Kearny school district under federal investigation

[Guest Guest]

The Kearny school system is being investigated by the federal Office of Civil Rights for failing to provide equal opportunities for the girls' crew team under Title IX of the applicable federal law. The girls' team does not race on Sundays, when the most competitive races occur, because the girls' coach will not work on Sundays. He has every right not to work on Sundays but then the school district must find another solution. It cannot allow female athletes to be denied equal opportunities because of the coach's personal preferences. By not racing on Sundays, our girls will be denied the chance to participate in the most competitive races, and will be denied equal opportunities to compete for athletic scholarships.

You should be able to confirm this investigation with school district officials, as it is a matter of public concern. Administrators and the Board of Education should act immediately to rectify the inequality, so that Kearny taxpayers are not forced to spend money, yet again, to defend themselves against charges that cannot be defended. If this matter is not resolved now, every Kearny taxpayer will have to help foot the bill.

This is all the worse because this has come about because school officials have catered to the personal interests of one teacher/coach, as opposed to the interests and federally mandated rights of the students. High school sports are for the benefit of the student athletes, primarily, and the community secondarily. Federal law requires equal opportunities for male and female students. School administrators can nip this problem in the bud by doing the right thing. Nothing could be simpler but will they do it? Stay tuned.

[Guest IN THE KNOW]

The Kearny school system is being investigated by the federal Office of Civil Rights for failing to provide equal opportunities for the girls' crew team under Title IX of the applicable federal law. The girls' team does not race on Sundays, when the most competitive races occur, because the girls' coach will not work on Sundays. He has every right not to work on Sundays but then the school district must find another solution. It cannot allow female athletes to be denied equal opportunities because of the coach's personal preferences. By not racing on Sundays, our girls will be denied the chance to participate in the most competitive races, and will be denied equal opportunities to compete for athletic scholarships.

You should be able to confirm this investigation with school district officials, as it is a matter of public concern. Administrators and the Board of Education should act immediately to rectify the inequality, so that Kearny taxpayers are not forced to spend money, yet again, to defend themselves against charges that cannot be defended. If this matter is not resolved now, every Kearny taxpayer will have to help foot the bill.

This is all the worse because this has come about because school officials have catered to the personal interests of one teacher/coach, as opposed to the interests and federally mandated rights of the students. High school sports are for the benefit of the student athletes, primarily, and the community secondarily. Federal law requires equal opportunities for male and female students. School administrators can nip this problem in the bud by doing the right thing. Nothing could be simpler but will they do it? Stay tuned.

That's not the only thing their investigating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest Guest]

Why are the most competitive races held on Sundays? What happened to a day of rest? Anyway, we all know sports are the most important thing in schools. Why doesn't the coach just send in his or her assistant on Sunday meets?

[Guest Guest]

Why are the most competitive races held on Sundays?

Doesn't matter why. That's how it is, and our girls have to deal with it that way. Many of the most competitive races are Saturday and Sunday.

What happened to a day of rest?

That's up to the athletes, whether they want to race on Sundays. Don't bring religion into this, because that's not what it's about. This is about equal opportunity for students of both genders.

Why doesn't the coach just send in his or her assistant on Sunday meets?

Ask him, if you want to know, but it's the wrong question. The important question is whether our BoE will have the good sense to do exactly what you just suggested: get someone to go with the girls' team on Sundays. And the present coach can keep his job, if that's what the Board wants. It's an easy fix. The Board should do it immediately, before we end up getting hit with a bill for lawyers' services.

[Guest Guest]

Why doesn't the coach just send in his or her assistant on Sunday meets?

That's an obvious solution. Why isn't it done already?

[Guest guest]

What about the coaches salary? If not attending the meets should salary remain

the same.

[Guest Guest]

What about the coaches salary? If not attending the meets should salary remain

the same.

How is it handled with the boys' team? Is pay based on time spent, or is it a salary for the academic year? We shouldn't have to pay more just because the girls' coach won't coach all the meets.

[Guest Guest]

Pay the coaches what we pay the boys' coach.

