Pat Lynch, Embattled Wyoming Football Coach, Resigns After 'Hurt Feelings Report' Controversy (POLL)

An embattled high school football coach in Wyoming has resigned following an incident where he handed out an offensive survey, titled "Hurt Feelings Report," to his student athletes before a game last month that included sexist and anti-gay language.

The Johnson County school board has accepted head coach Pat Lynch's resignation, but Lynch will keep his job as a guidance counselor at Buffalo High School under administrative supervision, the Casper Star-Tribune reports.

"[Lynch] screwed up, he screwed up big time," Superintendent Rod Kessler told the Star-Tribune. "The coaching, we didn't want that to be the issue anymore. We wanted him to have his priority back where it was a counselor. None of us are happy that it happened. It's a black eye to the district. And it's a black eye to Pat."

The school board learned of the incident through word of mouth and community response, KTWO reports. Lynch had coached the team for 14 years. Despite some pushback from the community for the decision to keep Lynch employed at the school, the board is standing behind Lynch and their decision.

"We're going to work on building his reputation back to where it needs to be," Kessler told KTWO.

Neither the board nor Lynch have addressed the former coach's reasons for handing out the survey.

A reader-submitted image of the "Hurt Feelings Report" to KTWO reveals the extent of the questionnaire.

WARNING: The survey contains lewd language. Discretion is advised.

Under a list of reasons for filing the "Hurt Feelings Report," the survey offers choices including "I am a pussy," "I have woman like hormones," "I am a queer" and 'I am a little bitch." It asks for the "name of 'Real Man' who hurt your sensitive little feelings," "name little sissy filing this report." and the filer's "girly-man signature."

Lynch submitted a letter of apology to board members with his resignation. From the Buffalo Bulletin:

"I would like to apologize for my lack of judgment and the poor choice that I made from my position as head football coach for Buffalo High School. I know that this situation has caused you pain and discomfort, and for that I am truly sorry. As a person and a professional, I believe I will learn and grow from this experience and use it to help others."

"I appreciate having had the opportunity to coach in this community for the past 22 years. It has been a rewarding experience. I am eager to earn back your trust as I continue to serve in a profession that I truly love."

Still, some parents are upset. Wayne Jensen, who has a son on the Buffalo football team, said Lynch should have apologized directly to his student athletes.

"Everybody should be accountable for their actions," Jensen told the Star-Tribune. "He came out with a letter and apologized to the school board. Well, I never heard one mention of the kids."

In a separate incident involving contentious questionnaires at school, a New Mexico teacher is on leave for allegedly issuing an offensive sex survey to students. Although the students later spoke out admitting to issuing the survey themselves, the teacher remains on paid leave.

Quick Poll

Should the school board have kept Lynch as a counselor?

Yes, he made a mistake but acknowledged it.

Yes, but he should have apologized to students, too.

No, nothing justifies issuing that survey.

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Comments

[MJinCanada]

02:51 AM on 11/22/2011

They kept him as a guidance counselor? Why -- to use as a bad example?

[Laylahnajwa]

04:53 PM on 11/19/2011

I see that his mistake was in getting caught. Every other aspect of his actions and thinking is quite deliberate and should be removed from our educational system.

[schnookie99]

01:51 PM on 11/16/2011

in my opinion, this has nothing to do with gay bashing or the even further stretch of hating women. it is about complaining! the hurt feelings report was obviously constructed as a joke by someone other then mr. lynch since it states it is for a company. yes it was bad judgment to distribute this to the team in the PC world of today. he resigned from his position as coach, but apparently that is not enough for you people. you want his head on a platter, yet you know very little about the situation and even less about this man. fifteen years ago when i was in high school and playing football, this would not have even been a story. i wonder if anyone would even have compained? yet today, this is blown all over the news like it is a huge deal. gimme a break! why are gay people so sensitive? i support gay rights, but frankly the attitude, hate, and vitriol of these posts is off putting. much more of a concern to me than the hurt feelings report. it is interesting that you are completely against bullying, but you have no problem trying to destroy this man's life. keep pushing and perhaps he will kill himself and then you can be happy. it is also interesting to me that with all the political correctness of today and gay acceptance higher than ever, the suicide rate in this age group has doubled since i left high school.

[wildwest2012]

01:40 PM on 11/17/2011

The increased suicide rate has nothing to do with being PC. It has everything to do with depression, family support, hormones, etc. in that particular age range. Things that are out of the control of the adolescent. Which is in no way the case with Lynch. He, with thought and purpose, distributed that report with specific purpose.... to shame. IF he now feels ashamed of himself, well, maybe he needs to be ashamed, I might be good for him to know how that feelsl and he needs to be held accountable. He is in a position in which he should be held accountable.

[schnookie99]

09:48 PM on 11/17/2011

this only goes to prove what I was eluding to with teen suicide. not to get too far off the point, but I am pretty sure that teenagers were dealing with the same issues you mentioned 15 years ago. someone taking THEIR life is completely within THEIR control. people like you who continue to make excuses only help them in their decision (i.e. It's not their fault, they were from a broken family). I believe what is happening is that people are raising coddled, selfish, weak minded individuals who take no personal responsibility for their OWN actions.

now back to the issue, who, in your opinion, was he trying to shame by the hurt feelings report (HFR)?

he resigned from his position and took responsibility and accountability for his OWN actions. i am certain that he loved that position. i have never met a coach who didn't like his job. but that's still not good enough for you, you want his career of 22 yrs. with the district to end because of this. do you really feel that the time fits the crime?

