Guthrie Public Schools has found itself under the microscope recently, not for its athletic prowess, but rather for a sideline situation involving a former staff member that's sparked its fair share of chatter on social media. After allegations surfaced about the individual's presence at the state semifinal football game on December 6, the school launched an investigation, as reported by OKC FOX.
Indeed, the past can be sticky, particularly when it comes back to haunt on the sidelines, this time stirring up quite the online drama after the Guthrie football team's victory against Newcastle, the crux of the controversy was a picture showing a former assistant coach, currently with Deer Creek, donning Guthrie gear and clutching what seemed to be play sheets during the game. However, following their review, officials emphasized that "the presence of the former staff member on the Guthrie sideline did not violate any OSSAA rules or policies," as per the details given by News 9.
Addressing the hubbub, Guthrie Public Schools issued a statement on Facebook assuring the community that, after being alerted to the issue on social media, they conducted a thorough investigation and communicated with the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association; confirming that the former staff member's sideline stint was indeed within the rules. "It was concluded the presence of this former staff member on the Guthrie sideline did not violate any existing OSSAA rules or policies," Guthrie Public Schools clarified, a sentiment echoed by the Guthrie News Page, which added that the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association staff had deemed it a personnel issue for the school to address internally.
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association itself shed some light on the matter, stating, "The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association provides clear guidelines regarding the role of coaches and their eligibility," and that the engagement of coaches not employed or related to the school does not inherently breach any rule as long as "all other rules and eligibility requirements are met," which, as the saga unfolded and it turned out, was the case with Guthrie Public Schools and their semifinal sidelines situation all along, as per the school officials' conversation with the association mentioned in the Guthrie News Page. Guthrie now moves ahead, putting the controversy behind them as they prep for a state title showdown against Carl Albert, marking a potential climax of their season irrespective of the recent sidelines spectacle.