[Guest BleeBlahBloo]

You guys picking on Mr P. again? ONe of the best teachers Kearny has ever seen? I was a student of Mr P., and I have also seen him with the girls crew and in the community and he is a great teacher, person and coach. I do believe the country offers freedom of religion and he is taking this freedom. THe board hired him knowing his stance on this. SO take it up there

[Guest Guest]

You guys picking on Mr P. again? ONe of the best teachers Kearny has ever seen? I was a student of Mr P., and I have also seen him with the girls crew and in the community and he is a great teacher, person and coach. I do believe the country offers freedom of religion and he is taking this freedom. THe board hired him knowing his stance on this. SO take it up there

Nope, nobody is picking on poor old Mr. P, Kearny's resident Christian martyr. The simple fact is, the girls' team is not being given equal opportunities to race and compete for scholarships. Mr. P is not the center of the universe. It's not about him. The feds are involved this time. Nice try, not happening.

[Guest Guest]

You guys picking on Mr P. again? ONe of the best teachers Kearny has ever seen? I was a student of Mr P., and I have also seen him with the girls crew and in the community and he is a great teacher, person and coach. I do believe the country offers freedom of religion and he is taking this freedom. THe board hired him knowing his stance on this. SO take it up there

How much is the doofus going to cost us this time?

[Guest Shane Murphy]

The doofus? You mean one of the best educators Kearny has seen in a long time? You mean the guy who is constantly doing things above and beyond what his duties call for? The guy that you can either find down at the crew house or the little league field? IM sorry, why dont you get off your ass and stop typing and offer to coach. Oh, and leave your real name. I agree with the person above me, Mr P was a great teacher, coach and person.

[Guest Guest]

You guys picking on Mr P. again? ONe of the best teachers Kearny has ever seen? I was a student of Mr P., and I have also seen him with the girls crew and in the community and he is a great teacher, person and coach. I do believe the country offers freedom of religion and he is taking this freedom. THe board hired him knowing his stance on this. SO take it up there

Sure, no problem, let's take it up there. He is entitled to practice his religion, and not to work on Sundays. But then the school district has to give the girls equal opportunities. It cannot contract with a teacher to ignore federal law; and anyway, that's not what the district agreed to do when it hired him. P can still coach, just have someone else take the team on Sundays and on two-day events. That's exactly what the OP says, and most of the posts after that. Nice try to turn it into something isn't.

You can start a Mr. Peeeeeeeee fan club if you want to but most of us have had enough of his shenanigans. If I have to pay money because of him, the Board is going to hear about it.

[Guest Guest]

Paszkiewicz's right to practice his religion does not mean that he gets to force the students not to compete on Sundays.

[Guest Guest]

The doofus? You mean one of the best educators Kearny has seen in a long time? You mean the guy who is constantly doing things above and beyond what his duties call for? The guy that you can either find down at the crew house or the little league field? IM sorry, why dont you get off your ass and stop typing and offer to coach. Oh, and leave your real name. I agree with the person above me, Mr P was a great teacher, coach and person.

Anyone who tells kids that dinosaurs were on Noah's ark is a doofus who shouldn't be teaching. He has done more damage to your head than you even know about. The fact that you don't see it makes it all the worse. Maybe one day you'll figure it out.

And all of that is beside the point. What he SHOULD be doing is trying to make it so the girls can race on Sundays. What is IS doing is sticking them in poorly attended races on Saturday, so he can keep the thirty pieces of silver he's making by selling out "his team." Then when it gets challenges, he starts playing the Christian martyr, just like he did the last time he cost us taxpayers money. And his minions, like you, will defend him no matter what. It's all about him, and you just proved it.

[Guest Guest]

The doofus? You mean one of the best educators Kearny has seen in a long time? You mean the guy who is constantly doing things above and beyond what his duties call for? The guy that you can either find down at the crew house or the little league field? IM sorry, why dont you get off your ass and stop typing and offer to coach. Oh, and leave your real name. I agree with the person above me, Mr P was a great teacher, coach and person.

Shane, do you agree that the girls' team should be able to race on Sundays? If Mr. P doesn't want to coach on that day, that is his right. Everyone agrees on that. But I've heard that he's raising a fuss about his religion, apparently so he won't lose out on whatever money he makes from coaching. Did he talk to you about that, Shane? So that's two questions for you. What are the honest answers?

[Guest Guest]

This should be solved NOW without the drama. Let the girls race equal to the boys. Simple.

