RSU 50 hears pleas for Coach Putnam’s return

    STACYVILLE, Maine — The Southern Aroostook baseball team will carry on its playoff march Wednesday without its longtime coach Murray Putnam.
Southern Aroostook will vie for the Eastern Class D baseball title 3 p.m. Wednesday at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor, but Putnam will not be in the dugout for that game.
    The RSU 50 school board took no action Monday evening to re-instate Putnam, despite hearing pleas from several residents urging them to do so in time for Wednesday’s playoff. Putnam was placed on paid administrative leave May 15 after allegations surfaced that several players on the SACS baseball team participated in inappropriate behavior during the team’s pre-season trip to Massachusetts in April.
Putnam has not been allowed to attend any of the team’s home games, but he could attend Wednesday’s playoff as a spectator. Putnam did not attend Monday’s meeting and has provided few comments on the situation. Likewise, the school district has offered little in the way of official comments on the matter.
Putnam is scheduled to meet with the school board in a special meeting 6 p.m. Monday. That meeting will take place at Southern Aroostook Community School in executive session with Putnam and his attorney meeting with the board and the district’s attorney.
At the crux of the issue are reports of improper behavior, which reportedly took place during the team’s annual spring training trip to Cape Cod in April. Neither the school board, nor the administration has specifically stated what the involved inappropriate behavior may have been.
Coach Putnam has not been personally implicated in any wrongdoing, but as the adult in charge of the students on the trip, he was responsible for all of the students’ actions during the trip. Back in January, the school board approved the trip by a vote of 10-1-1. The trip costs the district roughly $2,200 for a five- to six-day period. The team uses a district school bus for the trip.
Since his dismissal, Rob Betschner and David Day have been coaching the Warriors.
Putnam previously said the issue was brought to his attention “a day or two” after returning home when a family member alluded to photographs seen on the social networking Internet site, Facebook.
“I immediately called (Southern Aroostook Community School Principal) Jon Porter and alerted him,” said Putnam.
RSU 50 Interim Superintendent John Doe said the matter was not originally on the agenda for Monday’s meeting. However, after a number of individuals signed a petition, asking to speak on the matter, Doe said he would put it to the board to see if they wished to allow comments to be made.
“Dave Gordon made a request to allow members of the public to speak at the meeting,” Doe said. “Because the board agenda had already been printed, it had to be done as an adjustment to the agenda. The board had to vote to allow that to happen.”
Doe added that written copies of what the individuals were going to speak about had to be submitted to the school board in advance for review.
During Monday night’s public comments, four individuals — Candy Nevers, Rev. Sterling Lawrence, Frank Porter and Gordon — spoke on behalf of Putnam. One additional person, Ken Coville, spoke neither for nor against Putnam. Several other individuals expressed an interest to speak on the subject, but were denied by the board. Nearly 70 individuals, including many students, attended the meeting.
Candy Nevers, town manager for Smyrna and Merrill, stated that she had heard from many residents at her office and “99 percent” had expressed positive comments about the coach. She also stated that Putnam had a great deal of positive influence on the lives of her two children and countless others during his 40-plus years coaching baseball.
“His high moral and ethical standards are imprinted in their lives,” Nevers said. “My children and I have the utmost respect for Mr. Putnam as he is known for his high moral standards, his fairness and sense of personal responsibility.”
Rev. Lawrence urged the board to be fair and impartial in their dealings with Putnam. He added that whatever actions they chose could have a trickle down effect preventing future individuals from pursuing a path in coaching for fear of similar repercussions.
“You make major decisions that impact the lives of young people and the communities you serve,” he said. “But with those decisions there are ripple effects. I can’t begin to imagine the difficulties that are incumbent upon you. I respectfully ask you to put your blindfold on, open your ears and listen with objectivity.”
Porter, who’s son plays on the baseball team and was on the trip in question, told the board he had no issue with his son going on the trip beforehand, and nothing had changed in light of the recent events.
“I stated (before the trip) that I had no concern for the welfare of my child as long as he was with Mr. Putnam and Mr. U (Cliff Urquhart, assistant coach who was also relived of his coaching duties),” Porter said. “I stand by that statement.”
He added that he didn’t think either Putnam or Urquhart had any knowledge of the “two incidents” that were described. Porter said one of those incidents was the photo on Facebook and the other was of a student being hazed.
“With one click I can have a picture and with one more click it is on Facebook,” Porter said. “That’s how quick a thoughtless situation can turn into a bad decision.”
Gordon said he has hired a number of students who were members of the SACS baseball team over the years at his place of business, Katahdin Cedar Log Homes.
“After hiring kids for two or three summers, it became obvious to me that some of my best workers were coming from Mr. Putnam’s baseball teams,” he said. “This was no coincidence. Now, after 170 kids later that we have hired, I can tell you with authority that he (Putnam) teaches much more than baseball. He teaches the most important things a person can teach — life skills.”
Cole described the matter as a “community in conflict” and asked the board to take the necessary steps to convey that such behavior by students was not acceptable.
“It may not be easy or popular, but the future students are counting on you,” he said.
At least one player was suspended from the team for an undisclosed number of games. Doe said any decision to suspend or discipline a student-athlete is made by the school principal. Doe added, under advisement of the district’s legal counsel, he was unable to offer any additional comments on the matter.
The Southern Aroostook Warriors won Eastern Maine championships under Putnam’s guidance from 1977-79; 1984; 1986-89 and 1999, along with state titles in 1984, 1987-89 and 1999.