Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Longtime, highly-respected Florien High School Coach Dewain Strother and his son Chad find themselves in turmoil that has hurt their family, their image and their reputations.
It all started at a basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Zwolle. Florien was playing Zwolle and the game was almost over. Just prior to the final buzzer, one of the referees blew the whistle and called a foul against Zwolle. After a conference between the two referees, it was determined that the game was over.
According to Chad, who was sitting in the stands, the head referee ran from the court into the gym’s lobby, and Coach Strother followed him out to try to get an explanation of what was going on.
Chad said he saw through a window between the gym and lobby that his father was thrown with his head hitting the wall. “There were police officers on him,” Chad explained. “I was confronted by Chief Ray Williams of Pleasant Hill as I started to check on my dad. He let me get to my dad, and my dad was almost passed out. I think his blood pressure was up. He was struck in the knee.”
According to a person who was present, there was a crowd who went into the lobby. It is said there was an unidentified man present who fought with the police. The witness termed it a “brawl.”
Chad continued, “I got my dad into the gym and he was examined by a nurse who was present. My sister and I walked him to the locker room. I then went back on the floor to get the name of the officer who would not turn him loose. The police told me to leave.”
Chad said his father had to be taken to the Emergency Room the next day. “We left and he had another bad spell and we took him back to the Emergency Room” Chad continued. “He was admitted to the hospital and had to stay overnight.”
Continuing his story, Chad said that six days later on Friday, Dec. 23, he and his father were arrested. Coach Strother, 69, was arrested for harassment of a school or recreational athletic contest official on a warrant from the Zwolle Police Department. Chad, 46, was arrested for threatening a public official and resisting an officer, also on a warrant from the Zwolle Police. They are currently awaiting trial on the charges.
Coach Strother was suspended from three basketball games, according to information. To make bad matters worse, Chad has been banned from attending any school activity in Sabine Parish for a year. You read correctly – for an entire year. Chad said it has been reported to him that Florien Principal Eddie Jones filed the order to prevent him from attending school functions and others say it was Schools Supt. Sara Ebarb. And to make matters even worse, Chad has a daughter, Kylee, who is a junior at Florien. Chad and his wife have always been very active in school and community activities.
In a heartfelt statement, wife Kristy Strother wrote on Facebook: “My husband is a great man. An honorable man. One that would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. One who has been supportive of our school and community in everything they have ever done. He is loyal and will do anything for his family and friends. He has done absolutely nothing to deserve being forbidden for 12 months from Florien High and anything that Florien High participates in. My heart is breaking that he is forbidden to come to Kaylee’s prom grand march, junior ring ceremony and half her basketball season her senior year for doing nothing more than defending his daddy. He did not threaten anyone and he did not touch a soul. So unfair and unjust. I am so disappointed in our school system. Please keep my family in your prayers. My husband and my Kylee especially. They are heartbroken.”
The response in support of the Strother family on Facebook has been overwhelming:
Amy Jones Dowden: “Someone has lost their ever loving mind. The Strother family has built such a dynamic reputation in Florien, on and off the court, and for any of them to be kept from FHS grounds is absolutely absurd.”
Monica Rhodes Chesson: “If this were me in a similar situation, I’d make a beeline to an attorney. And then blow it up in the media.”
Baloo Fitch: “What? How does someone like Chad get banned from Florien for sticking up for his Daddy? Chad and Coach Strother are great people and absolutely love Florien High. They both have dedicated their lives to the school and the community and this is how the school board repays them. I bet those cops aren’t banned from any school property.”
Tonia Bridges: “That seems very drastic. To be banned from activities that your child is in at their own school is absurd.”
Donna Dyson Horn: “Sabine Parish School Board, you suck. We were there and we witnessed it all. Chad did not do one thing wrong. And for the School Board to ban him is pure stupid. Don’t you all have enough on your plate?”
In an interview with Observations, Coach Strother confirmed the report that Chad had given. It should be noted that Coach Strother has been involved in just shy of 1,500 basketball games and Chad has been going to them since he was eight.
In our interview with Chad, he could not answer some questions on the advice of his attorney. “Will you file suit?” we asked him, to which he replied, “Hang around and see.” By the way, information he provided was confirmed by Attorney Mary K. Beaird of Leesville.
