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UPDATED: Superintendent sides with football coach in controversy over pink gloves; Jewell responds
Posted On 18 Oct 2012
Read the full press release from Corbin Schools by clicking here
Corbin Independent School District Superintendent Ed McNeel said Thursday that no action will be taken against the head coach of the Corbin High School football team following allegations that he wrongfully and unfair disciplined two players for wearing pink gloves to honor and remember cancer victims during a varsity game last Friday.
The decision came following a swift investigation into the claims earlier this week by Bob O’Neill, whose 15-year-old son Austin has been a starting cornerback in each of the Redhounds eight games this season. Austin and another player wore pink gloves and towels during last Friday’s home game against Bell County.
Coaches made the players remove the towels before the game. They didn’t notice the gloves until later.
After the game, O’Neill said Corbin Head Coach Steve Jewell berated his son for wearing the gloves, cursed at him, and then made him run 400 yards worth of difficult "up downs" at the next practice as punishment. He said the coach also threatened to bench Austin, calling his actions a violation of the teams uniform policy.
"There is no policy," O’Neill said. "There is no rule whatsoever. I’m getting parents together to get me photographs of kids that have on black gloves and gray gloves, red and white gloves. Why is pink banned?"
O’Neill said the punishment is discriminatory and a potential violation of his son’s free speech rights.
But Corbin Schools Superintendent Ed McNeel disagreed, saying Thursday that coach Jewell has a strict policy about game day attire, that the students knew they were violating the policy and were punished accordingly.
"[Coach Jewell] didn’t do anything wrong. He followed the rules," McNeel said. "If a coach doesn’t have rules, they would be wearing anything they want to draw attention."
In a written press release to media Thursday, McNeel notes the rule is in place to promote "team unity" and that neither player had asked for permission to wear the gloves or towels prior to the game, nor did they tell Jewell the items were intended to honor cancer victims.
He also noted that two other players were forced to do extra running for violating other team rules, and said the coach appeared to enforce his rules fairly and indiscriminantly. McNeel’s decision came following interviews with team players and coaches.
"Sometimes parents can get bent out of shape when it comes to sports, that happens to all of us," McNeel said.
For his part, O’Neill said the decision isn’t surprising. He said he spoke with some members of the Redhound coaching staff after the incident seeking an apology from Jewell, but never got one. He did not speak to Jewell directly because "he won’t talk to a parent … He’s pretty arrogant."
O’Neill went directly to the media instead with his complaints because he felt they would not be taken seriously by administrators.
"A lot of people have asked me about that, why I didn’t go to the school first,"O’Neill said. "My response to that is, when you go to the school you aren’t going to get anything done at the school. They are going to sweep everything under the rug like they always do."
O’Neill said he has filed an open records request with the school district asking for written copy of the uniform policy and copies of any emails or other written communication exchanged between coaches, staff and administrators over the incident. He said he wants Jewell to apologize publicly for his actions. In the absence of that, he plans to continue his public complaints against Jewell and plans to seek legal advice.
"I did not want it to come to this at all. All I wanted was an apology," O’Neill said.
On Friday, Jewell issued a written statement to the media. Below is the statement in its entirety:
"To fulfill a personal responsibility entirely separate from the Corbin Independent School district, I am compelled to address the recent event concerning the discipline of a Corbin High School football player.
"There has been an exorbitant amount of information put out about this incident, not all of it factual.
Many have claimed that I crushed an effort by a student to raise breast cancer awareness. I deeply regret that false perception. Nothing could be further from the truth. We cannot respect, support, or honor cancer victims and their families enough. I sincerely apologize for any undue distress this misunderstanding has caused the student and his family or any other families touched by this common enemy we all share, cancer. Every year since breast cancer awareness decals have been available (about five years), each Redhound football player has worn one on his helmet for the season as a show of support. Perhaps those decals are not visible to some, so I have purchased pink wrist bands so all players will also have those to wear.
This issue was never about a color or lack of support, but about team standards and mutuality. My coaching staff and I work hard to foster a team spirit among the players as opposed to a spirit of individuality. Part of that teamwork spirit is discipline including a standard dress code as specific as the right kind of socks, which we buy every year if necessary, hand towels that meet NFHS standards, etc. Players grow up understanding specific expectations and team management rules. Those rules are reiterated often and have consequences when broken. There is a protocol if players want to make a request beforehand concerning dress code. The request is made to the coach, who then brings the request before all the players. If the request is honored, the team as a whole participates. That is why all players have decals and wristbands.
