Athletics Director reprimanded for trip to Hooters Washington Island superintendent recommended firing By Deb Fitzgerald For News-Chronicle The Washington Island School District administrator failed to convince School Board members to fire the school's athletics director for taking students to a Hooters restaurant - at least for now. Ann Rose was suspended from her position as athletics director Feb. 19 for taking five high school seniors to Hooters in Ashwaubenon for dinner after a Feb. 14 basketball game. All of the boys were 18 except for Rose's son, who turns 18 this month. "As far as I'm concerned, Hooters is a family restaurant," Rose said. "They have a children's menu. They support local schools. Granted, the waitresses are in T-shirts and shorts, but (the boys) can see less than that at any beach. Kids at school wear less than that." But Susan Churchill-Chastan, the district administrator, suspended Rose "immediately" upon learning of the situation. Churchill-Chastan wrote in her letter suspending Rose that poor judgment was exercised, and, "As a school employee, you should not have taken the boys there on a school-sponsored trip." Rose herself tipped off the school to the Hooters dinner when she mentioned it to one of the School Board members. The next thing she knew, she said, she was called in for a meeting with Churchill-Chastan that ended with the suspension letter. "I never dreamed it would offend anybody," Rose said. "If I thought it would, I wouldn't have taken them there." Churchill-Chastan's letter indicated she would recommend to the Board of Education that Rose be terminated. The administrator gave Rose the option of resigning or having the board discuss the event. "I decided not to resign because I feel I've done a good job," said Rose, who added the job pays about $500 per year. During its meeting Tuesday, the board voted 4-0 - one member was absent - to put a letter of reprimand in Rose's file but allow her to continue as athletics director until the end of the year. Asked if she will be replaced at that time, board member Tim Brown said, "It doesn't mean that she will." Asked if she will not be replaced, he said, "Those are year-to-year jobs. ... People are recommended each year to fill them." Brown said the school district does not have a policy addressing this issue specifically. For that reason, the board members asked Rose to help them develop a chaperone policy. Churchill-Chastan declined comment on the matter, saying she wanted to "move forward from this point." Nobody spoke against Rose's action at the public hearing except Churchill-Chastan, while several people spoke on her behalf. Donna VanRamshorst, whose son was one of the students at the Hooters dinner, said Rose's action did not upset her. "Knowing my son and the students she took, I knew this wasn't going to morally corrupt them," VanRamshorst said. She added Rose deserves another chance. Mike McNeil, vice president of marketing for Hooters of America, wrote in a letter addressed to Rose, "The Hooters Restaurant concept is unique and always seems to stir some sort of debate. For our part, we do not understand why any group or organization would have a problem with individuals of high school age frequenting our establishments." McNeil called the restaurants a "great place for anyone to eat in a casual, sports-themed environment" and highlighted the "broad menu containing high-quality items." He indicated 70 percent of the company's revenue comes from the sale of food, 28 percent of the customers are female, and 11 percent of the parties who dine there contain children, "which is the reason our restaurants also have a children's menu."