Fry is and you know what he've done for us students athletes. There is no reason to abstain. The reason I don't know them is the reason to abstain. I don't buy. We approve new employees, hundreds of them, over the course of the years, not even knowing their name, where they came from, or what they look like.
005I'm not here to back fry because of the championships he's won. I'm here to talk about the leadership and his mentoring of the students here for almost two decades. Some people have no idea what a coach does. I coached. I get it. Teaching the game at this level is the smallest amount of time spent. Once you get to high school, he is refining what they have show what you should have already learned and teaching you more of the game. You need a bunch of things to be a coach. Patience, need a part-time psychologist degree to deal with kids these age. You need to be a mentor, a babysitter, and a friend. And then you coach. Yes, we've all heard John in his unique voice holler, call out players for bad plays, and give them a
006well-deserved lecture after a game. Why? Because John cares. No, John loves his players. And I mean that when I say that. I know how he feels. Unless you have coached, it's hard to understand. He puts his kids way before his health and other commitments. John has literally pulled himself from a bed, hospital bed, to make sure he got to the game to support our kids. For some kids, sports are what saved them in high school and life choices. Me being one of them. For me, it was my little league coach that taught me the most about being a good person with values and respects. Fry is more than just a coach. I have watched these qualities for the last four years following the baseball team. I've listened to him tell former and current players to
007be kind and respectful when they talk about how bad somebody may be or how little knowledge of the game or talent they may have. He expects respect for himself and others. Fry doesn't do this for the glory. Can say he you can say he truly loves his players and students of our school. I have traveled halfway up the state to watch girls basketball and who appears but R.J. and Fry. Why? Because Fry cares. Mr. Baggley. Yep. Are you almost done? Yep. Okay. Well, I attended uh the university this weekend to watch my son play club baseball. An umpire approached my son knowing he was from Searsport and said, "What the hell is going on in Searsport? He is here for our kids, not for the record." I would bet my soul that he any current
008player or for current player, former player called him in the middle of the night saying they needed help, he would do it and he would be there. That is who Fry is. I hope these board members are here for the kids and could tell by the turnout tonight that they are here to support him like he has supported them. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bagley. [Music] Tenny Spiegel will be the next speaker. It's difficult to follow that. Good evening. My name is Tenny Spiegel and I am a staff member here at RSU20 and I am also a resident of Searsport. I grew up here in Stockton Springs in Searsport and with my husband Christian, we chose to raise our children here where small town America is alive and well and a sense of pride in
009our community matters. I am speaking tonight representing my family and specifically our son Charlie Spiegel who played soccer and baseball for four years for Coach Fry. Charlie is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps as a second lieutenant and is in charge of 75 young men leading in the same manner that Coach Fry does with a firm hand and a big heart. To quote Charlie, "Coach Fry only has a third of a heart, but it's bigger than most peoples that I've ever known. Our son has worked hard and excelled partly because of the life lessons he learned from his coach and mentor. Athletics offers a multitude of opportunities for growth and John Fry has devoted his life fostering honor, grit, and perseverance in our young athletes. I don't know the particulars that happened last
010soccer season that people objected to, but what I do know is that Coach Fry apologized for his behavior. As humans, we are imperfect beings. And as lifelong learners, we are occasionally taken to the woodshed, as they say, to keep us humble. Who among us is perfect? No one. The essential element when making a mistake is admitting fault. As an educational institution, we attempt to teach this to children. And if we model this behavior as adults, what a powerful life lesson. Owning our mistakes demonstrates integrity. And Coach Fry has an abundance of it. Is he perfect? No, he's human, but he is absolutely committed to the students of this community and he deserves to be reinstated as our boys varsity baseball coach. Thank you. Thank you, Jenny, Darren Moody. Good evening. I'm not going to top
011what those two did, that's for sure. But I'm Darren Moody. I'm here to speak on Coach Fry's behalf. Uh my son played for Coach Fry for soccer and baseball. And I've coached baseball, so I know what it's like to be a coach. And Fry is by far got the biggest heart and cares for these kids. He does everything for these kids. I've seen him pull talent from these kids that they didn't think they had and he just deserves to come back. He retired last year, named a field after him, was asked to come back to mentor a new coach. What an honor CSport would be to have to have him come back and do that. Thank you. [Music] Mel Grant. Hi, my name is Mel Grant. Um, a resident of Stockton and I coached I
012coached basketball for I don't know how many years. 10, 12, 14. I don't know. It's gotten to that point. Um, but I also coached baseball with Coach Fry for 10 or 12 years. Um, and you you've got to get to know John as as I have. I mean, the passion that he has for these kids, as many have touched upon the the health issues he's had, and just the willingness to to show up no matter what, with an IV sticking out of his arm for these kids. I mean, it's just it's crazy to think that we're in this position tonight because um like Tony and Darren, they we've all coached. I've coached since I was 18, 19 years old, and I'm much older now. No responses, girls. And uh but it it takes a lot
013and and the times have changed to be a coach. Back in the days when I coached my kids up through, we could be tough on kids and with my the coaches I had would have been in jail at this point still because of the stuff that they they said to us and did to us. Um, but the times have changed. I understand that. But you got to understand that, you know, as a coach myself and as John as a coach, we're not here to hurt these kids. We love these kids. We would absolutely lay down our lives for these kids every year. I guarantee it. All of us would. and we treat them like they're our kids. And sometimes a kid needs to be talked to. Simple as that. They they need they can't be
014so entitled that they are nowadays. These kids need to learn what it's going to be like to live after they're 18 when they go to college on their own or they get a job. Sometimes it takes tough love and and that's what we feel like we do. And and we do it respectfully. Honestly, do we make mistakes? Absolutely. There's mistakes. We do it every year. But we try and we put we put things in place so that this stuff doesn't happen. But it does. It just does. It happens. And um I just got to say these kids nowadays I I think they need a little tough love. I mean it's it's that simple. They need to be taught what it really is to be an adult. And I think through sports that's where it happens.
