Mum's the word from the Hinckley-Big Rock School District administration concerning Monday's firing of girls basketball coach Larry Peppers after 31 seasons.
"I'm not going to comment publicly on personnel matters," said Kevin Cronin, interim superintendent of the district.
Cronin, who replaced former superintendent Jeff Walker in late November, told Peppers on Monday he would not be retained.
Peppers, who retired as teacher and athletic director at the school last June but continued as girls basketball coach, contends the administration didn't follow proper procedures to address the grievance when a parent complained about him in a letter to high school principal Chuck Lawson.
Lawson got the letter in late February, following the season.
The father of a freshman in the program wrote: "Many of the girls basketball team parents are very upset by the way that Larry 'Doc' Peppers has been treating the girls. He has been negative, verbally abusive and uses fear tactics to intimidate his players."
Peppers didn't learn of the letter until athletic director Bill Sambrookes told him about it in early April. He didn't get a copy of the complaint until April 11.
He said he and Sambrookes should have met with the parent, according to school policy before it went up the chain of command.
Asked about that policy, Cronin said, "I'm not sure of the exact essence, I don't have it in front of me. But I wouldn't dispute Larry's knowledge of it."
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