"Being successful in promoting team spirit is a tedious job, but the benefits are monumental. Team spirit, of which proper discipline is a part, leads to average players playing above average. Nothing would make me happier than someone donating 60 pairs of pink gloves for the entire team to wear in support of breast cancer awareness. Better yet, considering the expense of gloves, donating that money to cancer research would be the best use of funds."
McNeel said he wanted to stress that neither coach Jewell nor anyone else in the district is against cancer awareness efforts. He noted that for the last four years, players on the football team have worn pink ribbon stickers on their helmets for breast cancer awareness and will continue to do so.
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I honestly and truely believe that in the beginning this was about breast cancer awareness and pinktober. The kid has had cancer spread throughout his family, I do not think he did it to be cool or to stand out. I think he really cares about the cause. However, I feel like it was all blown out of proportion. It should have been handled between the parents the player and the coaches in a provate manner. It should have never become what it is. It’s time to get over it people, whats done is done and cannot be changed. Move on to the next Corbin Politics Issue.
Um…Coach Farris is still there…on the staff….right now…so probably agrees with Coach Jewell. Just sayin.
I look at it this way: If the President makes it a legall holiday for anything would you go with the crowd or disregard the situation. I think if they want to wear pink then they have that chosie to do so. What if your wife,or mom had breast cancer? You saying you would not help them out.
If the boys wanted to wear pink gloves they should have talked with the coach prior to game day. The entire team could have worn them as a unified team. Seems the parent likes publicity and the coach has a more realistic reason for seeking legal advise because this parent is going around slandering him to the media. In the end, the only thing these parents are doing is making it hard for their kids to go to school everyday. In addition, I hope that these are kids making some of the comments on this page because if these are adults talking like this I find it disturbing.
Well said, J. If it’s a rule and you know the rule, you either accept it or ASK for permission to break it, then accept the answer given. Life lessons are difficult to learn if parents act like children when their kids are in position to learn them.
JUST IN CASE YOU DIDNT KNOW DF, WHERE I WAS TAUGHT THERES ALWAYS A 1ST PLACE, AND A LAST PLACE. BUT KNOW MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT 2ND PLACE IS ALWAYS THE FIRST LOSER. OH YEAH AND BY THE WAY EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT DF STANDS FOR SO YOU MUST BE ONE YOURSELF
NO I JUST DONT SUPPORT THE HIPPOCRITS IN THE CITY OR ANY WHERE IN THIS SORRY EXCUSE FOR A TOWN
That sounded intelligent . Did u learn to use all capps at your other school. Check Corbin school state rankings in education before you make you make wrong comments. You just sound bitter because you didn’t get your way. Good luck.
It sounds like to me that coach Jewell needs to seek legal advice because the news article did contain slander and was allowed to be printed. It goes to show you how some people feel they are above the law, but wait he is the law . That is why he gets free reign of the press, tv., phone bugs, computer hacking, etc….(watch your backs).this whole thing is amazing. Conflick of interest blown out and illegal use of power because of job. Where is breast cancer awareness in this.
COACH JEWEL IS A JOKE THATS WHY HE HAS A BAD TEAM. AND NO BODY LIKES HIM. HE COULDNT EVEN RUN A WATER POLO TEAM. AND YES IM SIDING WITH THE PLAYER. HE DONE ME THE SAME WAY IN 2001-2002. BECAUSE I WOULDNT CUT MY HAIR. SO I DONE WHAT I DID AND WENT TO WHITLEY COUNTY. AT LEAST THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AT WHITLEY COUNTY WASNT A SORRY EXCUSE FOR A EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM!!! AND AS FOR COACH JEWEL THEY SHOULD HAVE GOT RID OF HIM AS COACH YEARS AGO
I didn’t say he was immature, i said he behaved immaturely.
Sarah, you must be confused with your cause. You first stated coach was immature and then contradicted yourself in your next statement that he is a decent guy. Strange. That is why this whole ordeal is confusing. It was never about breast cancer awareness it was about team rules and a parent who didn’t want his son to be punished like the others because he broke team rules. In truth all the players were supporting breast cancer as a team. This player doesn’t play an individual sport .
Way to go Coach Jewell. Your team looked great and unified tonight. Not one player stood out. You are a class act as coach , as well as a teacher. Glad you don’t feel the need to be splashed all over the paper, TV, and CNN to get attention for standing up for team rules. Thank you for trying to keep the team together for rest of the season and teaching life lessons which really matters. There is no ME in TEAM. It’s a thankless unpopular job.
