Coach got a
raw deal

As a resident of T.O. for 14 years, a volunteer coach for AYSO and the T.O. Flyers’ track club and a parent/supporter of TOHS sports, I did not know what to expect when Coach Robert Radnoti was hired to coach the TOHS track and cross country teams several years ago.

As we have read in this paper over the years about the repeated successes of his teams due to the creativity he brings, Radnoti has brought championships, scholarships and leadership that has made us proud to be part of this community. He has brought the Olympic ideals home to teenagers who may otherwise be occupied with endeavors that may not be as positive as we would wish.

Radnoti has been and continues to be a positive force for the kids that run for him, as well as the greater community.

Well, on March 11, all that was brought to an abrupt ending by petty minds that railroaded him out of our lives by citing CIF violations that should have merited "slaps on the wrist" if the allegations are true. Instead, Radnoti was given the maximum penalty of one year’s suspension (the equivalent of firing him) because the administration simply did not like him.

We have another SPORT X brewing folks. The administration has raised the ire of Radnoti’s parental support system and it will take a lot of doing on the administration’s part to tame that beast. We will have a huge turnout at the next school board meeting demanding fairness. The TOHS administration will be inundated by dissatisfied parents.

After all that he has done, Coach Radnoti, at the very least, deserves a fair hearing.

Mike Garai

Thousand Oaks