Editor’s Note: The following opinion piece was submitted for publication by Board of Education member Robert Harrington.
————————-
Today is graduation day at Staples. I have two wonderful twin daughters that will graduate tonight. It will be an exciting day for Staples, my family and for so many families across Westport.
I have arrived at a place which I hoped I wouldn’t get to on the day of graduation. Today is the first day during my 4-year tenure on the Board of Education where I can say I no longer support Superintendent Thomas Scarice as Westport public school’s leader.
I have been a champion for him strengthening school security and for adopting AI as part of the strategic plan. He has done so much to bring stability to our administrators and teachers after the turbulent years under a prior superintendent. I have partnered with him closely and the board on facilities and am excited to be moving forward on a new Long Lots which should have happened a decade ago. I have also supported his case to add more resources to the facilities department and his attempt to bring back assistant principals to every elementary school – despite opposition from the Board of Education.
However, the controversy surrounding the Staples soccer coaches is where my support for Superintendent Scarice has come undone.
I have been concerned with the lack of a thorough investigation conducted on a number of occasions by the administration that he leads. It has raised questions about the lack of relevant policies in place and a gap in governance and oversight.
The final straw for me was the superintendent’s lack of respect for six Staples athletes that came before the Board of Education last week. They waited patiently for almost two hours to speak. This is part of the same group that sat through a 14-hour hearing for their axed coach last month.
I have no problem with Superintendent Scarice showing a lack of respect to a board member, or another adult. I also don’t need our superintendent to agree with everything a certain student says or advocates for. However, I do at all times expect him to show that he is taking students seriously and at least make it look like he is engaged and listening to them. This simply didn’t happen last Thursday.
It makes a total mockery of the “student voice” that so many on the Board of Education and this administration champion.
As a parent who wrote into the board to complain to Superintendent Scarice stated to us, “While it’s clear the that Superintendent Scarice disagrees with the points the SHS students raises, I had hoped and expected that he would set aside his iPad and food for the few short minutes they spoke.”
Sadly, he didn’t. He barely looked up to give them, eye contact. He couldn’t have looked less engaged or more disinterested if he tried.
The parent went on to suggest, “these are the basic courtesies that any student would be expected to show an adult, let alone what we should expect from the highest leader in our school system.”
Those six students deserved better from Thomas Scarice.
Given this lack of leadership and respect displayed from Superintendent I think it is important to revisit the very important words these students delivered in front of the school district’s leader and the Board of Education.
Dylan Shackleford – a Staples junior and one of the captains of the 2025-26 Staples soccer team:
“Why didn’t our voices matter? We are speaking not just to the board, but to Superintendent Thomas Scarice, Staples Principal Thomas and Athletics Director V.J Surillo. We witnessed an unfair process from the start. How can you feel comfortable with the decision made when not all the information was made available? So few interviews were conducted despite many students that were willing and able to provide context and were never contacted. We felt shocked and disappointed.”
Drew Hill – another Staples junior and team captain of the the 2025-26 team:
“Your silence was disappointing. If this is how decisions are made, if this is how our administration operates, then anyone could be next. How did two members of the Board of Education sit through 14-hours of testimony and not ask a a single question and another only asked a few? The hearing repeatedly emphasized the importance of setting a good example. You did not set a good example for us. As school we are constantly asked to raise our hands and ask questions – and be curious. This applies to things not nearly as consequential as someone’s life and livelihood.
After seeing what he (Russ Oost-Lievense) and other coaches have gone through its hard to imagine coming back to coach or teach knowing how little the administration supports our values. Why would anyone want to work in a district when this is how they could be treated? We are not asking the questions just on behalf of Coach Russ – we are asking them in behalf of all our coaches and teachers..
Zach Gillman – Staples junior on soccer team:
“We don’t understand why the Board of Education and administration didn’t allow Coach Russ to present witnesses. We don’t understand how an investigation that was described as thorough could have been completed in just three days, with so few interviews.”
The words of these three Staples student athletes are devastating.
The reaction from our district leader as these words were being spoken are even more devastating for Superintendent Scarice.
His silence in the days that have followed is not acceptable.
He refuses to sit down with the non-renewed head coach or even comment on unwillingness to do this. He has shut down to board members unless you act as his rubber stamp.
We need to see a change from Superintendent Scarice.
At a minimum he owes those students and the community watching an apology.
Robert I couldn’t agree more with the need for elected officials and employees of the town to treat presenters with respect. I witnessed the LLSBC sit with their backs to gardeners at countless meetings including when they presented to the BOE in that same Staples cafeteria. At that meeting I said to them, you’re not even looking at us right now! Respect and feeling heard is of the utmost importance and this Town has many gaps in this basic piece of decorum.
Too true Janine.
The treatment of the gardeners should be a huge wake up call.
I doubt it will be, but it should.
There is no substitution for hearing the student words directly from our student athletes standing up for one coach – and ALL coaches and teachers. You should judge if you think the leader of our our public schools should listen attentively and respectfully to their words?
Here is the full repaly of the public comment section and silence from Board of Education and Superintendent Scarice at the last meeting:
https://play.champds.com/westportschoolsct/event/187
“Westport has the best schools. We all move here for the schools. The children come first. The children. The children.”
Blessed be.
With all due respect to those involved, this whole situation is bizarre to me. Why was there a 14 hour hearing over a non-renewal of a high soccer coach in the first place?! Why are these students then again even permitted to address the Superintendent? Who told these players that they should have input into who their coach is? What are we even doing here!? If the Superintendent doesn’t want to renew the coach, that’s good enough for me. Why are we wasting his time on this stuff?
USA men’s soccer is an international joke. If we’re even going to have boys play this sport, what we should be doing is working to bring in accomplished international coaches who can completely modernize the program. Otherwise, why are we even letting the boys play soccer at that level? If I had a son in high school, I’d tell him to focus on another sport.
USMNT just lost 4-0 to Switzerland and has lost 4 straight, to Turkey, Panama and Canada. They play Trinidad and Haiti next and will have a tough time. Personally, I really doubt that allowing high school boys pick their own coach is really going to improve the USNMT down the road.
This representation of Mr. Scarice certainly does not square with my experiences with him. He is incredibly invested in our schools, has made important improvements and launched essential new initiatives on behalf of our children. While admittedly I do not know much of the specifics of this particular situation, I must assume there is an explanation and would strongly encourage a statement from Scarice to that end.
Staples High School is not a feeder school for men’s soccer or that is not one of it’s missions. This entire thing is demeaning for this entire town. The students feel disrespected ? They should learn to pick their fights as this is a matter that should have been handled at the time with the adults present at the incident. This was supposed to be a team building opportunity. Obviously, not ! But if the Board of Education decides to replace the superintendent because of a fight at a soccer event Westport has bigger problems than the proposed Hamlet !
To Ms. Grabe: I have no dog in this fight (over the soccer coaching situation) but I think testimony from witnesses to situations and players who played for the coach whose contract was not renewed is reasonable. It seems as if the Administration wanted one side presented, but not another.
As to Scarise, he has done nothing but make me long for the days of Dr. Landon. From this, to the disgraceful, “I’ve got a chainsaw” comment regarding Long Lots Preserve, to being a fairly invisible presence outside of school hours because he doesn’t live near here, the guy seems like an empty suit, at best. We can do far better – but we won’t with the current leadership of the BOE.
(And I am not being partisan. I’m a Democrat and a lefty’s lefty – I certainly can’t stand our useless FS)
Mr. Harrington’s statement surprised me, but I certainly appreciate and embrace it.