September 16, 2014 11:33 PM
By Anne Cloonan
Shouting erupted a number of times during a special meeting of Steel Valley school board Tuesday night before Drew Schifino was hired to replace Shawn McCallister as boys basketball coach.
Partway through the meeting, board President Donna Kiefer asked Munhall police officers, who had been requested by the board to be present, to escort anyone
who was shouting out of the meeting.
After the vote, and before business Manager John Zenone could describe the votes on each motion, Mrs. Kiefer asked police officers to clear the room amid more shouting.
School directors Kiefer, Mike Terrick, Donald Bajus, Colette Youngblood and Coyleen Steele voted for Schifino, while Mary Yuhas abstained from the vote. Thomas Olson and Sue Ballas voted against Schifino’s appointment.
A number of people spoke on the replacement of Mr. McCallister before the vote.
Lynn Wellman, wife of assistant boys high school basketball coach Ed Wellman, called replacing Mr. McCallister “ridiculous” and described McCallister as “an excellent teacher, mentor.” Barbara M. Broadwater of Homestead said she thinks it’s time for a new coach.
“He’s still going to be the athletic director. We’re not taking him out of the school district,” she said.
Basketball player Brandon Donovan was one of three basketball players who defended their coach.
“If you ask any one of us, I think we’d all say we want to play for coach McCallister,” Brandon Donovan said.
People in the audience said Mr. Schifino made unkind comments about Steel Valley students on his Twitter Feed. But district computer guru Ed Colebank said it is possible to create a fake Twitter account.
Mr. Schifino said during the meeting that he hadn’t made any negative comments on Twitter.
Mr. Schifino is the high school boys’ basketball coach at Waynesburg Central High School.
Earlier this year, the school board voted to open all coaching positions in the district.
Mrs. Kiefer said after the meeting that a threat was made to board members, but that she doesn’t want to discuss the details at this time.
When asked about the threats, Mr. Terrick also declined any comment.
Steel Valley Teachers 