MCDOWELL COUNTY, W.Va. – Last week a basketball game between Mount View High School and Man High School took an unsportsmanlike turn after an altercation took place between players, fans and school officials.
Now we’re speaking with the superintendent of McDowell County Schools to understand the situation more.
Dr. Ingrida Barker says there was a misunderstanding after the game that left the public and an assistant football coach with a bad taste in their mouths.
Dr. Barker says assistant football coach, Kelvin Dubouse thought he was suspended from his coaching position after helping deescalate the situation at the basketball game. WVVA reported on Dubouse saying on Facebook that he had been suspended for intervening in the altercation.
However, Dr. Barker says she’s hoping to clear the air.
“At no time, at any point there was no talk, any inkling, anything to do anything towards Mr. Dubouse,” said Dr. Barker.
Dr. Barker says Dubouse was never suspended and says the school system always investigates situations similar to this before coming to any conclusions regarding employment. She says in fact Dubouse did nothing wrong at the game.
“He just like any other staff members and I can say that because our sheriff’s department investigated the incident and he and other staff members were there to deescalate the situation and make sure that we don’t have anybody hurt in the process,” said Dr. Barker.
In the future, Dr. Barker says she’s hoping to improve communications between her office and school staff.
Furthermore she says the county is making it a priority to have an adequate amount of deputies from the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office at high school games in the future.
“We already have at least one deputy at the games. We just communicated with each of the principals that it’s non-negotiable. We have to have a deputy at the games and if the schools feel like they need extra deputies, the county will cover the cost of getting extra deputies,” said Dr. Barker.
Dr. Barker adds that she’s had conversations with Dubouse and plans to have a face to face meeting with him in the near future.
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