There’s a lot of talk about the need for transparency in government these days, from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington D.C. all the way down to the Oxford Community Schools central administration office on Pontiac St.
That’s why we are so very disappointed and stunned that neither the community nor this newspaper was informed that a former Oxford coach had been charged with three felonies related to his alleged sexual propositioning of two 15-year-old high school girls.
The ex-assistant dive coach, Brandon Joseph Figurski, was arrested Aug. 31 for allegedly sending text messages of a sexual nature to minors. He’s been sitting in a jail cell ever since his arrest.
A month-and-a-half went by and during that time there was no mention of this incident in the district newsletter; no special letter sent home to OHS parents; no bulletin on the district’s website; no press release or phone call from school administration to inform this newspaper, or any media for that matter.
Had it not been for a tip this newspaper received, there would have been no front page story last week.
Obviously, we cannot blame the school district for Figurski’s alleged crimes. Officials conducted a background check on him and he was clean.
It’s simply unrealistic and unfair to expect the district to be omniscient when it comes to the potential wrongdoings of its employees and volunteers.
But we can certainly fault the district in this instance for its lack of communication and transparency.
Everyone ? parents, students, grandparents, citizens, teachers ? had a right to know about Figurski’s alleged crimes the minute he was arrested and arraigned in Rochester Hills 52-3 District Court.
The school district had a duty to tell everyone what was happening and it clearly did not fulfill that obligation.
Both Superintendent Dr. William Skilling and Deputy Superintendent Nancy Kammer claimed they did not know the specifics of Figurski’s alleged messages to the minors.
Even if we accept them at their word, they still knew that a volunteer coach had been arrested for allegedly sending ‘inappropriate? messages to students.
Saying they were ‘inappropriate? messages is pretty vague, but it’s safe to assume the worst about their content when those messages lead to an arrest. Obviously, the school district assumed the worst because they immediately got rid of Figurski.
Two things should have happened.
First, the administration, particularly Skilling, should have pressed the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department for specific details if they had not been provided.
Kammer said she asked for details, but was rebuffed. We’re sure a direct call from Skilling to Sheriff Michael Bouchard would have garnered some answers, but that was apparently not done.
Secondly, even if specific details weren’t available, there was still enough there to inform parents of this incident. The district knew Figurski had been arrested and it had something to do with allegedly ‘inappropriate? messages to juveniles.
Apparently, Figurski’s alleged crimes were serious enough to merit an arrest and immediate termination of his relationship with the school district, but not serious enough to warrant sending a letter home to parents or a call to the newspaper.
That doesn’t make sense to us.
The bottom line is our school administration failed to be transparent in this situation. It failed to be open and honest with the community.
Parents and teachers often tell kids ‘I didn’t know? isn’t a good excuse. It’s time we told the school district the same.
Unfortunately, when the district fails us, we can’t ground it or suspend it or even send it to detention.
All we can do is shake our heads and lament the poor example that’s been set for what the school district’s vision statement proudly calls ‘tomorrow’s selfless, global leaders.? ? CJC