Published: March 03, 2006 09:15 am      

HMS basketball coach resigns

Problem with certification ends season for Richards

Just several months after Vincent Turpin resigned his position as Henderson Middle School’s Head Football Coach, another case involving the resignation of a head coach has surfaced at the school. Unfortunately, this time the untimely incident happened in the middle of the Henderson Tigers’ basketball season.

First-year boy’s basketball Head Coach Alan Richards was notified last Thursday afternoon of a problem with his certification. Richards, along with HMS principle Dr. Mary Jacobs and Butts County School’s Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Student Services Linda White, sat down to discuss the problem involving Richard’s certification at HMS.

According to White, Richards, who is the in-school-suspension teacher at the middle school on George Tate Drive, is being investigated by the Georgia Association of Professional Standards Commission about a motor vehicle accident he was involved in in 1998.

“When applying for any position at Henderson Middle School all applicants are informed of a section on his or her application that asks “certain” questions,” explained White. “In this particular case Richards made it aware to us that he had been convicted of a motor vehicle accident in the past.”

That accident that Richards was charged with was vehicular homicide.

According to White, Richards, who does have a college degree, addressed the issue when first hired in August.

“He [Richards] did tell us about the accident earlier,” said White. “We were aware of what happened, but after sending in all of his information the [GA] P.S.C. decided to do their own investigation of the case.”

According to White a letter sent via regular mail was sent to Richards from the G.A.P.S.C. in November. After initially no reply the G.A.P.S.C. supposedly sent another letter via certified mail. Stated in the letter was information that needed to be answered in order for Richards to receive his certificate to teach at HMS.

“I understand that a letter was sent, but I never received it,” said Richards.

“After [G.A] P.S.C, sends the letter it is to be returned within a 30-day period. If the letter is not sent back completed to the [G.A] P.S.C. then it is assumed that the letter was received,” explained White.

According to John Grant of the G.A.P.S.C. in Atlanta the letter was indeed sent, twice.

“It is up to him [Richards] to keep a current address on our file,” said Grant. “The letter was sent twice and if he didn’t receive the certified copy, then he should have received the copy that was sent through the regular mail.”

According to White, the Butts County Board of Education was not aware that a letter had been sent to Richards until January 3. Thus, forcing the meeting last week.

“We didn’t know of any of this until we were informed on Tuesday,” said White. “It was then that we had to call the meeting because anyone teaching without a certificate would have gotten us in a lot of trouble.”

As for Richards he plans to appeal the case and regain his teaching license.

“I saw my attorney on Friday and we are going to appeal the case,” said Richards.

Richards indeed has 30 days to appeal the case to a superior court in Henry County, the county in which Coach Richards resides in.

Even with the news of what was happening, Richards decided to resign in order to take care of the problem and get things situated with everyone on his own time.

“Once he has this problem taken care of I hope that he returns to Henderson Middle School,” said Dr. Jacobs. “This was not based on his performance. In fact, his performance was great. The kids loved him and he enforced a lot of discipline into the students and his players,” continued Jacobs.

The whole school has been impacted by Richards’ abrupt departure.

“I think it’s a shame,” said Obie Johnson, former Tiger Head Football Coach. “It seems like every time we get a good man, not just coach, something strangely happens and he ends up having to leave.”

Johnson wasn’t the only one disappointed with the leave.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” said HMS Athletic Director Charlie Biles. “It seems as if the problem is something that could be easily corrected. It’s really bad for the kids to lose him in the middle of the season.”

As for the rest of the Tigers’ basketball season, sixth grade science teacher Luke McFarland will replace Richards at Head Coach for the rest of the 2005-2006 season.