Indiana Hall Of Fame H.S. Hoops Coach Banned From Coaching By School

WAVE3.com, Eric Flack

http://www.wave3.com/story/16093808/hall-of-fame-coach-banned-by-local-school-district

RAMSEY, IN (WAVE) – Joe Hinton is one of the best high school basketball coaches in Indiana history, but the hall of famer has been banned by a southern Indiana school district from volunteering his time to help young players. The WAVE 3 Troubleshooter Department is digging to uncover the reason behind the controversial decision.

There have been no accusations of mistreatment of players made against Joe Hinton. Now the State of Indiana is investigating whether the North Harrison School Board violated open meeting laws by banning Hinton from coaching from behind closed doors.

The decision by the school board has left the team is outraged and is one parents believe is ridiculous. So they turned to us to find out what’s going on.

At the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle, Joe Hinton has earned a place in history. Hinton has 594 wins, has made two trips to the IHSAA Final Four and was one time Indiana coach of the year.

“I guess all my life I’ve been pretty successful,” Hinton said of his four decade career in coaching.

Hinton spent 31 of those years at Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs, where the school will rename the basketball court in his honor on December 9. But the North Harrison School Board in Ramsey, Indiana won’t let the hall of famer coach its middle school players.

“I was embarrassed,” Hinton said of the decision, breaking down into tears.

In 2010, Hinton retired from coaching to spend more time with family. His daughter plays on the North Harrison 6th grade team so Hinton decided to volunteer as an assistant. But a week into the season the school district made a shocking announcement – Hinton was banned from coaching the team and couldn’t even be in the gym.

They said all coaches, even volunteers, had to have their name on file with the North Harrison Central Office and the school board wouldn’t allow it.

“There was a question asked if there was support, and there was not,” said Veronica Battista, president of the North Harrison board.

Battista added the decision was made behind closed doors without ever talking to Hinton, parents, or the team.

“We were really all confused,” said Cali Nolot, one of the players.

Jessicka Chiquito, another player, said the move was especially troubling since Hinton had such a great relationship with the team and parents.

“I love playing for him,” Chiquito said, “He’s a really good coach.”

Hinton already coaches many of the girls on an AAU team so parent Shane Bennett and Jerry Amy organized a petition to get him re-instated with the school team.

“He’s ever done anything in practice that I would say would cause anybody to have concern for the girls,” said Bennett.

“Who could possibly in their right mind deny these kids that kind of experience in coaching,” added Amy.

The two men wrote dozens of emails to the athletic director and school leaders, copies of which were obtained by the WAVE 3 Troubleshooter Department. In one, Dan Schmidt, the North Harrison Middle School athletic director, wrote the board was adamant Hinton not coach.

“The Board has made it clear to me in the directive they sent out,” Schmidt wrote. “I will not recommend Joe….and go against the board’s wishes.”

School board member Jerry Renneker didn’t hide his distaste for Hinton when he spoke to me. Renneker said his reasons for not letting Hinton coach are not professional.

“I personally would not support him as a volunteer,” Renneker said. “I don’t know that he could do anything wrong. I just have my own personal views for not supporting him.”

When asked to explain those views, Renneker refused, saying, “They’re personal.”

In fact, the school board refused to discuss the matter at its October meeting when the players and their parents showed up to protest.

“I represent the North Harrison Community School Corporation, not the 6th grade girls basketball team,” Renneker said.

The decision leaves the North Harrison 6th grade girls team without its hall of famer.

“They’re making the biggest mistake of their lives,” player Keila Bennett said of the school board’s decision.

It also leaves an all time great unable to finish his final season.

“I want this person on this board that thinks I can’t help these little girls be better basketball players tell me why I am such a bad guy,” Hinton said as his voice once again trailed off in tears.

North Harrison Superintendent John Thomas said the board was within its rights to ban Hinton behind closed doors because it took the action using what’s known as a consensus of opinion rather than a formal vote. A state attorney will rule on whether the board broke the law in early December.