grayson not fired

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SoCalHoops High School News

Grayson Not Fired; Appealing
His Suspension--(Jan. 14, 2000)

Both the LA Times and the Daily News issued articles attempting to clarify the situation with Westlake's 10 year varsity head coach, Gary Grayson. On Tuesday, both papers reported that he had been terminated or fired. The word is now that he's been "suspended" and that he's appealing the suspension. Apparently though the search for a new coach will continue, although Westlake Athletic Director Joseph Pawlick said that Grayson will be considered in the process of reviewing the applications received.

According to the Times account, published on Wednesday, Pawlick confirmed that Grayson is appealing the decision. Grayson declined comment directly to the media. As reported yesterday, Richard Sanders, the Westlake junior varsity coach for three seasons, will take over for the remainder of the season on an interim basis. Pawlick also confirmed that notwithstanding the appeal, Westlake will begin accepting applications for a permanent coach after the season. He said Grayson would not be excluded from the process.

The Times had the following account of what transpired in Hawaii which led to the suspension: According to sources close to the Westlake athletic department, Grayson's suspension was related to an incident that took place last month in Honolulu. Westlake player Adam Mazarei missed the team's flight to LAX a day after the Warriors won the Kona tournament title. Mahdi Mazarei, Adam's father, said his son returned on a later flight after he was late checking in with the team. Adam Mazarei declined comment on details of the incident, but said Grayson attempted to get him on the team's scheduled flight."

According to the Daily News account also published Wednesday, they had a slightly different take on what happened. If it reads like a scene from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," that wild Steve Martin movie from a couple of years ago, the resemblance is purely unintended:

A Westlake player was left behind at the Honolulu airport after he lost his ticket and didn't have enough time to purchase a replacement ticket. Although Westlake officials won't comment on the matter, they apparently hold Grayson responsible for boarding the flight home and leaving the player behind.

Ultimately, this is what happened. Grayson did get on the original flight and the player waited alone in the honolulu airport for another plane home. But another source told the Daily News that, unlike the way it's been portrayed, Grayson never intended to leave the player behind and did everything possible to get the player a ticket for the team flight. In fact, Grayson was forced to leave the player due to a lack of cooperation by the airlines.

According to the source, when it become [sic] apparent that there wassn't enough time to get the player a ticket, Grayson boarded the plance to give his assistant coach paperwork and instructions for the trip home.

Grayson intended to get off the plane and stay with the player so they could fly home together on a later flight. Unfortunately, Grayson's plan went awry when the plane doors closed while he was talking to the assistant. Grayson pleaded with flight attendants to let him off, explaining to them that one of his players was waiting outside. But they wouldn't budge, instructing Grayson to sit down and prepare for takeoff.

Grayson and a union representative are scheduled to meet Friday with Jody Dunlap, assistant superintendent of personnel services for the Conejo Valley Unified School District, and Westlake Principal Ron Lipari. Dunlap said Grayson's suspension will not be reversed. It would certainly be interesting to be a fly on the wall at that meeting to see what the Teacher's Union rep has to say about this one. Grayson is certainly a good guy, who had only the best intentions, but if ever there was a situation which proves the adage that "whatever can go wrong will" this is it. . .

And today (Friday) the Ventura County Star published another report with additional information on the subject of Grayson, with more detailed news on his status, the school's response, what happened in Hawaii, and the appeal process that he's going through right now trying to get his job back. Here's what we know from today's VC Star:

Zaruka defends Grayson's handling of bad situation
PREP BASKETBALL: Pawlick confirms coach was removed for leaving player in Hawaii.

By David Lassen
Ventura County Star writer
Friday January 14, 2000

Gary Grayson was removed as Westlake High boys' basketball coach because of an incident which saw a team member left in Hawaii following a December tournament.

John Zaruka, who made the trip, says Grayson had no intention of leaving guard Adam Mazarei on his own, and was in fact trying to rejoin the player when the team's flight left Honolulu.

"Is that enough reason to ruin a man's career?" asked Zaruka. "Gary Grayson is a man of integrity."

Westlake athletic director Joseph Pawlick confirmed Thursday that the move "was a result of the incident, which has now been widely discussed, in which a student was left unsupervised in Hawaii."

Grayson was told following a game last Friday that he was being replaced. Junior varsity coach Richard Sanders has taken over as interim varsity coach.

Grayson, who declined comment on Thursday, has appealed the decision. Zaruka said there was to be a hearing on that appeal today.

Pawlick said he was not aware of any hearing -- "I'm no longer involved" -- but also said that Grayson "has been told it is unappealable. We couldn't leave the kids hanging."

Zaruka, father of a former Westlake player, and an assistant to Grayson for 10 seasons, said he met with Pawlick and principal Ron Lipari on Monday, and was told the Hawaii incident was the only reason Grayson was replaced, a point confirmed by Pawlick.

Grayson was told after a game last Friday that he was suspended the remainder of the season. Pawlick has subsequently said applications will be accepted for the position -- and that Grayson may reapply -- but confirmed the move was a suspension. "It was dealing with what happens for the remainder of this year," said Pawlick, explaining that there is no automatic renewal of coaching contracts. "Every coaching contract ends at the end of the year. That's just the way our contracts work."

The incident in question occurred when Grayson and several players were returning from the Kona Classic basketball tournament. (Some players stayed in Hawaii for additional days with their families, and returned home separately.) As told by Zaruka -- who did not return with the team, but said he has been told told what happened by individuals who were on hand -- Mazarei lost his return ticket, making it necessary to obtain a replacement during a layover in Honolulu following theflight from Kona. Grayson gave the player a credit card to deal with any possible charges.

As flight time neared, and the player had not rejoined the team, "Gary said, 'Holy smoke, he's not going to make it," said Zaruka. "So he went onto the plane to talk to his assistant, Patrick Enman" (to go over arrangements upon arrival in Los Angeles). "He didn't give the people at the gate his boarding pass," continued Zaruka, "because he told them he was going to have to get off the flight. "But when he went to get off, they had closed the door. And short of him saying he had a bomb, they were not going to let him get off the flight." Mazarei returned to Los Angeles the next day.

"To me," said Zaruka, "it is way over the top to ruin a guy's life and his career for something like this." Grayson remains a teacher at Westlake, although he was not on campus Thursday.