LAWSUIT: Accused doesn't mean guilty

This letter is in reference to an article in the Coeur d'Alene Press, "Student Sues Coaches, Lakeland." Certainly anyone has the right to file a tort claim, or take legal action, and cases that have absolutely no validity are rebuffed regularly. The article in The Press provided an unbiased reporting of the claim, as opposed to the article in a local weekly which takes a biased approach and proceeds to include excerpts from an anonymous letter that are full of innuendo, accusations and totally inaccurate statements, without investigation or substantiation of facts.

My wife and I are fortunate to have two sons who are both successful contributing members of society. A significant factor in their success has been the education they received at Lakeland School District, through both academics and activities. High school activities led by teacher/coaches were positive experiences they will always remember. The coaches at Lakeland are hard working, caring and dedicated. They are respected by their peers and have outstanding leadership skills.

I have watched LHS coaches support kids who are not great athletes but are suffering from personal problems, ranging from family illness to abuse. These coaches are not perfect, but they are great role models while exhibiting outstanding knowledge of their individual sport. As a former president of the IHSAA Board of Directors, I know the activities program at LHS is respected. LHS coaches have been honored with coveted Distinguished Service Awards, and teams have received Sportsmanship awards while successfully competing at state championships.

Some Lakeland athletic teams in the last few years have not had the success on the scoreboard that the students, coaches or parents would like, but I am confident positive character development continues. Cycles of success in high school athletics are not an unusual thing, and I am confident teams will bounce back with parent and community support.

CHARLES KINSEY

Rathdrum