Students are first

In the wake of Monday’s arrest of High School Band Director Robert Richards, the Columbia School District said they will do everything they can to help the students get through the crisis.
“In Columbia the students always come first and we will do whatever is necessary so that the students needs and best interests are met,” Superintendent Dr. Barry Clippinger said in a statement released Monday night.
By all accounts, Richards, who came to Columbia in August 2005, was extremely popular with the students and had improved the band program by leaps and bounds.
He added a pep band that entertained fans at basketball games last season, which was well received and this year, the CHS marching unit competed in a number of competitions for the first time in years under Richards’ guidance.
The CHS concert band was busy preparing for its spring concert, which is set for Tuesday, April 29. He was also scheduled to be graduation director.
Clippinger said others will have to step up.
“The faculty and staff will work together to make sure that all of the programs at the High School will continue for the 2007-2008 school year,” Clippinger said.
Richards was immediately placed on administrative leave on Monday by the school district, pending a review by the school board.
Richards placed Brian Beears as Columbia’s band director in 2005. Beears had resigned just before the start band camp after five years as band director.
At the time of his hiring at his first band camp, Richards told the Columbia Ledger, he wanted the students to have pride and wanted to see the band grow.
“I have a passion for teaching and it has been real easy for me to come in here and work with these kids,” Richards said.
Richards graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Music Education, studying trumpet with James Kluesner. He began his teaching career at Varina High School in Richmond, VA, where he served as the Director of Bands.
In his three years at Varina, he rebuilt the band program, which grew from 40 students in his first year, to more than 80 students when he left. In his final year, the marching band received an Excellent rating at the State Marching Festival and the concert band received a Superior rating at the District Concert Festival. In addition, the jazz band, in their first year of existence, received an Excellent rating at the James Madison University Tri-State Jazz Festival.
After leaving Varina, Richards moved to Pennsylvania and spent three years at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals as a project coordinator and project manager. During that time, he also wrote and arranged marching band shows for several schools in Virginia and Pennsylvania.