O’Neil: Bellevue School District’s claims of ignorance are ‘hogwash’
Jul 4, 2016, 11:14 AM | Updated: 1:44 pm
An independent investigation found a series of violations on the Bellevue High School football program. (AP)
(AP)
710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny O’Neil isn’t sure of the technical term for the Bellevue School District’s most recent claims of ignorance related to former high school football coach Butch Goncharoff, but he does have his own word: Hogwash.
The Seattle Times reports that the school District has spent more than $175,000 over at least 16 years to buy jerseys, shirts and other gear from the team’s long-time coach. Goncharoff is currently on paid administrative leave following an investigation by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association that produced a range of allegations from illegal recruiting to suspicious financials. The district found that the coaches were excessively paid for summer football camps, which violates district policy. The coaches have argued against this finding.
Related: Bellevue Coach Butch Goncharoff: ‘This is a setup’
The Times reports the school district has ceased all purchases to Goncharoff’s company since payments to him violated district policies. Goncharoff’s attorney and his fellow assistants told the Times that the district was well aware of Goncharoff’s business venture. O’Neil agrees.
“I think it’s a bunch of hogwash that the district didn’t know,” he told Seattle’s Morning News. “I covered Butch Goncharoff (for the Seattle Times) and I knew he ran a printing company. Actually, I just assumed that most of the paraphernalia that Bellevue wore came from Butch’s screen-printing business.”
The Times notes that Goncharoff’s company, Bay City Printing, does not have a large public presence and doesn’t appear to have a website. KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross asked whether district officials were simply pretending that they had no idea this was going on or if there could be a more innocent answer.
“It’s possible, I guess, that a bunch of new people to the district weren’t aware that Bay City Printing was run by Butch Goncharoff, but, man, that’s never been a secret,” O’Neil responded.
O’Neil says the ethical question about the district purchasing gear from Goncharoff is valid, but the veil of mystery is not.
“You can debate whether it was appropriate for the district to do that,” he said. “This idea that nobody knew and he set up some sort of shadow company is absolute hogwash. If anyone is trying to sell that, then the Bellevue district is trying to cover it’s butt on this, because everybody knew.”
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Tune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.
