Bolding fired, plans appeal

The North Little Rock School District gave high school football coach Brad Bolding notice last week that it intends to fire him, the coach's attorney said Wednesday.

Attorney David Couch said Bolding received a notice under the Arkansas Teacher Fair Dismissal Act on Friday that cited the coach for policy and procedure violations involving equipment, an athletic foundation and a post made by Bolding on his personal Facebook page in December.

Bolding didn't attend the school's national signing day event Wednesday morning, and school district officials were tight-lipped about why he wasn't there while several of his football players announced where they would attend college next year.

Couch said Bolding didn't attend the signing event out of "respect for his athletes."

"He didn't want to be a distraction," Couch said. "We want these young men to not have this issue distract them from their merits, their day."

Couch said that Bolding hasn't been teaching and was placed on a "short" suspension. He has 30 days from the date of the letter to request a hearing with the school board, and Couch said Bolding planned to ask for a public hearing before the North Little Rock School Board to appeal the district's decision.

"Coach plans to pursue this matter in order to clear his name and restore his reputation," Couch said. "I believe that the termination may have been motivated by some concerns that Coach raised, and I'm looking into whether or not Coach Bolding has additional protections under the Arkansas Whistleblower Act. ... We don't have anything to hide."

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has filed requests with the district under the state Freedom of Information Act seeking documents related to any suspension or firing decision related to Bolding, but the school district has declined those requests.

Gregg Thompson, director of human resources for the North Little Rock School District, said he couldn't say whether Bolding had been suspended or received notice of termination.

"At this point, no resolution has been reached," Thompson said.

North Little Rock Superintendent Kelly Rodgers said he couldn't comment because "an employee has rights." Rodgers added that he had not met with Couch as of Wednesday.

"We would like to get all of this resolved," Rodgers said. "I can't address rumors. I can't address social media because of the laws. It's not in our court.

"We don't have that ability to make any statements at all."

Bolding, 45, went 64-30 in eight years at North Little Rock. The Charging Wildcats finished 10-2 last season and won the 7A/6A-East Conference championship, but lost to eventual state champion Bentonville in the Class 7A semifinals.

According to the district's contract data for 2014-2015, Bolding's annual salary is $79,393.13, and he is signed as a teacher at North Little Rock High School-West Campus.

Couch declined to provide a copy of the letter given to Bolding, but the attorney said it contained a list of four reasons as basis for the termination.

Couch said the district cited Bolding for not following district procedures involving equipment purchased by the nonprofit NLR Athletic Foundation for the team and the program.

The letter also said Bolding had violated school equipment policy by trading in used headsets when new headsets were purchased by the NLR Athletic Foundation, Couch said.

Attempts to contact the four people listed on the NLR Athletic Foundation's non-profit filing with the Arkansas Secretary of State's office were unsuccessful Wednesday evening. The address listed for the foundation is a North Little Rock building supply store. An employee who answered a knock on the door after hours said he had never heard of the foundation or the people listed as organizer and president.

Couch said the third reason listed on Bolding's notice of termination regarded a private Facebook post made by Bolding that the school district deemed to be "disparaging." Bolding removed the post from social media within 15 hours of posting it, but Couch said the post is still protected free speech.

The fourth reason is a potential violation of Arkansas Activities Association rules that occurred nearly two years ago, Couch said. He declined to discuss the potential violation in further detail.

Don Brodell, associate executive director of the Arkansas Activities Association, said Wednesday that his organization is not investigating the athletics program at North Little Rock High School. The association initiates investigations only at the request of a member school, Brodell said.

Couch said Bolding planned to ask for a public hearing before the North Little Rock School Board to appeal the district's decision.

Couch said Wednesday that before receiving the notice of termination, Bolding informed the district that he had an opportunity to take the head football coaching job at Nashville High School, a Class 4A school located in Howard County.

Couch said Bolding was told by North Little Rock school district officials that they wanted him stay, and Bolding did not pursue the Nashville job. Within a few days, the district sent Bolding the notice of its intent to fire him, Couch said.

