Hawkins Says He ‘will Not Back Down’ on Mccort Position

By Dave Sutor
The Tribune-Democrat
February 23, 2015

http://www.tribdem.com/news/latest_news/bishop-mccort-silent-on-rescinding-of-football-coaching-offer-to/article_999ef29a-bba7-11e4-961a-338625b2762f.html

Thomas Slusser

Many questions remain as to why Bishop McCort Catholic High School hired Artrell Hawkins Jr. as its new football head coach on Wednesday and then rescinded the offer a few days later.

On Sunday, the school’s principal, Thomas Fleming, issued a statement in which he said, “Upon review and consultation of school protocol, Bishop McCort has unfortunately had to rescind its selection of Mr. Artrell Hawkins Jr. to serve as Bishop McCort’s new head football coach.”

Fleming further said in the statement that protocols were in place for hirings and, “Unfortunately, this process was not appropriately

followed in this circumstance.”

Neither Fleming nor Mark Pasquerilla, chairman of the school’s board of trustees, responded Monday to messages left, requesting inter-views.

Hawkins, a 1994 Bishop McCort graduate and former National Football League player, did not respond to multiple phone messages Monday.

But Hawkins did post a message on Facebook: “Make no mistake about it, I will not back down easily or disappear quietly into the night!

“This $5K dollar a year 'job' is not about me, it's about change!"

Being a private school, Bishop McCort does not need to be as open with its decisions as a public school might, according to Paula Knudsen, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s director of government affairs/legislative counsel.

Contact: dsutor@tribdem.com