Lorri Johnson, veteran volleyball and tennis coach at Soddy-Daisy High School, has resigned rather than fight allegations of wrongdoing triggered against her by "several parents" with daughters on the volleyball team.
“I officially resigned about 10 minutes ago,” Johnson said in a telephone interview. “It was either resign or go through some big investigation and, frankly, I didn’t want to do that. If (the board of education) don’t want me, I don’t want them.
“They said I broke a ‘board policy’ and it had to do with the (volleyball) booster club.
There were some mad mothers and it’s like I’m guilty until proved innocent.”
Johnson, who has been at Soddy-Daisy nine years and had one stint coaching at Carson-Newman from 1991-95, said she was told by Dr. Ava Warren, director of human resources with the Hamilton County Schools, she could “either resign or fight” the allegations.
“(Warren) said I could hire a lawyer and fight it, but I would be suspended without pay during the investigation. If I didn’t win I could even lose my teaching license and I didn’t go through that. Rick Smith, Hamilton County superintendent, knew about all this and was waiting on my letter of resignation. If he didn’t get that he would have to write a letter of suspension.”
Johnson explained the allegations as best she could.
“There was some poor record-keeping over the past couple of years several years by the booster club and the bottom line is when it comes to reimbursement for coaches’ expenses and that sort of thing, you can’t do that per board policy,” she said. “My daughter, Andrea, is my volunteer coach. She will put in 300-400 hours working with the girls and also handles digital entries on our statistics. Volunteer coaches have to pay for coaching classes, background checks, gas to and from games, among other things.
“A word to wise for everybody, you’re apparently not allowed to reimburse volunteer coaches for any of those expenses. We had those expenses entered in our booster club budget, and we have done that in previous years. I’m sure it will be reported to the TSSAA that I’m dismissed because of the apparent violations, but I’m hopeful that the school and program won’t be punished.”
Johnson has been teaching and coaching for 33 years and only at Soddy-Daisy did she have a booster club.
“All the other times we ran everything through the main office,” she said. “Maybe we should have done that here. It was my error in judgment. I asked (Warren) if this was an unpardonable sin and she said yes. I asked if there was a reprimand, but she wanted my resignation immediately. She wanted my keys and me out of there.”
“I turned in my grades, the ones I had finished, and left.”
Chattanoogan.com left a message on Warren’s office phone, but she did not immediately return the call.
Earlier when contacted, Soddy-Daisy athletic director Steve Henry was asked if Johnson had been fired.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Let me check on that.”
Henry called back and said principal Danny Gilbert told him Johnson had resigned for “personal reasons.”
Johnson has been at Soddy-Daisy since 2006 and compiled a 317-145 records and annually played some of the best teams in Tennessee. She directed the Lady Trojans to two state tournaments and reached the sectionals three times.
Johnson averaged just over 35 wins per season with the Lady Trojans and this past season defeated three teams that went on to capture state championships.
“I’ve got nine girls currently playing or have played college volleyball,” Johnson said. “Four of our five seniors from this year’s team are going to play college ball.”
Asked what her future plans might involve, Johnson said, “Well, I’m not sure. I’ll find a job somewhere. Maybe it’s time to go back and coach in college.”
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)