Saratoga Springs school officials are standing by two nationally successful running coaches after an outside report concluded that the district failed to adequately respond to complaints over nearly four decades.
While the report covers misconduct allegations brought against five Blue Streaks teams, the bulk of its 40 pages revolve around complaints spanning 35 years that surround Art and Linda Kranick, the school’s married running coaches.
The report cites instances of the Kranicks influencing runners’ diets, weekend schedules, vitamin intake, and even shoe inserts.
Complaints about the Kranicks holding mandatory training runs seven days a week were brought up throughout the time period covered in the report.
The Kranicks are still coaching after retiring from teaching in the district.
Superintendent Michael Patton told reporters Thursday that the district will conduct a thorough review of its athletic program with the help of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.
“So, a survey of our student athletes. As well as surveys of our parents of student athletes, as well as the coaches. Again, we have over 130 coaches in our program. After those surveys we’re going to do some focus groups. So, we want to sit and meet with each of those stakeholder groups. Again, ultimately is to analyze our program’s strengths, what are things that we do well, what are some of our weaknesses, and ultimately identifying what’re some areas of improvement for the future that we can move forward with,” said Patton.
Patton emphasized that there are no plans to have the Kranicks step down, saying the report found no unlawful actions had been taken.
“As a superintendent, if I had any reason to believe at any time that any of our student athletes were in immediate danger, or their health or safety was at any concern of a current athletic coach in the district, that coach would have already been removed. What I can say is, as superintendent working with our new athletic director, we are closely monitoring all the programs, and really it’s encouraging, that close communication with our student athletes, their parents as well as our coaches. And again, we will be responsive to any concern that is brought forward,” said Patton.
The report was completed by the Harris Beach law firm after the Board of Education received renewed misconduct claims from attorney Martin Greenberg on behalf of the group Safe Athletics For Everyone last fall.
In a statement on behalf of the group, Greenberg said that the culture of lack of enforcement has run rampant and resulted in potentially “one of the worst cases of alleged abuse we will ever come across.”
Former city Public Safety Commissioner filed complaints about the Kranicks three decades ago.
“And when I talked to the school district about those kinds of reports, I thought they were being taken seriously but I found out the year after that everything that I had been told would change hadn’t. And, in fact, instead the Kranicks made the excuse that I was somehow at fault for making false allegations and I was doing so irresponsibly and assured the parents that they should continue with the program. So, this has been a cycle that continues over and over again,” said Mathiesen.
Repeatedly, district officials requested the Kranicks submit annual coaching outlines to the athletic director. The attorneys found no evidence that the Kranicks ever made or submitted any such coaching plans to the district in accordance with the recommendations.
Speaking at a Board of Education meeting later Thursday, President Todd Krackeler said that board members could not make any official statements about the report.
“The discussions about our athletic program are far from over. There’s a review of our current program as Dr. Patton mentioned, which we commissioned being conducted now by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Council, the results of which I know we are all eager to assimilate in our overall board thinking about and high-level oversight of Saratoga Athletics,” said Krackeler.
Several residents spoke at the meeting, all in favor of the Kranicks – reflecting the positive outpouring of support Patton’s statement outlined. Linda Kranick was in attendance.
Carl Strock’s daughter ran for the Kranicks in the 1980s.
“I sympathize with those who think the regimen was extreme, I thought it was too. You don’t get to be national champions by taking it easy, by taking a lot of days off. You get to be national champions by pushing yourself and by others pushing you. And for her it has been a life-changing experience, which she asked me to say tonight,” said Strock.
Emily Bush beat the previous Section II 3,000-meter race record and was recognized as a state champion at the meeting.
“If you don’t know I’ve been running varsity since I was in 7th grade, I’ve been running competitively since I was about seven years old. I’ve been in the running field for a long time, and as much as I love this sport I can tell you all confidently that I would not be doing it if I felt like I was in an abusive environment,” said Bush.
Patton said the district has not had any communication with USA Track and Field, the Attorney General’s office, or the Department of Education, all of which are investigating S.A.F.E.’s complaint.
Notably, the report covered how the district responded to complaints and did not weigh in on the merits of specific coaching methods.
Linda Kranick did not respond to a request for comment early Friday.