015Can we be mean and derogatory? No, I don't think so. But we can help these kids learn and we can help these kids grow up a little bit. And I think honestly that's what John has done for the last 18 20 years through here. Before he was here, he was at another school and I I I myself have been very lucky to coach alongside him. We've had a lot of success as everybody knows and a lot of our players I mean they see us all over the place and like I said they would do for us as we do for them because it's a mutual respect. Um, so I just feel like he deserves another chance. I feel like there's been maybe a jump to conclusion on some things here. I don't know. I don't
016know particulars. It's not my privy, but I do know what kind of person John is, and I I wholeheartedly believe that he deserves to be back as coach. Thank you, [Music] Mr. Springer. Daryl Springer. No. Okay. Jared Kronhomem. I'm all set everything that I support. Thank you. Denise, you all set? Jen Brassbridge. Hi, I'm Jen Brassbridge, resident of Stockton Springs and mom of Carmen and Chase, who Chase graduated in 2022, and Carmen's a sophomore. Chase couldn't be here tonight because he's in the working force now and he doesn't get out until 6 p.m. Um, so he asked if I would read something on his behalf. Coach Fry came back this year out of the kindness of his heart. He retired last year and when he found out that our school signups were lacking enough players
017to field a team and that the school was having trouble fielding a coach for the upcoming season, he was happy to come back and help keep our program alive. He was willing to train a younger new head coach this year that would be able to take over the reigns next year and for years to follow. I can personally attest that John Fry was not only the best coach I ever played for, but has made me an even better friend and mentor in my life after high school. frequently checking up on my life post high school, encouraging me to do big things, and after each accomplishment, letting me know just how proud of me he is. Fry not only coached me into a better player, he coached me into a better person. Thank [Applause] you, Lauren
018Southworth. Good evening members of the board, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Warren Southworth. I my wife and I moved to Searsport in 1966 when I became a member of the faculty of here of the high school. And u in the interim when I went to work in Bangor at what is now Eastern Maine Community College, Ruth and I chose to keep our children here and raised them here. I have served this board on two occasions. I think I possess a few insights as to governance and what happens. Um, these folks who have preceded me have spoken eloquently to John Fry's capabilities. And I must confess that when I heard that he had not been permitted to return, I couldn't quite get my head around that. He an entire athletic complex has been named in
019his honor and he can't come back to coach. Amazing to me. And when we spoke with our grandson Charlie Spiegel um whom Tenny mentioned earlier, Charlie said, "This is just unbelievable. He has taught me so much, not just in terms of athletics, but also in the way I interact and lead my Marines today. Charlie is serving his country, your country, my country, our country as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. That's after having earned a degree in chemical engineering at the university and the opportunity to play baseball at the university. This whole situation brought me immediately to recall I think it's the Star Trek 2 movie The Wrath of Khan in which first officer Spock has attempted to repair some incredibly sophisticated device in the spaceship and in having done so he's been
020irdiated. If he returns to the crew he runs the risk of contaminating them all. And so he seals himself off behind a glass wall and his his friend, his brother in arms, Captain Kirk is on the other side of the wall and Spock and he Kirk touching hands and Kirk is attempting to to encourage Spock to come out and Spock says, "No, I can't." And Kirk says, "Why?" He says because the needs of the many overwhelm the needs of the few. And the reason I mention that is that it seems that in this particular situation, the needs of the few have overwhelmed the needs of the many. Now, I've struggled with the loss of my youth. Don't giggle, Tony. and and I realize now retrospectively I would love to go back and live much of
