Mills pleads no contest to a lesser charge of disturbing the peace. A decision on his future as a Pasadena High School teacher and football coach comes next
Now that Pasadena High School football coach Kevin Mills has plead no contest to a lesser charge of disturbing the peace, should he be reinstated as a teacher and varsity football coach. He faces a year of probation at an Aug. 22 hearing.
Star-News story and reaction from Monday's events ...
PASADENA - Pasadena High School football coach Kevin Mills pleaded no contest Monday to disturbing the peace for allowing two teens to fight on school grounds in December.
Mills, who has long coached the Pasadena Bulldogs and who also teaches mathematics, faces a year of probation at an Aug. 22 sentencing hearing for allowing his nephew, Michael Harrison, 16, to fight with John Muir High student Johnny McCann. Harrison is on the school's football team.
Mills was originally charged with one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. But he agreed to a reduced charge of disturbing the peace, also a misdemeanor, as part of a plea bargain, said Pasadena's Chief Prosecutor Connie Orozco Monday.
"This is sort of a hand slap, an acknowledgment that he shouldn't have allowed these kids to fight," she said. "We didn't necessarily want to end a career over this."
In a statement to the press, Mills' attorney Pamela Dansby-Decatur called Mills "a dedicated coach and teacher" for more than a decade who "operates with all kids' best interest in mind."
Orozco said the city is pleased with the settlement.
"Adults and faculty should not be facilitating that kind of activity," she said. "We didn't want this particular set of facts to keep him from teaching, but that's not our decision to make."
Mills has been on paid administrative leave from PHS following the Dec. 20 incident and has been working daily at the district offices, said PUSD Assistant Superintendent George McKenna. Charges were filed against Mills on Dec. 22.
Substitute teachers have handled Mills' math classes, which is standard procedure, McKenna has said.
As of Monday afternoon, no decisions had been made as to Mills' future in the district, though McKenna said Mills could be reinstated at the school since the crime to which he pleaded no contest was a misdemeanor.
He said it would be up to Pasadena High School Principal Derick Evans whether Mills would continue coaching football in the fall.
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
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It is never too late to change anything. Everything in the past is a sunk cost and should not be considered. Only future benefits and costs should be considered.
I'll take over the Pasadena Football Program.
Jim M.
Isn't it kinda too late in the game to pick out a new head coach? Spring practice is already here!
My prediction: they will allow Mills to stay one more year despite how many fits/tantrums parents will throw. He'll have one heck of a hard year, but he will pull through. If he's lucky enough, maybe he'll end up bringing the bell home and then people will stop criticizing him so much.
Thanks for the wannabe clone comments...I'm guessing Jim Rome never reads your emails.
I believe coach Mills is a stand up guy who always makes the best decisions and is someone I want my son to learn from.
Sincerely,
Mike Tyson
Time to start anew at Pasadena HS.
Anonymous,
That is good of you to come forward. I'm sure Coach Mills could use some support in his corner like that.
The problem with you calling this an isolated incident, though, is that it follows these events: 1) his team was involved in a team brawl during the season 2) One of his sideline guests was involved fighting a player on the field after the Turkey Tussle.
Perhaps it was just an isolated three months.
So, you should gather other supporters to demonstrate to the public (because it is a public school situation) all the good things that Mills brings to the table. Because even if Mills is invited back, if he does not have a lot of community support, then his program will not be successful anyway.
I've known Mr. Mills sense the 6th grade. I believe this is an isolated incident and yes he should have used better judgment. However, I'm sure Mr. Mills will rebound from this incident and turn it into a positive...
The Liberal, Democrats of the Union would of course come up with every dumb excuse and procedure available to save one of their own. However- this decision is a no brainer. Fire Mills and put him at the curb.
Not so easy...what does the Teachers Union have to say about this?
The easiest decision the PUSD could face.
Adios Mills!
Mills will never never change - his ego won't let him.
This happens to alot of coaches.
It's all about him.
Anon 8:26 - unless you coach at LC
A coach like Wooden wouldn't survive today - it is either win now or out. Unfortunately
There needs to be better control over the coaching programs at most schools but in the spirit of cooperation between parents,administrators and coaches themselves. All to often winning becomes the primary focus instead of character development.
Sports is an avenue to test one's mental, social and physical abilities. As a coach my mantra is you either "win" or "learn". Some of the most successful people learned early. John Wooden's early teams did not always win, but they did "learn" valuable lessons and ultimately these lessons for coach and players led to the most successful streak in college sports. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was ashmatic and lost her first 20 races, but became the greatest female athlete of our time.
Coaches, teach our young kids the value of sportsmaship, competition and perseverance. Parents be realistic - your kid may not be the next MJ, Payton Manning,Mia Hamm, Nolan Ryan, Reggie Bush etc. Teach them humility. Athletes - respect your peers. I always wanted to perform against the "best" when I was at my best. Face-to-face, that's competition. I won some and learned some. But berating a fellow athlete (gutless blogs) was not part of a true competitor. This is was a lesson taught by our coaches. You compete on the field.
As for Mills, I am sure this is a lesson "learned" and one day this lesson may inspire him to coach athlete/students/gentlemen to achieve much more than they thought imaginable. We never lose just "win" and "learn".
Whether Coach Mills stays in place as head coach or not, I hope the parents of the PHS football as well as the administrators are fully involved. Mills may or may not be a great coach. Regardless, the people need to be involved. Get involved!
This guy needs to find a new career. People of his character have no business working with kids at any level.
Hell no he shouldn't be allowed to coach. A coach is someone who not only keeps them in line, its somebody who leads by example. Someone who advocates that his kids fight is the last person edgy, high school kids need as an authority figure.
He should be allowed to continue his career as a math teacher, but the PRIVILAGE of being the school's head football coach should be revoked.
We expect that kids should be suspended or kicked off the team for commiting crimes that results in misdemeanors, so why should we treat the man who is supposed to be the example-setter, any different? I'm not saying he should never coach again, but he shouldn't be able to pick up where he left off.