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HARBOR SPRINGS — Nothing quite brings a small community together like high school sports.
No matter the season or sport, they become a rallying port everyone comes together for. Harbor Springs knows this well, with a rich tradition in athletics.
Turns out, the same can divide a community.
Over the past week, the rallying port for division has been within the Harbor Springs Middle School cafeteria.
On Monday, May 12 the Harbor Springs Board of Eduction held the final school board meeting of the 2024-25 school year, or at least what was supposed to be.
The meeting centered around the contracts of Harbor Springs varsity boys and girls basketball coaches John and Amy Flynn, which were not renewed for the 2025-26 school year. The meeting, which began at 6 p.m., then concluded with a closed door session that lasted just past 12 a.m. Tuesday.
Monday Meeting: Harbor Springs community shows support for Flynns, asks for reinstatement at meeting
John, Amy Flynn Out: John, Amy Flynn out as Harbor Springs basketball coaches
A decision was later made by the board to hold a special meeting Thursday, May 15, with recommendations from the board of education to Harbor Springs Superintendent Brad Plackemeier to offer both John and Amy Flynn basketball coaching contracts for the 2025-26 season.
The agenda also included a presentation and discussion on the evaluation process for athletic coaches from Harbor Springs Athletic Director Anna Novak.
While the night lasted nearly three hours once again, the process of the recommendations from the board and outcome went quick.
The bottom line? The Flynns will not be back coaching in Harbor Springs next season.
The motion to vote on John Flynn passed, with the board then tying 3-3 after one board member recused themself due to what they saw as a conflict of interest. A tie then led to no action taken.
On the contract renewal of Amy Flynn, the motion did not pass and no vote was taken.
“I want to thank everyone on the board,” Paul Fairbairn, Harbor Springs' School Board president, said. "This has been an unbelievable process. You have no idea what they’ve gone through. We’ve tried to have board members meet with every group that’s asked on this. I wish we weren’t in this position."
Fairbairn also encouraged more to attend meetings in the future, when agendas don't center on athletics or divided issues.
“I wish the same passion that’s shown to athletics, was given to academics," he said. "As a board, we’re trying to push the envelope in Harbor Springs and it’s taken our eye off the ball in a huge way. I want to get back to that and the board wants to get back to that.”
Once the motion was complete and a second public input session began, both John and Amy, along with many other Flynn supporters in the room, left the building.
John did make comment afterward, disappointed in what he and others saw as a conflict of interest during the process. John was also upset with the board’s decision.
“It’s disappointing when people hear the real truth and still turn a blind eye, especially all of the school board members,” John said. “They know exactly what went down and they were too scared to make the real decision. Chain of command doesn’t matter when good people get hurt, people abuse their power and the board is there to step in and refuses to. It’s not what their job is for.
“You’ve got a superintendent that has a conflict of interest and didn’t remove himself from the evaluation process and went out of his way to fire two good coaches.”
Amy was of course equally disappointed in the night, though chose not to comment on the matter to move in a different direction with her coaching position.
The division of the situation was more so clear than Monday, when the community spoke overwhelmingly in favor of the Flynns.
On Thursday, the school board and administrators had a large backing at the meeting, with Harbor Springs teacher Liz Dunn one of the first to speak in support of the administrators, reading a letter that many teachers within Harbor Springs schools signed in support.
“As school employees, we fully support the decisions made by our superintendent and athletic director,” Dunn read from the letter. “We trust them to make decisions regarding our student athletes’ success and safety at school and during sports.”
Basketball Honors: BCAM awards all-state, academic and team honors to Northern Michigan standouts
The letter also brought concern regarding the potential of overturning the decision to not renew the contracts.
“If the school board decides to reinstate coaches who have been terminated, this sets a precedent to challenge every decision made by the administration.”
As the decision became final on the night, many spoke on the divide it’s brought the Harbor Springs community, with those siding with the decision to not renew and others of course with the Flynns.
The issue brought in other coaches and administrators, including Wolverine Superintendent Matt Baughman, a Harbor Springs native who knew John growing up.
“It has not felt good to watch the recent negative publicity within our district,” Baughman said, first to the microphone Thursday.
Longtime Harbor Springs track and cross country coach Emily Kloss again spoke on the issue, hoping for positivity moving forward.
“I think it’s very sad for people to come up here to criticize the board, criticize the teachers who work very hard,” she said. “We’re here for school and sports are a bonus. I understand the Flynns are great people. But we need to be positive and we need to get past this.”
One of the final to meet the microphone for public comment before the special meeting was adjourned was Joe Flynn, father of John and a Harbor Springs Hall of Fame member as a coach.
“I can’t believe it,” Joe said. “We had 1,000 people signing a petition thinking we’re going to get a fair chance. I said the other day we’re the laughing stock of Northern Michigan, hell, maybe now all of Michigan. I still don’t know what to say when people ask, ‘What happened to them?’”
That question didn’t bring answers this week, and they might not come at all.
But one thing that has been clear is the divide that’s come out of it all. At what point the community rallies together again is another question.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Springs upholds decision to not renew contracts of John, Amy Flynn
Continue reading...