J’ comment was awesome
J, i am neither a drug addict nor an idiot. I also am not a name-caller on most days. I am not criticizing the coach–i believe he does a good job and is a decent guy. I am voicing my opinion, which i am entitled to do, as to what i feel was an unthoughtful and uncompassionate punishment. Yes, there is supposedly a dress code to be followed, but in this particular situation, the consequences for violation were too much. The statement being made in support of cancer awareness & support should habe been echoed rather than ridiculed by coach & staff.
A voice of reason in a sea of crybabies. All these whiners are the reason America is in the crap bowl. No one is above any other and money doesn’t make it so not to me and the other intelligent people commenting on this. No wonder it is difficult to get home safely in Corbin, between the drug addicts and now all the obvious idiots who hate rules and who feel entitled, are on the road. sane folk have no chance. and what this comment has to do with this story is that drug addicts and idiots are the only people who would have responded against the coach enforcing the rules!
If the paper bag writer knows so much about corbin footbsll then add your name out there and apply to coach yourself. The world is full of armchair quarterbacks and old hs players who know everything. Next time stick to the article you commented on so it looks like your knowledgable about the subject matter of the article or save it for bluegrass prep where it belongs .
Rules are in place for a reason. If you make exceptions then everyone thinks their reason is as good as the others and you have players not even wearing the same uniform shirts. The students knew full well the rules and unless those young men are sissies, and I am sure that they are not, their moms and dads need to shut up and let their children grow up. Only the parent thinks that their child is special! They are not and neither are mine. Actions=consequences!! A great life lesson!
I commend the superintendent for backing the team and coach. Great job. This wasn’t about breast cancer awareness at all. Good decisions are made about common sense.
Reading these articles and comments and to see something like this on tv didn’t surprise me at all after teaching 26 yrs and being apart of ky athletics for more than 50yrs. Educated people who get coaching know this was not about breast cancer awareness at all . The team was unified as a team for breast cancer. Football is a team sport not an individual sport therefore it has team rules . This is a simple case of parent retaliation. There were other players who broke team dress code and thier parents didn’t whine or complain or go to the paper or Tv. Most parents with class would have handled this privately with the coach as it should be not a public display . Bottom line don’t play on a team if you can’t man up and be a team player . Why don’t you check with other top state teams and see what thier team dress codes are and quit trying to latch on to great organizations like breast cancer awareness to do your personal agendas. I’m sure most breast cancer victims would think this is petty and not what wearing pink is about. Have some class.
I agree they should’ve been punished…..they broke the rules. Parents want schools to teach kids about rules and laws, etc, then get all bent out of shape when they do. Can’t have it both ways.
Sounds like it’s time for the coach and the superintendent to go. A change in staffing can be a good things.
Not on Your Life Ed (Mr.McNeal)
its a dress code violation there are punishments for violations let it go
I know several of the young men on the Corbin football team, and after reading mr. Oneal’s article in the paper, I ask these young men if it real happened the way Mr. Oneal had stated, and they told me that it did happen just that way. Jewell has always thought he was way better than most and his counter part Mr.McNeal has to side with him or make Corbin football look bad. I told the boys the should stand behind there fellow team mate and the whole team should were something Pink at the Casey Co game. I will continue to support the team but not the coach. Thanks you Bob for standing up for our young men.
Coach Jewell couldn’t coach is way out of a paper bag. Everyone can now see that after the realignment of the districts. Now that Corbin has competion week in and week out they aren’t such a powerhouse. Corbin has and always will have superior talent because they get all of Laruel and Knox counties good athletes. All I can say is until Corbin goes back to playing powder puffs each week the wins won’t come like they used to for Coach Jewell.
Corbin poltics at its best. Jewell should loose is coaching job over this and the way he does his players.
As a former Redhound, this is embarassing! Seems the Coach and his staff have more to be concerned with than a few kids wearing pink gloves and towels in honor of either cancer victims or survivors! They were beat down by Bell Co. 34-0!!! A players attire had nothing to do with that!
Corbin Football hasn’t been the same since our greats left..Coach Powers, Coach Adams, Coach Burchette, Coach Farris, they would have NEVER done this to a kid for this reason!!!
These boys were mature enough to publicly display their support for those who have been affected by cancer. Coach Jewell behaved, I believe, immaturely by his reaction to the display during “his” game, and was backed up by an administration that seems too cowardly to do otherwise. The inflated sense of importance placed on Redhound football has overridden common sense here. Kudos to those boys!