Hey - I've just learned that a volunteer youth softball coach for Cedar-Bluff-Farragut Optimist softball league was permanently banned from coaching or participating in anything sponsored by the league. It seems there is evidence that indicates the man - a longtime volunteer coach who has what appears from letters, calls, and emails to be the overwhelming support of parents and other coaches - might have been rail-roaded by a league Commissioner and a "Executive Committee" who met secretly to first "suspend" him for one game and then when he appealed the suspension . . . went along with the commissioner's decision to permanently ban him. But that's not the big deal. The big deal is that this commissioner and committee also permanently banned the man's wife and very young kids as well from participating for no reason other than the fact they are related to him. Anyway, the guy has hired a lawyer who has written a letter to the CBFO, Mayor's office, Parks & Recreation Dep't, & the 5th District County Commissioners asking for the man and his family to be reinstated and for an apology. I asked for and just received a copy of it.

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I'm sure there's more to the story, but folks, even if all of what is alleged against this dad/coach is true (and I'm not only assured that it isn't and that he has hard evidence to rebut every allegation against him) would we punish the wife & kids of a convicted criminal, no matter how shocking or heinous his crime? This is really sad for this family, who by all accounts, love youth sports. Anyone know anthing about this?