"At this point I'm certain the district knew of its intention to terminate Coach Bolding, and to lead him along and deny him the opportunity to pursue this job that paid more is unconscionable," Couch said of the Nashville position.

Nashville Superintendent Doug Graham said Wednesday that he spoke with Bolding twice. Bolding called Graham on Jan. 17 to ask where he was in the interviewing process. Graham then invited Bolding to Nashville for a formal interview Jan. 19.

The interview lasted two hours. Bolding was given a tour of Nashville's football facilities and was shown around town, Graham said.

"He came in very organized," Graham said. "He had a very strong interview. To his credit, he came in and did a great job."

Bolding never submitted a written application or a resume for the Nashville position.

"In his mind, he considered himself an applicant, and we considered him an applicant," Graham said.

Graham said he received a phone call Jan. 21 from a friend, who he did not identify, asking if he was aware of anything going on with Bolding. Graham said his interest in Bolding declined after that.

Nashville hired Henderson State offensive coordinator Mike Volarvich on Jan. 29 as its new coach, replacing Billy Dawson, who is now at Russellville.

Graham said Wednesday that he wished Bolding well.

"I hope he lands on his feet," Graham said. "I hate it for him."

North Little Rock school board members contacted over the past several days said they couldn't say much about Bolding's employment status.

Last week, school board president Scott Miller said the board has been intentionally left out of the details of Bolding's employment status on the advice of the district's attorney.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss the personnel matter," Miller said. "Depending upon what the recommendation is that the administration makes, if it's appealed to the board, the board will have to sit as a jury in effect if Mr. Bolding decides to appeal whatever action is taken. I have very limited knowledge of it because I want to be impartial."

A message left on Miller's cell phone Wednesday wasn't returned by the close of business.

No administrators were willing to discuss Bolding's whereabouts Wednesday at the North Little Rock gym, where eight Charging Wildcats signed national letters of intent.

Gary Davis, the district's athletic director, and Principal Randy Rutherford referred all comments to the district office.

North Little Rock offensive coordinator Blake Pizan served as emcee for the signing-day event, introducing wide receiver K.J. Hill, running back D.J. Brown and other football players. Pizan also announced where each was signing to play college football -- a job normally reserved for the head coach on signing day.

Pizan said he had spoken recently with Bolding, whom Pizan called "my best friend," but said he was told not to comment.

"I've been instructed by that man and that man," Pizan said, pointing at Thompson and Davis, "that if I do that, I might not have a job. We are not allowed to say a word."

Hill, who signed with Ohio State after decommitting from Arkansas last month, said he talked with Bolding on Wednesday morning before his news conference.

"He [Bolding] said, 'I love you. I'm proud of you. Just do your thing when you go to Ohio State,'" Hill said.

Hill is considered one of the nation's top receivers in the 2015 signing class and was heavily recruited by major college programs. He was the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Arkansas Preps offensive player of the year as a junior and a member of the All-Arkansas Preps team this season.

Hill attended Bryant High School as a sophomore, but transferred to North Little Rock his junior year and played for the football and basketball teams the past two seasons.

Montez Peterson, Hill's stepfather, said he credited Bolding for Hill's success at North Little Rock.

"I just want to thank him for the things he did for my son, as far as helping him develop and everything and helping him get a D-I scholarship," Peterson said.

North Little Rock hired Bolding in 2007 to replace Bryan Hutson. Bolding was 16-8 in two seasons at Mayflower in 2004-2006. He was an assistant at Arkansas-Monticello (1994-1997), Greenwood (1997-2000) and Rogers (2001-2004) before starting his head coaching career.

Bolding graduated from Conway High School in 1988 and the University of Central Arkansas in 1992. His father Buzz was the longtime athletic director at Conway and his older brother Bobby is the head football coach at Pine Bluff.

Information for this article was contributed by Troy Schulte of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Sports on 02/05/2015