Observations talked to Zwolle Police Chief Daniel Thomas about the matter on Tuesday. We asked him for information on the Strother family incident and his response was, “No comment. I don’t want to be involved.”
It was also reported to Observations that Stacey Cameron of KSLA-TV, Channel 12 in Shreveport, was involved in a conflict with Zwolle Police last Friday. We contacted Jayne Ruben, KSLA News Director, on Monday for information. As we finished Observations Tuesday afternoon, she had not responded. It seems really strange to us that a journalist in the news business would not respond to a request for information from a fellow journalist.
At any rate, Chief Thomas said Cameron was “trying to make me talk. I said ‘Go on and leave me alone.’ I got pretty stern about it. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
Observations sent Sabine Parish Schools Supt. Sara Ebarb a request for information Monday, and she replied: “Those in attendance at a recent girls’ basketball game at Zwolle High School witnessed an incident that occurred at the end of that game involving Coach Strother, Chad Strother, and others. The incident was thoroughly investigated by school system officials, and appropriate action was taken in accordance with Board policy. Based on the confidentiality rights of the persons involved, no other information about this matter will be provided.”
This is some story and Observations will continue to follow it.
I am proud to report that I was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in ceremonies in Winnfield Saturday night. My long-time friend, former four-time legendary Gov. Edwin W. Edwards came up from his home near Baton Rouge to do the induction. And for this I shall ever be grateful to him. Shown with us is my wife Laurie. There was a large crowd present for the event at which four other persons were inducted. I was pleased to have 40 relatives present, including four daughters and four of six grandchildren and a host of friends.
Sabine Sheriff-Elect Aaron Mitchell and his Chief Deputy Brad Walker attended a training session last week in Baton Rouge for newly-elected Sheriffs and their Chief Deputies. The event was sponsored by the Louisiana Sheriffs Association (LSA). Sheriff Mitchell said, “This association is a great asset for Sheriffs across the state and the training is a great opportunity for us. I look forward to serving Sabine Parish starting July 1.”
Shown left to right are Retired Sheriff Gary Bennett, Assistant Executive Director of LSA; Julian Whittington, President LSA; Chief Deputy Walker; Sheriff Mitchell and Michael Ranatza, Executive Director LSA.
Eddie Jones, principal of Florien High School, is among 14 who applied for Superintendent of Natchitoches Parish Schools. The new Superintendent will have a large pair of shoes to fill, as Sabine native Dale Skinner will retire from the position in June.
In early February, the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations was contacted by Many Police for assistance with a complaint involving an illicit social media video containing the sexual battery of a juvenile at Many High School.
The State Police last week announced arrest warrants for seven juvenile students and one 18-year-old. The juveniles were arrested for a variety of charges including sexual battery, second degree kidnapping and pornography involving juveniles. The adult, Quacie Kerlegon, 18, was charged with sexual battery and second degree kidnapping.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
We send Happy Birthday wishes to our friend James Q. Salter up in Stuarts Draft, VA. He will be celebrating 95 on Tuesday, Feb. 25. He was in the education field for many years and has friends all over Sabine Parish. We hated to see him move to Virginia some years back. But, our loss is Virginia’s gain.
Former Anacoco Town Clerk Shaunda L. Pridgen, 48, has been charged with 49 counts of misdemeanor theft, three counts of felony theft; 22 counts of public payroll fraud, 58 counts of forgery and malfeasance in office. The charges were filed after a thorough investigation by the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Alexandria Field Office.
The State Police were contacted in January by Anacoco officials to investigate discrepancies discovered during an internal audit. They found that Pridgen misappropriated about $71,000 in town funds.
Sales tax collections in Sabine Parish in January were $1,569,327.92 more than in January of 2019, according to a report released by Sales Tax Collector Nolan Rivers. The report follows:
Last week a petition was posted on a web site called Change.org requesting the Zwolle Town Council to assist in moving New Creation Ministries headed by Mark Rivers out of the town. According to the web site, the petition was started by Samantha Koss. The petition reads: “We beg the town to have the facility relocated out of town and away from our homes, school and families due to lack of proper and necessary supervision.”
