Something I noticed from the newspaper articles is that I have probably been mis-spelling Barry's name. I've been spelling it Huckaby, but the newspaper spells it Huckeby. The best choice is to go with the newspaper's spelling, even though it is plausible that they have it wrong.
The story and its associated controversy continues. The Republic published several letters to the editor, many supporting Barry Huckeby and strongly suggesting that his dismissal is heavy-handed and based on some sort of political power struggle. His supporters tout the coach as a great and caring teacher, coach, and person, who couldn't possibly be guilty of the theft of $3,000 in football gate receipts.
Others either suggest everyone just let the process take its course, or take the stand that if he indeed stole money, he should be dismissed and prosecuted.
Again, given my own detached and objective view of the situation, I continue to line up with the latter. Innocent until proven guilty should rule, but the authorities should not just accept the office supply defense and drop the whole thing.
I wonder where those who claim he only took $100 to reimburse himself for the purchase of office supplies (even a specific reference to printer ink) got their information? It certainly is not public information. Did the Republic purposely omit this information, as at least one has suggested? Or is it simply rumor, being spread among supporters of the coach. These sorts of rumors can sometimes take on a life of their own.
Let's assume for a moment that it's true that Barry took $100 out of the gate receipts to buy printer ink for the athletic office. If the commentor on my previous post on the topic somehow has inside information, then it is also true that Barry produced a receipt as proof. It raises a series of additional questions:
Did Barry produce the receipt immediately prior to being accused of the theft, thinking it was an acceptable procedure for purchasing supplies? Or did he produce the receipt after he was accused (or caught), in an attempt to create a plausible defense?
Did he inform anyone, most importantly Hedy George, before, during, or after the fact, that he was taking some money for office supplies?
Who is in charge of purchasing office supplies, such as printer ink, for the athletic office? If Barry needed new ink cartridges, why didn't he just follow normal requisition procedures to acquire what was needed?
Where's the other $2,900?
A commenter suggested that this is nothing more than some sort of nasty political conflict between Barry Huckeby and Dr. John Quick. I'm trying to make sense of that charge logically, but no logical explanation presents itself. I don't understand why a new coach and assistant athletic director who had been on the job only a couple of months would already be actively feuding with the superintendent of the school corporation who just hired him. He hadn't even started official basketball practices yet.
The idea that these are trumped-up charges from powerful people in the school district, who exploited a minor violation of accounting procedures to fire a coach they had just hired, just doesn't make any logical sense.
If he openly pulled $100 out of the gate receipts to buy some supplies, and turned in the receipt the next day, it was a stupid thing to do, but would not merit his arrest and termination. On that basis alone I can't buy that story, because the reasonable response of the administration would be to demand he reimburse the $100 and follow proper procedures for requisitioning of office supplies. It stretches credibility that anyone would be prosecuted and fired for such a procedure violation.
On the other hand, I also have to take the other recent commentor with a grain of salt. Whether or not Barry is some sort of pathological thief and liar cannot be objectively confirmed, so whether or not it might be true is sort of irrelevant at this point.
I can't logically agree with his supporters and their contention about a vindictive conspiracy to ruin Barry's life and career. None of that makes any sense. Barry's an experienced teacher and coach, and there's no way he wasn't aware of the proper procedures for purchasing office supplies and handling gate receipts. If he had told Hedy George that night that he was going to take $100 to buy some printer cartridges, then she would have either told him go ahead, or that it's not acceptable procedure. If the facts are that he took money, didn't tell anyone, and produced the receipt after being accused, then it's theft. The remaining question comes down to how much did he actually steal?
I do think that the process should be allowed to play itself out. I'm looking forward hopefully to eventually learning what happened to the $2,900 that's still missing, whether Barry was forthcoming about his printer ink purchase or if he did it to try to cover up his theft, and what the school board decides about his dismissal.
4 comments:
I have known Barry for several years. Obviously, people can fool you, but this is too wierd. Barry has always seemed to have very high moral standards. Even if my judge of his character is incorrect, he is very intelligent. He is not so stupid as to steal money in such an obvious way (if my judge of his character is incorrect and he is even capable of theft). Also, his salary was substantially increased to take the new coaching job so he doesn't need the money. None of this makes sense. Fortunately, when it comes to a trial none of our "opinions" will be what convicts or acquits him.
I don't know the whole story either, but I know Barry and I too find it hard to believe he would stoop so low (and I don't even like him).
I will save my judgement until all the facts come out, but regardless if he took $100 (that he admits) or $3000, theft is theft.
There needs to be some type of punishment or else what kind of message does this send our kids. You can steal as long as you have a reasonable explanation... I don't think so.
ok. this was awhile ago. i am a student of mr.huckeby and i didnt believe anything that THE REPUBLIC had to say about him. they did that and put his personal life out in the public and now he isnt going to be teaching at columbus north high school anymore. so i just want to say FANTASTIC JOB COLUMBUS. i mean that with the most sarcasm there ever was and is. that just really makes me mad. it jus goes to show that you cant have anything private and when ppl find out they make a BIG scene about it and dont know the whole truth and make assumptions. and that does a whole lot of good. (right) so i hope that ppl at THE REPUBLIC feel so much better about themselves now that they let everybody know what happened (and a whole lot that didnt) they just need to get all the facts first before they print.
None of this makes much sense to me. I have known Barry from afar, unrelated to his school and job functions.
I don't even consider taking $100 to purchase something for his job and turning in a receipt as theft. Perhaps his new job has some pretty quirky petty cash procedures making this a TECHNICAL violation, but it certainly is FAR from theft.
If Barry wanted to steal, he has other ways to do it outside of his job(s) and is a shrewd businessman in his own right. His father has taught him well in that respect.
I will be curious to learn the outcome, but have been around too long to even believe that if there is a conviction, that will be accurate or just.
Our justice system is imperfect. It is just better than all the rest.
One good reason not to kill people for murder. No way to reverse THAT error!
Unrelated to Barry, addressing a previous comment, anyone is capable of theft, or murder or adultery or possibly even cruelty to animals or wife. That isn't really the issue.
Newspaper reporters, TV news reporters and others often get it wrong. It is the nature of their business to write the story then gather the facts and SOMETIMES then edit the story for accuracy. Some of that may be in play here.
Peg Leg O'Brien
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