[Guest Guest]

Here's the Kearny Observer on the story.

[Guest Guest]

So now Mr. P. has *** **** doing his dirty work for him, claiming that everything he does is in the best interests of the girls and the team. Baloney. The girls' team NEVER competes in a Sunday race. It's not because that's what is best for the girls. It's because he wants to go to church, and he wants all the girls to go to church too. That's the real reason. If they had a chance to go to the Olympics, they wouldn't be able to go, with him as coach, if it was on a Sunday. So can the baloney about how wonderful and self-sacrificing he is.

The law is the law. When the boys race in the most competitive races, and the girls don't, that will not stand up. Get used to it, because that's what is going to govern the outcome of the federal investigation. It doesn't matter what Mr. P's starry-eyed minions, on and off the team, think. It doesn't even matter what the girls on this year's team want. The law is concerned with equal opportunity for girls in that program, now and in the future.

We may not all agree but let's stop pretending we don't all know the real reasons why this is happening. Kearny has a renegade teacher in its school system. This isn't the first problem he has caused, and it probably won't be the last.

Edited February 27, 2015 by KOTW
Content.

[Guest Movie Watcher]

Your comment about the Olympics reminded me of an academy award winning movie called "Chariots of Fire". Did you see it? Anyway, I think your hatred of Mr. P. comes across loud and clear, the team WILL compete on Sunday no matter what the girls want!!

[Guest Guest]

So now Mr. P. has *** **** doing his dirty work for him, claiming that everything he does is in the best interests of the girls and the team. Baloney. The girls' team NEVER competes in a Sunday race. It's not because that's what is best for the girls. It's because he wants to go to church, and he wants all the girls to go to church too. That's the real reason. If they had a chance to go to the Olympics, they wouldn't be able to go, with him as coach, if it was on a Sunday. So can the baloney about how wonderful and self-sacrificing he is.

The law is the law. When the boys race in the most competitive races, and the girls don't, that will not stand up. Get used to it, because that's what is going to govern the outcome of the federal investigation. It doesn't matter what Mr. P's starry-eyed minions, on and off the team, think. It doesn't even matter what the girls on this year's team want. The law is concerned with equal opportunity for girls in that program, now and in the future.

We may not all agree but let's stop pretending we don't all know the real reasons why this is happening. Kearny has a renegade teacher in its school system. This isn't the first problem he has caused, and it probably won't be the last.

About time somebody pointed out the obvious. Of course, it would have been easier if he had just told the truth.

[Guest Guest]

Your comment about the Olympics reminded me of an academy award winning movie called "Chariots of Fire". Did you see it? Anyway, I think your hatred of Mr. P. comes across loud and clear, the team WILL compete on Sunday no matter what the girls want!!

Sounds like you watch too many movies. The boys' team competes on Sundays. So do girls' and boys' teams, all over the country. And not every Sunday, just when it makes sense for the team and the individual athletes.

You're missing the point, or more likely, you just don't want to see it. This shouldn't be about Paszkiewicz. He makes it about himself. It's all about him. The whole program has to revolve around him. It's ridiculous, and what's even more ridiculous is you cheering him on while he does it.

Just because some starry-eyed girls think their coach is just the biggest dream everrrrrrrr, doesn't mean that Kearny girls should be denied equal opportunities for however long this guy decides to stick around.

[Guest Guest]

Your comment about the Olympics reminded me of an academy award winning movie called "Chariots of Fire". Did you see it? Anyway, I think your hatred of Mr. P. comes across loud and clear, the team WILL compete on Sunday no matter what the girls want!!

Typical tactics. Ignore the FACTS. Make an accusation to deflect attention away from the FACTS.

FACTS: Some of the most competitive races, most likely to be attended by college recruiters, are held on a Sunday, or a Saturday/Sunday. The girls' crew team NEVER races on a Sunday, even though that would obviously be in their best interests. No one is saying they should race every Sunday, only that they should have the opportunity to race on Sundays, in well-attended meets. They NEVER do. How do YOU explain it?

FACTS: A few years ago, our KHS team was invited to race The Head of the Charles, which is the most prestigious crew regatta in the world, a Saturday-Sunday event. For a crew team or an athlete, it's a little like the Olympics. Our team was invited but they did not go. It would have been a great opportunity for the girls but SOMEONE decided they should not go. How do YOU explain that?

