Shik school board rejects choice for girls varsity basketball head coach
May 15—SUNBURY — Shikellamy School District will have to go back to the drawing board on a varsity girl's basketball coach as the board voted 4-3 to reject the recommendation of the hiring committee Tuesday night.
Board members, Jenna Eister Whitaker, Julie Brosius, Joe Stutzman and Tom Webb voted against the recommendation of Athletic Director Tim Foor to hire Rachael Herb as the new head coach at a salary of $5,200 after several members of the public spoke against the interview process.
Directors Justin Lenner and Mike Thomas both recused from the vote. Lenner is Herb's brother-in-law. Thomas, who attended the interviewing process is also the CEO of Service 1st Federal Credit Union and employs Herb.
Members of the public questioned Thomas and asked how he could vote knowing he was Herb's boss at the bank, and said he should not have been part of the interview process. They questioned if Thomas was going to release that information to the public if they hadn't spoken at the meeting.
Thomas then recused from the vote. Directors Slade Shreck, who serves as chairperson of the activities committee, Lori Garman and Wendy Wiest, also a member of the committee, all voted in favor of Herb.
Other candidates for the position were current junior varsity coach Amanda Yagel, Phil Campbell and Steve Whitman.
Whitman addressed the board and said he was stunned to learn almost half the board claimed they did not know there were interviews being conducted for the position.
The interviews for the coaching position were held Monday night.
Brosius, Stutzman and Eister Whitaker, all said they were not informed of the interviews. Webb, who is also on the activities' committee, said if he was notified of the interviews, he did not see or missed an email that was allegedly sent.
The four board members claim they do not get complete information from Superintendent Jason Bendle or Assistant Superintendent Jeremy Winn on all matters within the district.
Brosius addressed the crowd in attendance and said she didn't have a clue who was even interviewed, so she couldn't vote to accept a recommendation. Stutzman and Eister Whitaker agreed. Webb said he was also going to recuse from the vote because he knew some of the candidates and they frequent his establishment, Spyglass Ridge Winery.
Webb eventually joined the other three and voted no to the hiring.
Bendle did not respond to a request for comment on what the board intends to do next with the open position.
In the meantime, the girl's basketball team remains coachless after Lew Dellegrotti resigned at the end of last season.
