Tenorio: Chernovetz case could yield benefits

It looks like Marblehead High football coach Doug Chernovetz will keep his job. This may yield a better result for the Marblehead community than if he was let go.Chernovetz’ recent troubles began two weeks ago, when the school administration announced that in December, it had suspended him for two games of the upcoming 2008 season for chewing tobacco during last year’s 4-7 campaign. They got worse when a letter bearing the Marblehead school superintendent’s signature was made public, a letter noting that the coach had used racially-insensitive language in addressing players and had faced subsequent disciplinary measures. As a result of this latter development, Marblehead school committee member Jonathan Lederman wants the coach terminated. Chernovetz has been offered an extension for the 2008-09 season, and the coach has indicated that he will sign it.Initially, this seems like outrageous behavior from the high school administration. As a member of two ethnic groups that have historically suffered persecution (Jews and Mexican-Americans), I am aware of the sting that racially-insensitive words can carry. Whether on a high school football team or throughout an entire nation, communities work best when their members respect each other. The high school’s decision to offer Chernovetz an extension comes off as a vindication of the coach and not those whom he may have insulted (in fairness to the coach, we do not know the specific remarks he made that were described as racially-insensitive).If Chernovetz does return to coach this fall, however, the high school administration can use this difficult past week as a teaching method as valuable as anything its educators discuss in the classroom.Chernovetz’ team has heard more charges against its coach than King George III received from the American colonists. The school administration can help resolve these charges peacefully and privately through an in-house mediation session.Using an objective mediator, the school could encourage Chernovetz and his players to sit down and discuss any grievances, from hearing hurtful language to witnessing improper use of chewing tobacco. This would give students a chance to vent and Chernovetz a chance to explain as best he can.When a member of a community breaks its moral code, the easiest way to deal with it is to expel the offender. Firing Chernovetz would represent a simple solution for Marblehead High. In doing so, however, the school would essentially tell its students that the best way to deal with damaging behavior is to distance yourself from the person who commits it – as opposed to holding a constructive dialogue between offender and those offended that promotes growth on all sides.One of high schools’ missions is to teach young minds how to interrelate with others. Whether they want to or not, today’s students will face insensitivity throughout their lives. They can’t cower from it; they must confront it. As for Chernovetz, he needs to know why his language was wrong, and why his tobacco chewing was wrong. The only way he can fully realize this is if he talks about it with the players who witnessed his misbehavior. Through a mediation session, Marblehead can find redemption for both Chernovetz and his players.Richard Tenorio is an Item sports copy editor.