Detroit Renaissance hoops coach's firing was premeditated: 'Make it clean'

Mick McCabe | Special to the Detroit Free Press

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Vito Jordan never had a chance.

Jordan’s five-year tenure as Detroit Renaissance’s boys basketball coach was finished the moment Verynda Stroughter was named principal at Renaissance, records show.

In a series of emails between Stroughter, deputy superintendent Iranetta Wright and other Detroit Public Schools Community District administrators, Stroughter showed a determination to hire River Rouge coach Mark White as Renaissance’s basketball coach, even before her first meeting with Jordan, and she made a deliberate attempt to make the process look "clean."

To that end, in the cash-strapped Detroit school district, Stroughter and Wright created an administrative position at Renaissance for White that would have paid him over $72,000, in addition to his coaching salary.

To clear the path for White — who had a rumored sexual relationship with Stroughter — Jordan had to be removed from his coaching position, and Stroughter, who didn’t leave her job at Birmingham Seaholm until late August, wasted little time addressing that detail.

“It’s a straight conspiracy,” said Jordan, 33. “The principal and the assistant superintendent were in on this. It’s in black and white. There’s not any more speculation.”

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Neither Stroughter nor Wright responded to Free Press requests for interviews.

Like most school districts, coaches in the PSL are on 1-year contracts and serve at the discretion of the principal. But even knowing that, this case raises ethical issues about some administrators in Detroit Public Schools, particularly Stroughter and Wright.

In a sense, Jordan could be viewed simply as collateral damage because Stroughter, either of her own volition or under orders from the central office, was intent on hiring White as soon as possible.

In the first email obtained, dated Sept. 4 with the subject line "Mark White-Resume," Wright wrote to Stroughter:

“As discussed. Can you reach out to him today possibly and schedule a time for this week.”

Stroughter responded: “Will do!”

Jordan pointed out that discussions of getting rid of him must have begun before school began.

“If you look at the emails it says: ‘As discussed.’ They said it on Sept. 4,” Jordan said. “That was the first day of school. I had never even met this lady.”

Four days later, on Sept. 8, Wright asked for approval to create the position of Dean of Culture at Renaissance with funding coming from the "GF contingency." That evening, superintendent Nikolai Vitti approved the position.

“It’s a Dean of Discipline-type job,” Jordan said. “Renaissance wasn’t approved to have one because they don’t have discipline problems.

“All of it got approved in one day.”

Three days later, on Sept. 11, Stroughter learned that the position had been approved and wrote to Wright: “Great! You do quick work. He said it’s not posted. Does this information mean it will be? Also how do I proceed with the coaching position? I’m ready!”

That was the day she informed Jordan he was fired, but assured him he could interview for the job.

On Sept. 15, Stroughter submitted White’s resume and wrote: “Please extend him an offer letter.”

On Sept. 19, Alvin Ward, director of athletics for the district, sent a memo to all principals and athletic coordinators stating that all current PSL boys and girls basketball coaches must reapply for their jobs. (It wasn't immediately clear how many of those coaches actually reapplied).

Later that evening, chief operating officer Luis Solano sent White a conditional offer, stating that the job will pay him $72,500 and an additional $4,207 for coaching the boys basketball team for a total of $76,707.

Responding to that, Stroughter wrote to Wright:

“Thank goodness!

“Question . . . how do I proceed with the coaching position? Do I need to post and interview? I told the old coach I would be interviewing. The parents also have that expectation.

“Please advise.”

Stroughter followed up with another email to Wright later that evening: “ . . . I am feeling like I should interview Vido (sic) this week to make it clean. Thoughts?”

One minute later, Wright responded: “I would. The position is posted.”

Stroughter responded: “Even better! Thank you.”

Then, 18 minutes later, she sent a follow-up email:

“Just saw it. Renaissance isn’t listed but I see ALL girls and boys coaches must reapply. Good enough for me. I’m assuming I don’t have to wait until the post closes. I will give it some time and interview Monday. I would love to do it sooner so I can move on out of this storm. What do they say . . . ? Patience is a virtue? Yeah, I’m working on that (smiley face emoji).”

On Sept, 20, in a response to Stroughter’s question of how to handle the interview process, Wright wrote:

“I would interview on Friday and Monday and announce on Monday.”

Stroughter wrote back: “Sounds even better! Thank you.”

In other words, Stroughter was asking when should she interview candidates for a job that already had been filled.

Jordan had his interview on Sept. 24, five days after White accepted the job.

“They maneuvered this whole thing,” said Drew Paterson, Jordan’s attorney. “They made up their mind what they wanted to do and then they unveiled it after the fact. To make him go through interviews? Come on.”

