The scene in the Hinsdale Central library Tuesday night was straight out of Hollywood, a moment from Hoosiers or Coach Carter.
Would the Hinsdale Township School Board remove Hinsdale South basketball coach Michael Belcaster from his job? Or bend to the will of the 17 players, parents and community members who spoke on Belcaster’s behalf, pleading with the board to let him stay on?
After deliberating in a closed session for an hour, the board announced Belcaster would be allowed to stay in his job until the end of the season. The players celebrated wildly and the crowd cheered. One woman asked the board if they would apologize to Belcaster, elicting an “excuse me?” from school board president Catherine Greenspon.
“I’m just grateful to have him back and basketball being the main focus again,” Hinsdale South junior Jack Weigus said. “I hope we made the difference and that hearing from us made them understand that [Belcaster] has the players and the community supporting him.”
Belcaster wasn’t at practice Monday, apparently suspended by the school board. It’s unknown why the board decided to debate Belcaster’s future at this time.
Controversy swirled around the basketball program two months ago when Erin Savage, the mother of basketball player Brendan Savage, sued the school district and several employees after her son was cut from the team after tryouts.
The lawsuit was filed Nov. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. It alleged that Belcaster cut Savage after tryouts in retaliation for the family having filed a complaint with the school district, alleging verbal abuse and bullying by previous coach Michael Moretti.
Belcaster was the sophomore coach under Moretti last season.
“I’ve never filed a lawsuit before,” Erin Savage told the Sun-Times in November. “Our six kids have been involved in approximately 31 varsity sports at the high school. I’ve never complained about a coach. But we’ve also never encountered [someone] who thinks he can do whatever he wants. That was [Moretti].”
Several days after the lawsuit was filed, the school board held a special meeting and put Savage on the varsity basketball team. The school district has never released a statement on the matter. A school district spokesperson said the district doesn’t comment on legal matters.
The lawsuit is still pending. According to sources, the district is hoping to settle with the Savages.
Brendan Savage recently worked his way back into the team’s starting lineup. The Hornets are 10-13 this season. Erin Savage says as far as she knows, the board’s actions this week have nothing to do with her lawsuit.
None of the parents, assistant coaches or players gathered in the Hinsdale Central library on Tuesday for the special school board meeting knew anything, either.
“Nothing else has transpired since the [Savage controversy],” Hinsdale South parent Michael Ockrim said. “We don’t know what [Belcaster’s possible dismissal] is based on.”
Hinsdale South was supposed to play Providence on Tuesday. The players were willing to forfeit the game to stand up for their coach, but Celtics coach Tim Trendel said Hinsdale South reached out to him and that the game would be rescheduled.
Belcaster’s wife and dad thanked everyone after the audience comment period and then the school board went into closed session to discuss and vote.
Belcaster, who was not at the meeting, declined to comment.
