PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
PORT TOWNSEND — High school teachers were expected to return to work today after calling in sick en masse Tuesday morning to protest the School Board’s treatment of the former boys basketball coach.
The “sickout” decision of all 35 Port Townsend High School teachers came the morning after many of them attended an emotional Port Townsend School District board meeting Monday night.
Several teachers came out in support of former boys basketball coach Russ Hickman, saying he had been treated unfairly.
The coach, who is also the school’s athletic director and a teacher, was asked last week to resign from his coaching role after an incident at a recent game involving his basketball team.
Hickman has informed the board and the public by letter that he will not resign.
He has been replaced by a retired coach for the rest of the season, which ends mid-February.
Hickman’s tasks as a teacher and athletic director are not affected, the board said.