It continued, “We believe the participants of the ‘program’ are allowed to roam the streets without supervision.” Continuing, the petition says, “We see the program as a danger to ourselves, family and community. This program and the Town of Zwolle have allowed this behavior (criminal) to continue and increase in our town. It has gone on far too long and families in our community have suffered for it. Due to this we must request that the defendants in the program be moved outside of our community and away from our loved ones.”
Early Monday morning, 295 had signed the petition, according to the web page.
Mark Rivers, 45, who heads the church, was arrested on January 14 after being accused of spanking a stepchild so hard that it left bruises still visible seven days later. He was charged with cruelty to juveniles. In addition, Rivers was booked into jail again the next day on outstanding warrants issued by the Many Police Department for speeding, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and no insurance on a vehicle.
You can travel to the English countryside of the early 1900s and enjoy seeing how the upper class aristocrats of England lived without spending a nickel this Saturday at Movies in Many.
“Downton Abbey” is the free movie playing at the Many Community Center [Sabine Theater] on Saturday, Feb. 22. The movie starts at 7 p.m.
Last fall, the worldwide television phenomenon, “Downton Abbey,” became a grand motion picture event, as the beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepared for the most important moment of their lives. A royal visit from the King and Queen of England unleashed scandal, romance and intrigue that left the future of Downton Abbey hanging in the balance.
The movie hits all the right notes as the end of an era and a final goodbye. It’s extravagant, rich and exactly what you’d expect on a trip to Downton Abbey. The movie is light and fun to watch.
This film is not only about the British upper class during the time period a hundred years ago when there was still a British Empire, but it is about British royalty as well.
The central story is about a visit by the King and Queen of England to the Downton Abbey estate. The visit causes an uproar, not only in the household, but in the nearby village as well. A parade is planned, a ball, and a military cavalry performance. The servants, cooks and staff at the vast Downton Abbey estate embark a flurry of activity to spiff up the place so that everything sparkles and shines for the royal visit.
There is a major clash between the Downton Abbey staff and the king’s own staff. The king’s chef and chief of staff show no respect at all for the Downton Abbey cook and the head butler of the Downton Abbey estate. All sorts of employee problems emerge.
When Lady Mary Talbot who oversees the estate, asks the Earl if he intends to fire Barrow for his insolence, the Earl replies, “No. As a matter of fact, I was quite interested. I never thought of him as a man of principle before.” Fed up by the rudeness of the king’s staff, the Downton staff stages a coup of sorts and takes over the preparations for a dinner, attended by the king and queen.
Meanwhile, several other subplots are afoot as a stranger arrives in town who intends to assassinate the king, and trouble is brewing between Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by Maggie Smith) and Lady Bagshaw. Violet objects to Maud Bagshaw’s plans for the disposal of her estate, with the inheritance bypassing Violet’s own relative in favor of a commoner. There is also a fit of jealousy by a staffer, and an unexpected visit to an underground gay nightclub in town, among other things.
This is basically a high-toned soap opera, but it is not overly serious. It is largely a comedy of manners. There is plenty of humor and high spirits in this story and the acting is excellent. The production values in the film are first-rate.
The countryside setting is magnificent, the home is spectacular, and the costumes worn by the characters are sublime. In fact the costumes were so outstanding that they are now being displayed at the grand Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. They will move to several museums throughout the country during 2020.
“Downton Abbey” is free to everyone who attends. Its rating is PG, so it’s enjoyable for the entire family.
Movies in Many is sponsored by Many Mayor Ken Freeman, the Many City Council and the Many Cultural District Advisory Committee. The movies are free, and concessions are only $1 each. Donations are always welcome and appreciated so that Movies in Many can continue to be free for everyone.
A special thanks to Mary Brocato for the article above.
That’s a wrap for this third week of February. Thank you for your faithful readership. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions for future articles. Send an email to robertrgentry@gmail.com or call me at (318) 332-8653. To see older, archived Observations, visit our Facebook page, where they are listed by date under Photo Albums. To see newer ones, follow the pages below. To save, send or print this week’s column, click on the appropriate icon below.
