John Curley worries changes at Bellevue High School could hit his wallet
May 2, 2016, 1:31 PM | Updated: 1:58 pm
(Bellevue Wolverines Facebook)
KIRO Radio’s John Curley has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars as an auctioneer for the Bellevue Wolverines Football Club
Whether he’ll have those same opportunities in the future is one of the many lingering questions related to the fallout of a 68-page report that found, among other things, that Bellevue administrators ignored rules and that boosters subsidized football players’ tuition.
Related: Debate: Are parents to blame in the Bellevue football scandal?
The first shoe appears to have dropped with Bellevue Principal Scott Powers stepping down over the weekend. Though Powers told The Seattle Times that his decision to move to a smaller school was not related to football and aligns to his “personal growth,” the “Tom and Curley” show was not buying the explanation.
“I’m sure it has nothing to do with football,” Curley said sarcastically. “When they hired him, I’m sure they asked, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’”
“I’m hoping to hit a peak and then go to a smaller school,” co-host Tom Tangney responded.
Curley has helped the Bellevue club raise money at events that have featured musical guests such as Kelly Clarkson, Train and One Republic. Whether the club has that same power or role under new leadership and scrutiny remains to be seen. As of now, the booster club is unaffected, but Curley isn’t sure that will last.
“This story will affect my bottom line,” Curley said. “Will Bellevue football team have another auction? Because when the booster club has another auction, will everybody come together to support Bellevue football or will the bottom line be cut out of that?”
“The question is, will a new principal be more or less responsive to the wishes of the booster club?” Tangney responded. “Because if the booster club hires you, so long as the booster club is not banned from the high school, and we’re still waiting to find out what the district is going to do given the investigation about the football program. It should not affect you, John. You are blameless, no matter how much Bellevue high football team might or might not have cheated.”