KCPS superintendent and Van Horn coach have heated encounter after Lincoln Prep game
The wife of Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell says Van Horn High School’s head basketball coach, in an exchange with her husband after a game, made disparaging comments, got aggressive and frightened their daughter, who is in third grade.
Robyn Bedell says she is waiting for a response from the Independence School District, where Van Horn is located.
Neither district disputes that an encounter between the coach and Bedell took place. What is in dispute is how it began.
The accusations have played out on Twitter, where Bedell’s wife tweeted at 10:30 p.m. Friday that Van Horn coach Max Sollars blamed referees for his team’s loss in the District 15 championship game that night to Lincoln College Preparatory Academy.
She wrote that Sollars then called Bedell “a B*, approaches him in an aggressive manner all in front of my 8 year old who says she is nervous and can’t sleep. Trash!” She then asks in the tweet how the Van Horn Falcons will respond.
Bedell, who often attends district high school basketball games, was at this particular one, held at Southeast High School, because his son is a member of Lincoln’s team.
In a lengthy statement emailed to The Star on Monday, Independence District officials said the exchange between Bedell and the coach was started by Bedell and that the coach did not know he was talking to Kansas City’s superintendent.
“We have gathered statements from those who witnessed the exchange,” said Jana Corrie, spokeswoman for the Independence district. “We are following our policy and process in this investigation and appropriate action will be taken.”
Corrie declined to say what that action might be. She did say that Independence “does not condone the words or actions from the exchange. We expect more from our staff members ...”
Sollars started as an assistant coach at Van Horn during the 2016-2017 basketball season and then became head coach the following year.
Corrie’s email also said, “It was the belief of our coaching staff and players that Dr. Bedell was taunting them about the loss and baiting them into a response. “
While the statement makes it clear that the Independence district does not excuse Sollars’ involvement in the exchange, it says the coach and his team “let their emotions get the best of them after a heartbreaking defeat.”
She said “the facts here are that the Kansas City superintendent acted inappropriately. As did our coach. This is about educators who did not conduct themselves as the leaders that they are.”
Kelly Wachel, spokeswoman for the Kansas City Public Schools, said KCPS “categorically denies” that Bedell baited players or Sollars, who district officials said approached Bedell, made the comments and then walked off. They say that Sollars was the instigator.
“We are investigating and visiting with several people who were present — this includes a security guard, students and law enforcement,” Wachel wrote in an email to The Star.
She said her district has been in communication with Independence and expects to meet this week “to see how we can move through this conversation. It is important that we honor perspective here.”
Robyn Bedell’s tweet was retweeted by former Lee’s Summit Superintendent Dennis Carpenter, who asked the city of Independence, “Is this what your city is all about?” He then asked Independence Schools Superintendent Dale Herl to “step up.” Carpenter said in his tweet, “This is a bad look.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 7:55 PM.