021my life again. And having done so, I then could recall those errors that I've made so I might rectify them. You folks this evening are faced with an absolutely wonderful opportunity. you have a chance to rectify what I believe was an error. I wish you the grace of God and God's speed in doing that. Thank you. Thank you, [Applause] Christian. You can Okay, Miss Thank you, Mr. French. Jerry, good evening. I used to be a member of this board at one point in time and there are decisions that are hard that you need to face and you need to make. Uh I don't think this is one of them. I think if the board were to stop and take a look around at this room right now, the will of the people is speaking pretty
022loudly right now. These are your constituents and everybody has spoken in the affirmative to approve Coach Fry. Now, I have never met Coach Fry, but I don't need to. My father graduated from this high school. I graduated from this high school. Two of my sons have graduated from this high school and one still attends. And what we all have in common in this room that we've done for generations is give three cheers for Searsport High School. But she's all right. I think the decision that needs to be made tonight is to follow the will of your constituents and approve Coach Fry. Thank you, Jerry. Is there anybody else? Nicole, this you can use that one. Good evening, um, school board. I am Nicole Carbero. I have three sons on this team. My daughter, Kyla Perkins,
023graduated from the school. Um, and as a single mother with teenage sons, um, and I already wrote to you all individually, but I just want to reiterate the importance of this role model to these boys and how much I appreciate the whole faculty, all of the coaches that come out and give their best to these boys. But as a single mother, to have teenage boys that respect, someone that offers discipline and love at the same time when it's so hard to obtain that from this generation of young men. So with everything that everyone has said, I hope and I ask you please reconsider because this is so important to these boys and to their upbringing. Thank you. Thank you, Nicole. Is there anybody else that would like to speak? Chris Kristen, thank you. I'm Kristen
024Ombry, um, former teacher here at RC20 and current, um, varsity softball coach. I just wanted to take a moment to talk about being that young coach because this is my ninth or tenth year as softball coach here. So, I once was Josh um, and didn't really know the rules. I played softball in um high school, joined a team in college. I didn't go all the way through, but um I applied to be the softball coach here and got the position. And Coach Fry was a great mentor to me coming in and um I could ask him any question about softball and he wasn't even the softball coach and he would get me the answer right away. Um, he's taught me a lot through my years coaching even though we're not coaching on the same side.
025Um, so just being in Josh's shoes once before, I think Fry is a great mentor to have to show you what you need to do, teach you how to do the book, teach you how to do a lineup. When you have those nitty-gritty questions about a play that happened on the field that you're just not sure about, should I have argued that? um Fry's there and he knows he has all of the knowledge in the world and can help our young coaches through that and I really hope that you guys will um choose to vote him in to help mentor Josh because he really deserves a mentor like that. Thank you. Thank you, Kristen. Is there anyone else that would like to speak? Katie. Good evening. My name is Katie Bailey and I am a
026um employee of RSU20. I also live in Searsport. Um I do not know Coach Fry nor have my children played under him, but I do know our administrator here at the high school, Josh Toothagaker. I know him to be a person of the utmost integrity. And I know that hours of deliberation go into our hiring processes here in RSU 20. I've been on hiring committees before. hours go into this work. Um, we take this work very seriously and if Josh is putting a name forward, I know it's because it's someone he trusts to work with your children. And I urge you to reconsider this vote and trust your administrators and your hiring committees. Thank you. Thank you, Katie. Is there anyone else that would like to speak? Nicole, I think his son raised his hand.
