Report clears high school

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Newport-Mesa Unified School District released a

report Friday that clears Newport Harbor High School officials of any

wrongdoing regarding the school’s cheerleading controversy.

The report responded to a grievance filed against the high school in

January that alleged Principal Michael Vossen and other school officials

handled the cheerleading situation incorrectly.

Kim Stephens, who filed the grievance with parent Sherry Black, said

Tuesday that she is upset no punitive action was taken toward any of the

school administrators.

The grievance involved a litany of issues surrounding the cheerleading

controversy that exploded last fall after allegations of inconsistencies

in the tryouts’ judging process.

The report, released by Supt. Robert Barbot, absolves Vossen,

Assistant Principal Kathy Slaussen and Cheer Advisor Jennifer Cilderman

of any wrongdoing and mainly calls for clearer lines of communication

between school administrators and parents. The grievance had called for

Vossen and Slaussen to receive reprimands and for Cilderman to be removed

as cheer advisor.

Vossen said Tuesday that he sees the report as a clear mandate that

the school and the district need to work together to allow the school to

handle problems before they get to the district level.

“I think a good portion of the parents were going to the district

because they weren’t getting some of the answers that they would have

liked,” Vossen said. “I’m optimistic that we can find a way to make the

communication better.”

Stephens said the district did little to address her concerns.

“It was a slap in my face, a complete waste of my time and their time

because nothing was accomplished and certainly no amends were made,”

Stephens said. “They certainly didn’t try to console us in any way.”

The saga started in late November, when the cheerleading rosters were

posted and former cheer coach Lisa Callahan told administrators she had

witnessed irregularities in the judging that distorted the final results.

In response, school administrators and Callahan agreed to allow onto

the two squads all 48 girls who tried out. But Vossen then reversed that

decision, acting on the recommendation of an ad hoc committee. Vossen

decided to hold new tryouts to fill two more spots on both the varsity

and junior varsity teams.

Practices resumed, but Callahan was eventually dismissed from her

position in a memo sent by Lorri McCune, a district assistant

superintendent.

Stephens and Blake filed the grievance Jan. 29. Stephens’ daughter,

Katie, did not make the team. Blake’s daughter, Erin, made the varsity

squad.

A district-level committee heard the grievance March 21. Some of the

complaints in the grievance included accusations that the judges in the

original tryouts were not professional, Vossen failed to handle the

situation correctly, and the civil rights of Callahan and some of the

students were violated. During the hearing, 10 witnesses supported the

complaints in the grievance, Stephens said.

The committee made a recommendation to Barbot, who issued a final

ruling last week. His report found that the judges acted professionally.

But it also found that Vossen did not communicate well with the parents

and that an open line of communication was not granted.

Assistant Supt. Jaime Castellanos said he would help Vossen enhance

the school’s communication.

“I think a lot of it is any time there are issues that parents have,

we have to continue to be as responsive as we can,” Castellanos said.

“Some of those times, we may need to call parents over and over again.”

The report did not address the issue of civil rights violations

because Callahan and Cilderman were not named directly, Stephens said.

She and Blake now have the opportunity to refile that portion of the

complaint using specific names, Stephens said.

Since she is not satisfied with the outcome of the grievance process,

Stephens said she is going to consult an attorney and will probably take

the next step and set up a closed meeting with school board members to

discuss her lingering concerns.

Vossen said the school is eager to put the cheerleading controversy

behind it once and for all, and will soon announce the addition of two

new cheer coaches.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .