This one hurts all of us

I’ve been accused over the years of bleeding crimson and gold. And it really doesn’t bother me.
I hate it as much as anyone else in our town when our town gets beat up for something it doesn’t deserve.
I feel sometimes, even with some in our town, I’m always defending Columbia.
As Monday’s story started to develop concerning the arrest of Robert Richards, the band director at Columbia High School, my thoughts went back and forth as it always does when I write a story to making sure I got all the facts and comments from the school.
But at the same time, I also had my proud Columbia Alumni hat on, feeling the hurt for the school, its staff, all the students at the school and those in the band program.
The news was not good not only for our town and our school and will definitely cast an unwanted black eye.
While there are still a lot of questions that will go unanswered until all the facts are made public, you have to feel for the hard working staff and teachers at the school. I have friends who teach up on the hill and a couple of teachers still there from when I graduated 32 years ago.
The same goes for the students, those in the band who are preparing for their spring concert in three weeks. Despite what happened Monday, I hope they continue with the band. I hope this doesn’t sour them about learning to play an instrument.
I didn’t know Richards away from the classroom. What I saw with not only the marching band, but the pep band and even concert band, were musical groups that were well prepared. The marching band had gotten better and looked as though it was growing under Richards’ direction. And I, like many in the community, enjoyed the return of the pep band for basketball games.
I’m sure, knowing our town, there is a big split among parents. Those who knew things weren’t right with the band program, and those who will support the band director through thick and thin.
I know that this was one of the toughest events I’ve had to cover in a while just because of knowing and hearing comments pro and con about the situation.
I know there will be a group in our town that will find fault in what happened, how it is being covered, etc. I’m sure, I’ll get some phone calls and letters on what happened. I’ll talk to anyone, young and old, who wants to talk about the situation. We’ll publish letters as long as they are attacking or liable toward anyone person or group.
I know there are people in our town saying that this incident didn’t happen. We have to deal with this situation as a community, not as a group of individuals. If we do that, Columbia will come out stronger because of it.
I have faith in those who run the Columbia School District and the high school that they will do the right thing and put the students first.
Yes, believe me, there are a lot of questions that I have, as do others. It might not come out right away why it happened, but it will come out.
It’s a huge blow to our school and there will probably be a review of the hiring practices, etc. Our job is to report the facts and let the justice system play out as it will.
This is one of those times that I wish officials wouldn’t hide behind the old “personnel issue” policy and open up to the community telling us what exactly happened from their stand point, what the future of the band program is and what it has learned from this situation that it won’t happen again.
We all hope the school district moves forward and rids themselves of those people if they are found guilty by our court of law.
Teachers, coaches and public officials are held in a higher standard as well they should be.