Leading off today: Despite support from a number of parents and athletes, track and field coach Don Paretta was fired last night by the Shenendehowa Board of Education because he had lost his teaching license over a sexual abuse charge.
The board told the 200 people present there was no other choice, The Times Union reported. "We have no flexibility on this," said board member Bill Casey. "The law is clear."
The sexual-abuse charge occurred in 1992 while Paretta was a New York City gym teacher. The charge was dismissed, but the state Department of Education still rescinded his license in 1996 after Paretta was hired by Shenendehowa.
After the meeting, Paretta's attorney said the district had been aware for years that Paretta lacked a license. The district says it only found out last week.
Paretta continues to coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Harrison names new AD: Shenendehowa coach and state girls swimming coordinator Patricia Seligman has been appointed as the athletic director at Harrison, The Saratogian reported.
The Harrison district competes in Section 1 Class B in 27 sports. She replaces retiring AD Mike Gansell effective July 1.
Seligman coached the boys and girls varsity teams to a combined record of 238-18-2 and nine Section 2 titles.
Basketball coaches on the move: Tamarac boys coach Eric Medved is giving up his position, citing family and professional considerations. Medved was 49-27 in four seasons after inheriting a program that was 8-74 in the four years before his arrival.
Medved also serves as the chairman of the Adirondack Amateur Athletic Union region, which stretches from Kingston to Plattsburgh.
Girls coach Mike Reape has resigned but will remain at Staten Island Academy in another capacity, The Advance reported. Reape, 61-31 in four seasons in addition to running an AAU team, said the daily grind became too much to handle.
"I started to feel like I wasn’t giving 100 percent of coaching to the team,” he told the paper. "When you’re the head coach, you’re the first one in and the last one out.
