STACYVILLE, Maine — Supporters of embattled Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook baseball coach and athletic director Murray Putnam may get their chance to address the RSU 50 board of directors on the matter during its next regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Katahdin Elementary School cafeteria.
Putnam, whose 44-year coaching tenure includes nearly 480 victories and five state championships, was placed on paid administrative leave May 15 amid reports of a possible hazing incident during the team’s annual preseason trip to Massachusetts and the subsequent publishing by players of inappropriate photos on Facebook.
Putnam is not suspected of any involvement but as head coach has oversight responsibilities over the team. Players involved in the incident reportedly have been disciplined.
John A. Doe, RSU 50 interim superintendent, said Putnam remained on paid administrative leave from his two stipend positions as of Thursday, the day the Southern Aroostook baseball team began postseason play with a 12-2 victory over Woodland in an Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinal.
The third-seeded Warriors, now being coached by Robert Betschner, are scheduled to play in a regional semifinal at No. 2 Hodgdon on Saturday.
An estimated 25 to 30 supporters of Putnam — for whom the baseball field at Southern Aroostook is named — attended a special RSU 50 board meeting Monday but left disappointed after not getting the chance to speak about the matter.
Doe said that meeting’s agenda was comprised of two executive sessions, one for the board to consult with legal counsel and the second to discuss a personnel matter. While the first executive session was held, the second — believed to involve the Putnam case — did not take place, according to minutes of the meeting.
A petition has been submitted to Doe seeking an opportunity for members of the public to speak about the Putnam case at the June 11 board meeting.
The agenda for the June 11 meeting already had been established when the petition was submitted, but Doe said the school board at Monday’s meeting will have the opportunity to vote on an adjustment to the agenda that would allow for the public to speak about the Putnam case.
Among Putnam’s supporters who are optimistic they will be able to have their say about the case in front of the board is David Gordon of Oakfield, owner of Katahdin Cedar Log Homes.
Gordon estimates he has hired 160 to 170 Southern Aroostook students for employment over the years, the majority of them student-athletes who have played for Putnam.
“The kind of kids I want to hire for summer jobs are the kids Murray has coached,” said Gordon, himself a former school board member and coach in the area who has two sons who played baseball for Putnam at Southern Aroostook.
“He starts them out at age 5 coaching ‘Murrayball’ in the summer, and he’s a great teacher of baseball but the thing he does best is teach the kids things that will help them become better people. He teaches respect and promptness — which as an employer really makes me happy — he teaches kids to be team players, he teaches them how to win and how to lose and he teaches them to be goal-oriented.
“Those are life skills we all need, and life skills that help the kids he coaches become better adults and better employees.”
Putnam has coached high school baseball in the region since 1968 when he took over the program at the former Oakfield Community High School. When that school and several others were consolidated into Southern Aroostook during the 1970s, he moved to the combined school and has remained there ever since.
Putnam has guided the Southern Aroostook baseball team to 10 Eastern Maine championships and Class D state titles in 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1999.
Southern Aroostook, which serves the communities of Crystal, Dyer Brook, Island Falls, Merrill, Oakfield and Smyrna, has remained a consistent Eastern Maine Class D contender in recent years, advancing to the regional final in 2008 and the semifinals in 2010, 2011 and again this spring.
Putnam, who has served as the school’s athletic director for the last 39 years, is a 2002 inductee into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame and the recipient of the 2006 State Award of Merit from the Maine Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
“I see what is going on over there [Southern Aroostook] now,” said Gordon, “and I sincerely hope there won’t be a miscarriage of justice.”
Don’t lay down Coach!
well good, the players have been disciplined, thats awesome, now how about the school board!
Please be advised that the School Board had no knowledge of this dismissal because it was the ADMINISTRATION that put him on leave. The School Board only wished they had been able to have some input into this matter. It might be asked “What role does the school board have”. Policy only…..
john a. doe? really??
Good luck, Murray!!
I for one want to stand in support of Murray Putnam. I have known Mr Putnam for over 40 years. He has been there for me as a Teacher, a Coach, a neighbor & a friend. He has been a respected member of our Community & has worked his entire career helping our young people develop into productive adults. I know there are many others who will join me in saying: Thank you, Mr Putnam.
