Mound Westonka Places Athletic Director on Leave Following 'Harlem Shake' Suspensions
Hockey players were among those suspended last week; police dismiss citations; parents flood school board meeting.
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Mound Westonka's athletic director was put on administrative leave Monday night at a school board meeting attended by well over 100 people.
Dion Koltes found himself at the center of a statewide news story last week after he suspended several Mound Westonka High School hockey players for performing the "Harlem Shake" during an afternoon lunch hour.
Exactly how long Koltes will be on leave was unclear as of this post.
District administrators said the behavior crossed the line of acceptable school time conduct and initially suspended the students for two days—as well as kept them out of a first-round playoff hockey game. Mound Westonaka lost 4-2 at the hands of Blake, a team many high school hockey fans thought Westonka had a chance to beat, and was eliminated from the State Tournament bracket. The suspensions were later reduced to one school day.
In addition, students received citations from the Minnetrista Police Department. The district has since requested police dismiss those citations, and the Minnetrista Police Department said Monday they will be tossed.
Parents of the suspended students erupted with questions about the punishment's appropriateness and spoke with several news outlets this week about their displeasure about how the situation was handled.
On Twitter:
- LakeshoreWeekly News @LakeshorePreps: Mound Westonka Superintendent Kevin Borg told a standing room only crowd that A.D. Dion Koltes has been placed on paid administrative leave.
- Jeffrey DeMars @JeffreyDeMars:@RenaKARE11: A.D. Put on administrative leave.” #HarlemShake#Mound
- Mark Rosen @WCCORosen: Instead of knee jerk reaction, Mound-Westonka "adults" in charge should have made the kids volunteer at a homeless shelter, teach not punish
- BringMeTheNews @BringMN: Mound Westonka A.D. placed on leave after Harlem Shake hockey suspensions http://dlvr.it/30dTdf
- Charger Gameday @ChargerGameday: A loud ovation from the body when it was announced AD Deon Kolkus (spell check) has been placed on administrative leave.
- Rena Sarigianopoulos @RenaKARE11: Overflow crowd at Mound Westonka school board meeting.pic.twitter.com/KDaNB1mQAK
georgia
10:02 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Why do I feel like we might not have the whole story. Were they told not to do it?
Ricky
10:05 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
They had permission and the kid who orchestrated it all didn't even get questioned in the whole ordeal. This was clearly a witch hunt.
Harlan Huckleberry
9:26 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Where was superintendent borg all day friday? Why did he not override this on friday if he is now "so sad and so sorry this caused so much pain?" Why is the third man down the pecking order from the top taking the most of the blame? Even superintendent borg said dion can't suspend people. Who did then??
unamious
9:52 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
I use to work for this school in athletics. This man is power hungry and will do anything to show it and get his way. Man has no integrity and only cares about himself. Very selfish