No matter the season or sport, they become a rallying port everyone comes together for. Harbor Springs knows this well, with a rich tradition in athletics.
Turns out, the same can divide a community.
Over the past week, the rallying port for division has been within the Harbor Springs Middle School cafeteria.
On Monday, May 12 the Harbor Springs Board of Eduction held the final school board meeting of the 2024-25 school year, or at least what was supposed to be.
The meeting centered around the contracts of Harbor Springs varsity boys and girls basketball coaches John and Amy Flynn, which were not renewed for the 2025-26 school year. The meeting, which began at 6 p.m., then concluded with a closed door session that lasted just past 12 a.m. Tuesday.
Monday Meeting: Harbor Springs community shows support for Flynns, asks for reinstatement at meeting
John, Amy Flynn Out: John, Amy Flynn out as Harbor Springs basketball coaches
A decision was later made by the board to hold a special meeting Thursday, May 15, with recommendations from the board of education to Harbor Springs Superintendent Brad Plackemeier to offer both John and Amy Flynn basketball coaching contracts for the 2025-26 season.
You must be registered for see images attach
The agenda also included a presentation and discussion on the evaluation process for athletic coaches from Harbor Springs Athletic Director Anna Novak.
While the night lasted nearly three hours once again, the process of the recommendations from the board and outcome went quick.
The bottom line? The Flynns will not be back coaching in Harbor Springs next season.
The motion to vote on John Flynn passed, with the board then tying 3-3 after one board member recused themself due to what they saw as a conflict of interest. A tie then led to no action taken.
On the contract renewal of Amy Flynn, the motion did not pass and no vote was taken.
“I want to thank everyone on the board,” Paul Fairbairn, Harbor Springs' School Board president, said. "This has been an unbelievable process. You have no idea what they’ve gone through. We’ve tried to have board members meet with every group that’s asked on this. I wish we weren’t in this position."
Fairbairn also encouraged more to attend meetings in the future, when agendas don't center on athletics or divided issues.
“I wish the same passion that’s shown to athletics, was given to academics," he said. "As a board, we’re trying to push the envelope in Harbor Springs and it’s taken our eye off the ball in a huge way. I want to get back to that and the board wants to get back to that.”
Once the motion was complete and a second public input session began, both John and Amy, along with many other Flynn supporters in the room, left the building.
John did make comment afterward, disappointed in what he and others saw as a conflict of interest during the process. John was also upset with the board’s decision.
“It’s disappointing when people hear the real truth and still turn a blind eye, especially all of the school board members,” John said. “They know exactly what went down and they were too scared to make the real decision. Chain of command doesn’t matter when good people get hurt, people abuse their power and the board is there to step in and refuses to. It’s not what their job is for.
“You’ve got a superintendent that has a conflict of interest and didn’t remove himself from the evaluation process and went out of his way to fire two good coaches.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Amy was of course equally disappointed in the night, though chose not to comment on the matter to move in a different direction with her coaching position.
The division of the situation was more so clear than Monday, when the community spoke overwhelmingly in favor of the Flynns.
On Thursday, the school board and administrators had a large backing at the meeting, with Harbor Springs teacher Liz Dunn one of the first to speak in support of the administrators, reading a letter that many teachers within Harbor Springs schools signed in support.
“As school employees, we fully support the decisions made by our superintendent and athletic director,” Dunn read from the letter. “We trust them to make decisions regarding our student athletes’ success and safety at school and during sports.”
Basketball Honors: BCAM awards all-state, academic and team honors to Northern Michigan standouts
The letter also brought concern regarding the potential of overturning the decision to not renew the contracts.
“If the school board decides to reinstate coaches who have been terminated, this sets a precedent to challenge every decision made by the administration.”
As the decision became final on the night, many spoke on the divide it’s brought the Harbor Springs community, with those siding with the decision to not renew and others of course with the Flynns.
You must be registered for see images attach
The issue brought in other coaches and administrators, including Wolverine Superintendent Matt Baughman, a Harbor Springs native who knew John growing up.
“It has not felt good to watch the recent negative publicity within our district,” Baughman said, first to the microphone Thursday.
Longtime Harbor Springs track and cross country coach Emily Kloss again spoke on the issue, hoping for positivity moving forward.
“I think it’s very sad for people to come up here to criticize the board, criticize the teachers who work very hard,” she said. “We’re here for school and sports are a bonus. I understand the Flynns are great people. But we need to be positive and we need to get past this.”
One of the final to meet the microphone for public comment before the special meeting was adjourned was Joe Flynn, father of John and a Harbor Springs Hall of Fame member as a coach.
“I can’t believe it,” Joe said. “We had 1,000 people signing a petition thinking we’re going to get a fair chance. I said the other day we’re the laughing stock of Northern Michigan, hell, maybe now all of Michigan. I still don’t know what to say when people ask, ‘What happened to them?’”
That question didn’t bring answers this week, and they might not come at all.
But one thing that has been clear is the divide that’s come out of it all. At what point the community rallies together again is another question.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Springs upholds decision to not renew contracts of John, Amy Flynn
Continue reading...
