Mr. Macmillan, the Speech and Debate coach, was removed on September 23 as the coach for DVHS Speech and Debate following an incident that happened over the summer.

Mr. Macmillan has stated that the incident is confidential and he is not allowed to comment. However, he has stated that there was an investigation into what happened and the result of the investigation is his removal. Macmillan was not given a reason for the dismissal due to the district’s policy.

The Speech and Debate members refuse to accept the dismissal and are trying to find ways to get Macmillan reinstated. Many people have already petitioned to have Macmillan back as their coach. Macmillan is aware of the movement lead by people in Speech and Debate to reinstate him as the coach and appreciates all the support, but is not going to be involved with the movement. “It’s nice to be supported and cared about so much,” Macmillan states, “but it’s hard when you can’t advocate for yourself.”

Macmillan foresees that he will not be reinstated as Speech and Debate coach in the future. “The district doesn’t have a good history of reinstating terminated coaches,” Macmillan explains. “Coaches are not guaranteed the job, so [the district] can hire or fire at will.”

Macmillan feels that the district has gotten the whole situation wrong, but cannot know if they have gotten it wrong since they have not given Macmillan a reason for his dismissal. “There’s not anything specifically that I can do because the district has made its decision and their decision is final. I don’t know if there is anything specifically that I can do,” Macmillan states.