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No. 8 tie -- Bloomfield coach resigns
The Bloomfield School District Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of science teacher and high school boys basketball coach John Bucher, who was in his second year as a coach.
This story ranked a tie for No. 8 for the top stories of 2011, as voted on by the Greene County Daily World staff.
Bucher was placed on paid administrative leave from his position as science teacher in March, and his resignation as an educator and coach was accepted at the end of April.
Superintendent Dan Sichting said in a prepared news release in March the school has policies in place that do not allow trustees or administrators to comment on personnel matters in terms of disciplinary action or job status of individual employees due to an allegation of misconduct.
Sichting noted the school sought legal counsel from "two separate legal entities" who instructed him to follow the school's policy and make no comment on allegations against personnel to avoid potential legal action.
Bucher completed his first season with the Cardinals with a 7-15 record, and finished his second season with a 10-13 record.
The final game of his second season concluded with a loss against the Eastern Greene Thunderbirds at the Class 2A Sectional game March 5, by a 65-34 score.
Bloomfield Deputy Town Marshal A.J. Bowers was dispatched to the Glover Gym later that night, and soon after the superintendent contacted the Greene County Sheriff's Department to administer a portable breathalyzer test (PBT) to someone.
The PBT was performed on a male faculty member at the high school gym shortly after 11:30 p.m.
"The reporting party (Sichting) believes the faculty member has been consuming alcohol while at a school function and on school property," GCSD dispatcher Chesli Jerrells wrote on a call card regarding the incident.
Neither the school or police department would name the faculty member.
Bucher was replaced by former Cardinal basketball stand-out Matt Britton in May.