When you get all done accusing, deflecting and ignoring, here are the FACTS. Kearny girls are being denied equal opportunities. The reasons won't matter to the federal Office of Civil Rights, which has ACCEPTED the case and is investigating. But the real reason is that the coach sets the schedule to suit himself, not in the students' best interests. That will NOT stand up under the law. As a result, Kearny TAXPAYERS stand, yet again, to foot the bill for another investigation into the shenanigans of one person, and the failure of the school district to take action promptly to correct the problem. If that is not the TRUE explanation, then what do YOU think the TRUE explanation is?

Pertinent FACTS this time in your response, please.

[Guest Guest]

So now Mr. P. has *** **** doing his dirty work for him, claiming that everything he does is in the best interests of the girls and the team. Baloney. The girls' team NEVER competes in a Sunday race. It's not because that's what is best for the girls. It's because he wants to go to church, and he wants all the girls to go to church too. That's the real reason. If they had a chance to go to the Olympics, they wouldn't be able to go, with him as coach, if it was on a Sunday. So can the baloney about how wonderful and self-sacrificing he is.

The law is the law. When the boys race in the most competitive races, and the girls don't, that will not stand up. Get used to it, because that's what is going to govern the outcome of the federal investigation. It doesn't matter what Mr. P's starry-eyed minions, on and off the team, think. It doesn't even matter what the girls on this year's team want. The law is concerned with equal opportunity for girls in that program, now and in the future.

We may not all agree but let's stop pretending we don't all know the real reasons why this is happening. Kearny has a renegade teacher in its school system. This isn't the first problem he has caused, and it probably won't be the last.

Perhaps the "law" has a bigger landscape from which to make a decision than just whether "boys" and "girls" compete in the same events. I would think that would not be as high up on their list as whether the district provides the equipment, money, necessary resources and a reasonable schedule of events for EVERY sports team. This particular equality topic sounds a bit self-serving. It would be interesting to know whether the one person who brought this argument to light has the support and backing of the girls on the team . . . not just their moms.

[Guest Guest]

Perhaps the "law" has a bigger landscape from which to make a decision than just whether "boys" and "girls" compete in the same events. I would think that would not be as high up on their list as whether the district provides the equipment, money, necessary resources and a reasonable schedule of events for EVERY sports team.

You are incorrect. The law at issue is a federal civil rights law, which is concerned only with issues of equality. It does not address what level of funding school districts must provide to their sports programs. School districts are free to have no sports programs; however, when they do, they must offer equal opportunities to students of both genders. That is what the law is about. I can just imagine what Mr. P would have to say about the federal government dictating what level of funding local districts must provide to their athletic programs.

This particular equality topic sounds a bit self-serving. It would be interesting to know whether the one person who brought this argument to light has the support and backing of the girls on the team . . . not just their moms.

It doesn't matter. People support existing policies and practices for many reasons, including personal loyalty to a coach, comfort with things as they are, a sense of group loyalty (which can easily be misplaced and misdirected, not to mention manipulated), and a variety of other reasons, some of which are good and some of which hold teams, schools and their student athletes back. Sometimes, student athletes or their parents are afraid to speak out for fear of retribution or intimidation, which is exactly what is being attempted here. Look at all the crap the one person who had the courage to come forward is having to put up with. Recognizing that, the law does not allow for excuses like that. Equal opportunities must be afforded to teams and athletes of both genders.

And just how do you propose that there might be anything self-serving in the complaint? Who stands to gain anything? Not the one person who brought the complaint to the OCR. If she wanted personal gain, she could have filed a lawsuit under section 1983 of the federal civil rights act. She has not done that. Instead, she asked for an investigation under TItle IX, so that the program will comply with the law, and students of both genders will have equal opportunities. Ms. C has acted on her convictions, with nothing to gain and a lot of aggravation to face from people like you who sit on the sidelines and either question her motives or attack her, or both. So you're just making stuff up, an anonymous accusation with no facts whatsoever to support it. If you're going to do that, then tell us, what axe do you have to grind? If you're going to make an accusation like that, 'fess up yourself. Talk is cheap. She has taken action, courageously, whether you agree or disagree with her.