I was at the meeting “special” meeting last Monday. They went into an executive sessions (no public allowed) to be advised by a lawyer. No public comments were allowed before or after the executive session adjourned. It is fair to say, that they are rushing to do as much before July 1st before the new super can be voted in. It is my feeling that if it is not completed before the new super is in, this sham can be exposed for what it is, a witch hut for the sole purpose of ones (or many’s) personal gain. The meeting was a joke, and public support was poor, but definately made some memebers of the board uncomfortable that we were there. I think they thought they could come do as they wished, and go without anyone the wiser. They were wrong. It is important for more people to start attending these meeting, even if they are kept private and show them we ARE paying attention!
You Go Sue!!!!!
Well said willane54. Alot of the school board members really had NO idea about what was going on until Monday night or had read items in the newspaper or saw it on the news. School board seems to be an afterthought vs. making any type of decisions. I would start calling administration for answers.
My family stands behind Mr. Putnam all. the way. He has been there for the kids. My son has looked up to mr. putnam. I am glad that he was there for my son and I know that others will agree with me. I think that what has happened is a BIG FAT JOKE. From what I have heard from other and my son. Some people can dish stuff out but when it come for them to take it they can not handle it. so do not dish it out if you cant handle it..
My husband has been coached by Mr. Putnam over 21 years ago. My son has been coached by him for 3 years. I think what the school and some parents are over reactingt , what went on.
Some people think that they are better then others. Mr. Putnam never treated anyone any different.. or better then Others. He treated them equal no matter what….
Just amazing to say the least that this decent and honorable man is being held responsible for the actions of a few out of control kids. I have no idea who the kids are, but I do know who Coach Putnam is as I played for him from Pee-Wee League through High School and 3 Eastern Maine Championships in 77. 78, and 79. We went on the trips to Mass. without an incident EVER. We knew better. Coach Putnam truly knew how to treat us in such a way that we were challenged to give our best, but never in a way we felt disrespected at all.
I’m far away from this situation, yet have read the 2 articles in BDN, and am thinking and wondering why he’s off the job? Even this article makes it clear he did nothing wrong. Bottom line: it’s a different day and age we live, and coaches and teachers are stifled in so many ways. Again, I don’t know the full story or people involved, yet again, I do know this man is an honorable man whose integrity is beyond reproach as far as any dealings I’ve ever had with him, and it’s been a lot. He taught me to play baseball, and he also taught me to be a young man (and man) of honor.
Hang in there Coach Putnam. Truth prevails.
Norman Lawrence
Ball player from “back in the day”
I agree, Norman, with all you have said regarding M Putnam. He doesn’t deserve this.
I would also like to add that from the time I rode on your father’s lap when he would pick up my Great Gran for church (in the temporary tent!), to when he came out of retirement to officiate at my mother’s funeral, your Dad is one that taught me ‘honor’ and decency just by his example!
Buz.
This is an unfortunate and ridiculous reaction by the school board. As someone who played baseball for Murray Putnam from the time I was 6 until I was 18, I am proud to say he was my coach. I have never known Coach Putnam to be anything but professional. The board needs to give an account for their actions, how they are communicating vital and important boundaries to the kids (and coaches) for these trips. Don’t assume that because some kids performed some hazing incident that the coaches sanction anything like this. Also, the overreacting parents may want to step back and look in the mirror as to who should be responsible for how their children act when they are away from home, the coach? I think not. I took that trip four times and if we teenagers did anything stupid, we were always taught (by all authority figures in our lives) that we were accountable for our actions and that we needed to shoulder responsibility, not our coaches or teachers. We have turned into a society where we are finding others to blame for our actions rather than ourselves.
Oh, and parents who don’t have access to your child’s Facebook account…really? What they post on Facebook is not Coach Putnam’s responsibility.
Coach, I’m with you from far away in IL.
Reggie Lawrence
State Champs 84
I never had the privilege to have Mr. Putnam as a teacher when I went to Southern Aroostook, but he was a man that I definitely admired and respected. When he spoke, even the most unruly mouth would close and ears would open. Sure, there were always the people that would say that he had a love of baseball more than he did of teaching, but I don’t think that is true. I think Mr. Putnam excelled in and out of the classroom. Yes, the kids were wrong, yes Mr. Putnam was in charge, yes he should hold some responsibility…BUT…he shouldn’t be drug through the mud like this! A reprimand behind closed doors would be enough, but this is just wrong on so many levels!
While I also respected him, I did have him for 4 years of classes, and IMHO, he did not “excel” in the classroom. He sure did know his sports and how to coach, though.
I have to say that this whole business is much ado about nothing. Reinstate him now!