The parents of the basketball players voiced their displeasure with Jordan’s firing; he had coached many of their kids for three years.

Unlike a lot of coaches in the state, he had the support of the vast majority his players’ parents, who believed he had their child’s best interest in mind.

In an email dated Sept. 20, Karen Wilson, mother of senior Carrington McCaskill, asked Stroughter to reconsider her decision to fire Jordan.

“I implore you to set aside your personal differences and agendas and do what is right for our children your students. To relieve him of his duties at this date would be of detriment to our children’s academic success on and off the court in terms of receiving full athletic scholarships in the pursuit of furthering their education beyond high school.”

That was sent the day after, unbeknownst to the parents, White had accepted the job.

There was a rush to get White through all of the formalities before his hiring became official.

On Sept. 21, Stroughter wrote to Wright: “Is it possible to get Mark White in today to be fingerprinted, drug tested and TB test done? I would like to get him in place as soon as possible.”

But on Sept. 25 at 5:09 a.m. White sent an email:

“Dear Mr. Solano,

After much prayer and consideration, I must decline your offer. I am grateful and honored to be considered for a position in the District of Detroit. I appreciate all your efforts and support throughout the process. I apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment. I wish you and the District the very best.

Sincerely,

“Mark White.”

Eventually, John White, who had been an assistant at Southfield Christian and had just accepted the Detroit Old Redford job, was named coach at Renaissance.

On Oct. 26, in response to Jordan filing a wrongful termination lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking more than $500,000 as well as a public outcry over the firing, the school district issued a statement explaining Stroughter’s procedure for firing Jordan and hiring White:

“As a new principal began her tenure this fall, she thoroughly reviewed all programs to ensure that the school was maximizing each and every opportunity for the success of our students. During her review of the boys varsity basketball program, she determined, in her discretion, to make a change in coaching staff to reach the next level of excellence. This also occurred for the girls varsity program. There was nothing improper, illegal, or unusual with this decision. School level principals have the discretion to make coaching changes. Coaches are not under a binding contract.”

Given the timeline of the emails and the fact that she did not leave Seaholm until just before school began, one has to wonder how thorough a review Stroughter conducted over such a short period of time before determining that Jordan was unfit to coach the team.

White did not respond to calls asking for an interview. But in September, the Free Press asked White if he had accepted the Renaissance job and then backed out.

“All of that is incorrect,” White said. “I can’t make any further comment.”

When asked if he knew Stroughter, White said: “I can’t make any further comments.”

Jordan argued in his lawsuit that Stroughter and White had a sexual relationship before she became principal, and that relationship played a role in his firing. Stroughter has denied the allegations, and the school district has said there "was nothing improper, illegal, or unusual" with the decision to fire Jordan.

“Let me ask you a question,” Jordan said. “You saw those emails. If somebody is vouching and pulling for somebody at all costs as she is in these emails and then say they don’t know them? And she’s running around saying I don’t know this person?”

Gershwin Drain, federal judge at the U.S. District Court in Detroit, denied a preliminary injunction on Oct. 9 that would have immediately returned Jordan to the Renaissance bench.

On Oct. 10, the school district released a statement detailing the reasons for Jordan’s dismissal. He allegedly sent an inappropriate text message to a student; was verbally abusive, bullying and intimidation; cursed at players in front of parents, staff and others and did not institute student sessions for players and was not focused on academics.

Jordan found the allegations laughable, and said the text message in question was a joke and the player took it as such.

“The complaint came from a disgruntled parent about a kid’s playing time,” he said. “That should never have been used for anything. I was never in any trouble. Cursing out kids? You might as well fire every coach in the MHSAA.”

Jordan says the allegations may hinder his pursuit of other coaching jobs. He believes he would have been given the Southfield A&T coaching job had the district not released the allegations, which he claims are baseless.

“For someone like me who was aspiring to be a college coach and maybe get to the professional level in my career trying to pursue basketball, it’s already done damage enough for me not to be able to get another high school job right now,” he said. “Imagine how it will come in to play with me trying to get to the next level.”

Practice for the season began Nov. 5 and games can begin Nov. 26. It is too late for Jordan to get another coaching job this season, but he is pursuing the lawsuit.

“I’m more so frustrated about how she tried to throw me under the bus and tarnish my name to make it seem like I actually did something,” he said. “I hope all of this is exposed. Imagine who this happened to before?

“They’re banking on me just walking away. What if I never would have said anything? This all would have blown over. None of this would have come to light.”

Mick McCabe is a former longtime columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at mick.mccabe11@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1