027[Music] My name is Jacob Bragden and I'm on the Sears Sport District baseball team right now. And I'd like to start off today by saying that my biggest goal in life is to be able to play in the Major League Baseball one day and be able to keep process progressing through my throughout my high school and hopefully college years and up. I would love it if you could just hear me out for a couple of minutes. Throughout the two years that I have come to Shearsport District School High School, Coach John Fry has been a huge impact on my life and many others. For most of us, John Fry is not just a coach, but way more than that. He has impacted so many lives throughout his years. Being a head coach just simply by
028being him and being the joyful, caring, and very honest, hardworking person he is. I know for our community, just to watch him not get voted on broke our hearts, including lots of our team who had quit their jobs just to play for their final high school years. To be able to say that they had the most fun of it out of it that they could throughout their years. hopefully some being able to keep progressing and keep doing what they love no matter what the outcome is. I know for me, watching my high school coach not get voted on and not knowing what would become of our team this year completely destroyed me. So much so to the point that I had gone on strike refusing to want to go to school or do homework. So
029much so that I was in total shock that we would possibly not be able to have a team for the next couple of years, putting almost all of us out of a high school by the time that we the team might be able to come back together as one. I know that it was totally wrong for me to just upright quit school over the fact that I might not be able to play high school ball ever again. That is how much I baseball truly means to me and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be able to keep living my dream. I cannot just stand here around doing absolutely nothing while we watch our team crumble to pieces. Our community and team feels exactly the same as I do. Asking is that if John
030Fry would be more than happy to keep coaching us, I do not fully see a reason as to why not vote him on. Even if some of the deciding factors may be medical issues, that is why we have assistant coaches to take care on the more physical roles of it. And I know that Josh Wright, our assistant coach, may not be eligible eligible for a lead coaching position this year. This is why I ask of you today to just give John Fry one more year to let us keep progressing. So hopefully next year if John Fry decides to finally step down, we are able to keep the team together and let Josh Wright step into that head coaching position so that we never have to split apart our baseball team and watch our beloved team
031fall out of line with the sport. Even though I do not think anyone here at Searsport District High School would ever let them fall themselves fall out of line with the sport, here at District High School, we want to keep a bond with our community and team and be able to keep our kids living the dream that they so much desire. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Jacob Bre. [Applause] Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to speak? Please. Hi, my name's Ma Wiseman. Um, I'm here because Fry throughout I'm a senior in high school and the captain of this softball team right here. And we're here supporting Fry because no matter what throughout my years, even not on his team, he still watches and observes my players. And he always comes and
032gives me tips that help me. And he's always there for me. and he always comes and with a smile on his face, ready to greet people, ready to be nice. He's so supportive for all his boys and his girls. And even though I haven't been able to play on a team with him since I'm here with my girls, he has no matter what been there. And he's helped me through a lot. Thank you, [Applause] Thank you very much. Is there anyone else? Hello, my name is Isaac Traves. I play soccer, basketball, and baseball here. I'm a sophomore in high school. And um the reason why I'm here today is because I'm a soccer player. I've been coached by Fry for two years. I'm the captain on the soccer team. I'm the for both years. I've
033made all-star twice. He's taught me how to be a great leader. He's taught me how to be a respectful person. He's taught me everything I know today to be honest. Baseball I I in eighth grade I played. Freshman year I didn't play. I just didn't like the sport. Didn't really want to do it. But then I heard Fry was coming back sophomore year and he wanted me to play. So I decided to play. The only reason why I'm playing baseball today and well all these boys right here is because of Fry. And I just want you to reconsider him as coach. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. Is there anyone else? I believe a board member would like to speak. I just wanted to appreciate the respectful manner in which you all have shared your thoughts
034and concerns this evening. that is your absolute right to exercise that those concerns. Um to the young people that are here tonight, I want to say that one of the most important things you will ever do in your life is to stand up for what is right and what is good and not be intimidated by a fear of being ostracized. I want to just also acknowledge this board that sits in front of you this evening. We are all either mothers or educators or truly invested community members or all three. And our purpose on this board is to ensure the very best education and experiences for all of our students. I will say that a no vote is a very serious issue. It's it's a very serious thing. It's not taken lightly. It is made because
035there is a serious issue or concern about a person or an event or a procedure. Those votes are not taken lightly. An abstension, some of you may know, is usually used when there's a conflict of interest. Sometimes it's used when there's just not enough information about something. So, I just wanted to thank you all for being here and expressing your concern and giving us the information that you hold. Ultimately, there will be a vote tonight, a final vote, which will be made in the best interest of all students based on all the information we have, some of which you may not all be aware of due to the highly confidential nature of any personnel issue. Whether you like the outcome of tonight's vote or not, it will be in everyone's best interest to accept the
036vote and move on in the most positive way, remembering that we are all role models for the young adults looking on. That's it. Denise, I am going to I'm sorry. Did you Mrs. I believe I have a loud voice. I don't need that. Okay. Um Mrs. Southworth, I have to um I have to pass on No, I have to pass on you speaking. Pardon me. I I have to pass on you speaking. Oh, may I I closed the speak and I'm so sorry. I can't speak. It's too late. Yeah. Oh crap. I am so sorry. I am so sorry. Okay. I apologize, Mrs. Southworth. I am going to recommend John Fry as the varsity baseball coach. And that is in a form of a motion. And I will need a second. I will second that.
037There will be no vote right now. I am making a motion to go into executive session for the purpose of employment of officials, appointees, employees, person to 1 MRSA 4056A and that's in the form of a motion. Second. All in favor. We will be back shortly and the time is um 6:36 and we'll be back. opposed Chris. The motion passes 4 to one. Mr. Fry will take over. Motion to adjourn. Second. All in favor? Unanimous. Chris, thank you all for coming.