Huron swimmers, parents speak out against coach, facility

HURON – Students and parents of the Huron Tigers swim team spoke out against their coach and the pool facility at last Monday’s Huron Board of Education meeting.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, seven student-athletes or parents shared their concerns about the swim program.

All cited concerns about the air quality of the pool room at Danbury High School, where Huron swimmers are bused, due to Huron not having its own pool.

Swimmers told the Board they regularly have aches or feel sick after being in the pool room.

One parent said their daughter was treated by an ambulance during practice after she had rapid breathing and heartbeat issues. That parent said his daughter has been swimming competitively since fourth grade without issues expect for when she is at the Danbury facility.

Another parent, who has a degree in chemical engineering, told the Board about an air quality incident at an indoor waterpark near Cincinnati. According to the parent, in that incident, 79 complaints were received to the local health department regarding eye and respiratory irritation after being at the waterpark. Tests, however, showed normal water chemistry and air chlorine concentration. The issue would eventually be solved after the ventilation system was modified to be closer to the pool deck.

Swimmers and parents also raised concerns about Coach Randy Lehrer.

Several swimmers said that after concerns about air quality were raised, they began to practice with a club team to avoid swimming at the Danbury facility. Lehrer, in response, sent a letter that ordered them to practice with the team at Danbury.

One senior swimmer, who was practicing with his club team, said that, during a regular practice at Danbury, Lehrer took down his and another senior swimmer’s banner in front of the team. He claimed this led to false rumors being spread about him no longer being part of the swim team.

A father was also brought to tears when talking about a discussion he had with a mother of a former swimmer. He claimed the mother said Lehrer bullied her son.. He told the Board, “I admire this young man. He told his mother he could take it, at least he was picking on him. He wasn’t picking on somebody else.”

Superintendent Dr. James Tatman that the District was looking into the claims.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The original version of this article stated that a swimmer was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The swimmer’s parent reached out to Huron Insider to state that she was only treated by ambulance. At the meeting, the swimmer’s other parent stated that he was asked which hospital he would prefer his daughter to be transported to during the incident.

This article was written by Nate Hinners. Contact Nate at nhinners@huroninsider.com.