Archives > McKinney Courier-Gazette > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Former McKinney North cheerleading coach not surprised report wasn't released
Michaela Ward, former cheerleading coach at McKinney North High School, resigned Oct. 7 after school administrators weakened some of her discipline of cheerleaders. File Photo
BY STEFANIE WHITE, McKinney Courier-Gazette
Former McKinney North High School cheerleading coach Michaela Ward said she isn't surprised the McKinney Independent School District Board of Trustees decided to delay releasing a lawyer's report on discipline at the school.
“I knew they wouldn't say anything,” Ward said Tuesday. “I don't know that anybody knows anything, except the school board.”
Investigator Harry Jones said Monday that the cheerleading squad was a primary topic of his probe. Ward resigned Oct. 7 after school administrators weakened some of her discipline of cheerleaders who had posed, in uniform, for a picture for the store Condoms to Go. The pictures appeared on the Internet.
“Nothing has really changed all that much, except I don't work there,” Ward said. “I talk to a lot of the girls.”
Ward said she is unsure about when or if she will be able to see the report but said it doesn't make a difference one way or the other.
“It doesn't really matter to us,” Ward said. “I'm very confident in why I left.”
Ward said she never met Jones, but spoke to him over the phone a couple of times.
“We've tried to stay out of the investigation,” Ward said. “I answered the questions that I thought would help.”
Ward's attorney, Charlie Mitchell, said he hadn't seen the report and didn't have any idea when he would be able to view it. The MISD decided to seal the report and send it to the Texas Attorney General's Office for an opinion on what parts of the report must be released.
“I haven't seen the report so I can't comment on it,” Mitchell said. “I have no clue what's in the report.”
Mitchell, whose office is based in Fort Worth, said he has not filed an open records request but plans on doing so.
Ward said she still has fond feelings for all of the girls on the cheerleading squad, but said her view on McKinney ISD has changed.
“It definitely changed my views about McKinney schools and the politics,” Ward said. “I would hope people would realize its [McKinney ISD] not as great as everybody thinks, I guess.”
While Ward, who is married with two children, said she has no plans on leaving McKinney anytime soon.
“We love it here,” she said.
Contact staff writer Stefanie White at swhite@acnpapers.com.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
Patsy Cooper wrote on Nov 29, 2006 8:25 PM:
" Public money paid for a report on public schools and the school has no right to keep it secret. If they had nothing to hide, the report would already be public knowledge. COME CLEAN MCKINNEY SCHOOL BOARD!!!!!!!!!!
"
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
