Andy Wright is one of us

To the Editor:

We would like to recap the events that led up to the dismissal and removal of Mr. Andy Wright as varsity basketball coach and /or anonymous parent letters to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo Board, whatever the BKW School Board and Interim Superintendent Mr. [Lonnie] Palmer wish to call it.

Interim Superintendent, Palmer, met with Mr. Wright, Tom Galvin (then athletic director), and high school Principal Brian Corey. At this meeting, Mr. Palmer informed Mr. Wright that he would not submit Mr. Wright’s name to the school board for the position of boys’ varsity basketball coach. Mr. Palmer had meetings with Mr. Wright and Mr. Galvin concerning this issue. Also, Mr. Wright met with the BKW School Board, looking for answers.

At a packed BKW School Board meeting held in the high school auditorium, many players, past and present, as well as parents, teachers, community members, and coaches, spoke on behalf of Mr. Wright, asking questions as to why he will not be coaching this season, telling those in attendance how he has touched their high school experience and how he helped them to grow as individuals. They also requested the board members to reinstate him as the boys’ varsity basketball coach.

Still, there have been no concrete reasons given to Mr. Wright, nor a board vote taken as to why they would not allow Mr. Wright, a 10-year teacher and basketball coach at BKW, the face of the basketball program, a most respected coach in the Capital Region.

Mr. Wright is one of us, a lifelong member of the BKW community, a person with a love of basketball and the basketball program that he helped grow.

We are asking former players, coaches, parents, community members, and fans who support Mr. Wright or just those who believe that he has been wronged, to attend the next BKW School Board meeting to be held on Monday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. Thank you.

Dennis Barber

Knox

Dick Umholtz

Westerlo

Mike Puzalis

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