He is a coach not a babysitter. Just goes to show you that the school has nothing else to do.Leave the coach alone, and if he was a babysitter he would get payed more then a coach.
I for one have great respect for Mr. Putnam. I remember an incident when I was in high school when I called my mom “the old lady,” of course after hearing my dad call her this. Mr. Putnam told me in no uncertain terms that my mother deserved more respect than me calling her “the old lady.” I have never forgotten this lesson or that day standing in the gym at SACS. Mr. Putnam reminded me that my mother sacrificed a lot over the years for me, from giving birth to me, to taking care of me for the last seventeen years of my life and that she would continue to make sacrifices for me until her dying day. He was absolutely correct, my mother has given more of herself to me than I could ever repay. I have never forgotten this lesson and it carries on in me today. I show respect to my elders because of this life lesson. The people of our community need to remember how to get these people out of control, this is a prime example of when your vote does count so when it comes to election time, let us not forget who stirred the pot.
If a teacher/coach was held responsible for everything that students post on FB, no one would be teaching. He has been dedicated for all these years. I could only hope that I loved my career and job as much as Murray. I can’t wait to finish working, he can’t imagine not working with students. It’s his passion. Good heavens, Priests who sexually assualt little boys have less of a punishment than Murray is getting. And how can anyone be serious by naming their kid John Doe??
Which school board member’s kid or prominent member of the County’s kid got hazed or made fun of seems to be the appropriate question.
I’ve said this before and I will say it again. It was obvious that the administration and some school board members wanted Mr. Putnam out at the very beginning of the season. First taking away the morning practies, next calling the annual trip into question, and finally putting Mr. Putnam of leave after a “hazing incident.” Clearly there was a hidden agenda here. I attended the school board meeting last Monday night. The board went into executive scesssion and refused to allow public comment. To make such a large decision such as this and refuse to allow public comment is a sham. From the outside looking in it looks very bad, like something is being hidden. The school board members are elected officials, they work for the public and make choices in the schools best interests. They don’t work for themselves.
This incident is a blemish on our entire school. What is the precedent being set here? When students get into a fight in the class room do we place the teacher on leave too? The action taken by the administrator has done nothing but divide towns and anger people. I hope at this next meeting the board does the right thing and allows public comment. Isn’t that how democracy works?
I have been on this trip for three years. Never was my safety threatened and never did Mr. Putnam condone any of these “hazing” incidents.
Why would a decent coach think that these great athletes would do this low-down, cheap stuff? He should be recompensed for his decency and his naivety!
It’s very obvious that Coach Putnam has support of many people. He has EARNED that respect and support over the years.
It’s just as obvious that most of you do not know how a school board functions and what they can as well as can not act on in regards to personel decsions.
Mr. Putnam has not been PERSONALLY accused of this incident but he is being held responsable as the person in charge. This incident has been reported to have police involvement and RUMORED to have a potential law suit pending. When that happens, the Administration has NO CHOICE, but to put him on leave pending the outcome of the outside investigation.
If a member(s) of the School Board is in anyway involved in this, as a parent , they would not or should not be allowed to have any vote on any personel matter taken up in the Executive Sessions.
Judging by comments posted here and in the community, I’m guessing Mr. Putnam will have ample support among the school board members – IF – they are put in the position of having a say on his fate.
Mr. Putnam has EARNED the respect of many people throughout the State throughout the course of his career. Sadly, COACH Putnam did not command the same respect from a FEW of his team’s members. It is these FEW that have created this chaos. These FEW boys haven’t yet learned the life lessons that Coach Putnam has imparted on so many. It’s a darn shame that they have tarnished his hard earned reputation this spring.
My personal hope is that there is a decent turnout of support at the upcoming meeting and that the speaker(s) that will be given an opportunity to speak continue to show their support of their Friend/Teacher/Coach. I hope that the crowd doesn’t resort to name calling and muds slinging.
Coach Putnam DESERVES a dignified hearing, if it has come to that point. That’s the way he would want it.
Hopefully the potential legal issues can come to an end and everyone can leave happy.
Good Luck Coach!
Well written and explanation of your position (and, I believe, everyone’s!). I haven’t live up there for over 30 years, but go up often for the OCHS reunions.
He was just starting out with us back then, but anyone could see his character even before his first ball field. We only had only basketball until he started baseball…..
I can’t believe that PC crucifixion has reached this level in that area, but am happy to see that there are many comments here that are still down to earth realistic!
Just stop this, huh people? Sheese!