Shame on Edison High School
An adult shows kids what it means to have principles. An athletic director shows kids they're better served sitting on their hands.
Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe is a hero in this space, and not because he played in the NFL.
No, Kluwe, a Huntington Beach resident and native Southern Californian, stood up at a recent city council meeting, spoke his mind on the inanity of a rogue library plaque, engaged in civil disobedience and was arrested and, briefly, detained.
It was model behavior; the type of stuff Martin Luther King and John Lewis were known for; the type of thing that changes a landscape; the calls attention to injustice. Kluwe never threw a punch, uttered a curse, shot an ounce of spit. He peacefully protested—as myriad great Americans have done.
Today, Edison High School—where Chris served as the freshman football coach—fired him.
According to a Washington Post piece, Rich Boyce, the Huntington Beach-based school’s athletic director, “called him in to a meeting with assistant principal Ed Begany, where he was fired. Begany declined to comment, citing the school’s decision as a personnel matter.”
“Obviously, I’m bummed,” Kluwe told Glynn A. Hill of the Post. “I think it just sucks for the kids, because I don’t know where Edison is going to find a former professional football player to coach at the freshman level.”
And to reiterate a point: What, exactly, is Rich Boyce teaching his students with this decision? Don’t stand up for your beliefs. Stay silent. Keep your tail between your legs. Let the bullies win. It’s funny because, as a sports writer, I’ve often felt that football—as a sport, as an entity—misleads participants into thinking they’ve engaged into an endeavor that breeds leadership. More often than not, the game is about following orders, obeying authority, doing as you’re told. If an offensive coordinator calls for a 10-yard out, the wide receiver has one choice—a 10-yard out. If the strength coach demands 10 dead lifts, you better give him 10 dead lifts. Not nine. Certainly not eight.
So, while I’m not surprised that Edison High went with cowardice over bravery, I am—as always—disappointed.
Once again, Huntington Beach reveals its true colors.
Jeff, what an unbelievably story! I can't believe they would even let a person of his caliber teach there. He sounded like an absolute bully. With everything happening in the world, you would think an adult would show better behavior and tactics towards his young students.
I guarantee this decision was not made solely by the athletic director.