Schools

WPIAL Will Not Investigate Reynolds' Complaint About PR Soccer Coach Jodi Chmielewski

Parents Jack and Cindy Reynolds requested a review after the Pine-Richland School Board voted to retain the coach.

The WPIAL will not investigate a complaint brought by parents of a Pine-Richland soccer player regarding the girls' soccer program and its coach, Jodi Chmielewski.

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League notified parent Jack Reynolds and Pine-Richland Superintendent Dr. Mary Bucci in a letter that its Board of Control met Sept. 17 and discussed the letter of complaint.

"After extensive discussion and thorough review, the WPIAL Board of Control was unanimous in deciding that the allegations brought forward violation (sic) fall under the jurisdiction of the involved member school and that the member school has already considered and addressed the allegations," states the letter signed by Executive Director Timothy M. O'Malley.

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Jack Reynolds and his wife Cindy requested the review after the Pine-Richland School Board voted to retain the coach.

Click here for the full story on the Reynolds' complaint.

Find out what's happening in Pine-Richlandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The WPIAL follows the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association's rules and regulations as outlined in the PIAA Constitution and Bylaws.

The Reynolds charged that Pine-Richland's girls varsity soccer program and coach Jodi Chmielewski violated the athletic association's regulations.

Specifically, the Reynolds stated in their letter of complaint that WPIAL Rules and Regulations on coaching, health and using school resources for personal gain were violated by the coach.

The Reynolds also detailed in the letter of complaint a history of what they say happened to their daughter, Allyn, who received a concussion in an August 2011 soccer scrimmage. 

The Reynolds said Allyn's head was injured when she collided with an opposing player as both jumped up for the ball. After sitting out for about 15 minutes, she returned to the game and hit her head again after colliding with another girl and falling to the ground.

The Reynolds said that Chmielewski should not have put their daughter back in the game.

Two investigations—one by the school district and another by an independent investigator hired by the district—concluded the Reynolds' allegations about Chmielewski are baseless, said the coach's attorney, David White. 

The school board never discussed the investigations publicly, so the nature of the investigation is not clear. On Aug. 24, Pine-Richland Patch filed a Right-to-Know Request for the reports from those investigations.

Kim Kurz, right-to-know officer for Pine-Richland School District, responded in an Aug. 27 letter that the district would require additional time to review the request.

"Specifically, further legal review is required in order to determine whether any records responsive to your request are subject to access under the Right-to-Know Law and/or whether certain information within such records may be exempt and therefore require redaction. The District expects to provide a response to this request with thirty (30) business days," Kurz wrote.

That puts a response deadline at Oct. 10.

Jack Reynolds said he also filed a Right-to-Know Request for the reports.

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