[MJinCanada]

02:54 AM on 11/22/2011

Sorry, no. This "joke" is straightforward arseholery that is NOT acceptable in any school or workplace.

And decent people have smacked down arseholes throughout history.

[schnookie99]

11:36 PM on 11/22/2011

i don't understand your point or language. maybe thats because you're canadian.

[ANNAMERRITT]

03:36 PM on 11/15/2011

It’s so sad to me that people are so willing to jump all over someone’s mistakes and judge them. He said he was sorry, he got fired, and his reputation is ruined. Is that not enough for everyone? I know Pat Lynch and I know his family. He is obviously not proud of what he did, so why rub it in his face. People are so quick to notice everyone else’s mistakes. Anyone who has ever done something they’re not proud of, or messed up somewhere in life shouldn’t be judging this man. If you think he is such a horrible coach, and person why don’t you ask Christopher Prosinski, one of his former football players, who is now playing for the Jaguars... Anyone to make it in professional football from such a small community must have had a really good coach. Before all of you go judging look at your own life,

[wildwest2012]

05:26 PM on 11/15/2011

Maybe it had more to do with C. Prosinski, the art teacher's son, then it did Coach Lynch.

Don't you understand that what he did shows a general attitude and disrespect for not only his students but for women and for gays and for anyone that might be different or act different? Don't you understand that what he did was bullying? That has no place in a school system. Groups all over the country are working hard to stop that very behavior, that verbal abuse.

[SharonMcEachern]

12:18 PM on 11/16/2011

I agree with you Wild West. Pat Lynch, and his disrespect for his students and others, does not belong in any school. Teachers are role models and should be gatekeepers for providing protection against bullies. You are right that Lynch is a bully and most certainly should not be allowed to stay on the faculty -- particularly as a school counselor. He obviously is unaware of ethics. Do you think he's ever read the National Youth Sports Coaches Assn. code of ethics?

http://www.ethicsoup.com/nysca-coaches-code-of-ethics.html

And what are the chances he knows about the American School Counselor Assn's code of ethics:

http://www.ethicsoup.com/ethical-standards-for-school-counselors.html

[wildwest2012]

08:44 AM on 11/17/2011

SharonMcEachern: Counselor's ethic's -
Each person has the right to be respected, be treated with dignity and have access to a comprehensive school counseling program that advocates for and affirms all students from diverse populations including: ethnic/racial identity, age, economic status, abilities/disabilities, language, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, family type, religious/spiritual identity and appearance.

[sevillomatic]

06:21 PM on 11/15/2011

You are 100% wrong.

Although we all make mistakes in our lives, few of us are in positions to shape and educated children. Young people looked up to this man, he gave them the "go ahead" to act in a way that is appalling, destructive, and confusing.

In a time where kids are being bullied to the point that they see suicide as the only alternative, this man turned a blind eye, and makes light of the tragedy.
SHAME ON HIM.
Shame on you for defending him.

[jacksprattt]

03:16 PM on 11/15/2011

Pat Lynch has no place in a COUNSELING position. If you feel the same way:

[e-mail]
Kessler is the Superintendent of the School District

[e-mail]
Bourgeois is the Principal at Buffalo High School, in Wyoming

[Jessica Southers]

09:34 AM on 11/15/2011

His actions are more like a coach than a guidance counselor. If anything he should be let go from his counseling position...

[Lisa Morgan 2]

08:59 AM on 11/15/2011

The attitudes reflected by the coach when he distributed this survey are the reason that kids can be molested by their coaches in the showers. The kids fear speaking up because they would be seen as "sissies". Tactics like this enable coaches to abuse their power over kids.

[Lisa Morgan 2]

08:39 AM on 11/15/2011

What is wrong with the school board? What parent wants this angry, miserable, nasty person as a counselor? Did he hit his head too many times on the field? The kids should not have to be around his toxic bitterness. I wouldn't want my daughter anywhere near him! This counselor needs a counselor.

[agness nutter]

11:37 AM on 11/15/2011

I wouldn't want my son around him, either.

[clar]

10:10 PM on 11/14/2011

News Flash: "In the local sports news tonight. Apparently the entire Buffalo High football team has broken out in tears, after being talked to in a "hurtful manner" by the opposing team at the scrimmage line. Buffalo High's new football coach was said to be visibly shaken, as he collapsed on the field with the "vapors".

[frazzled niya]

09:55 PM on 11/14/2011

If an ADULT sees fit to display this kind of behaviour towards students (whom are supposed to look up to him) what type of role model is he?

Wonder how he'd feel having this crap dished out to him everyday of every hour like some of us have had? Or being told to go jump off a cliff, no one cares...etc.

[hawaiianstile]

09:35 PM on 11/14/2011

people this dumb are the ones entrusted to teach the "future of america" lol. yeah i dont see many good times in americas future.

[Michael Lee Smyth]

08:32 PM on 11/14/2011

The simple fact that this guy is the first line of defense for student on student issues would have me considering pulling my kids. This "form" is hate filled to the extreme.

[wyo lawyer]

08:18 PM on 11/14/2011

As a Wyoming native, I'm ashamed. I hope the school board's "improvement plan" aimed at restoring Coach Lynch's reputation actually serves to imbue him with some sort of tolerance, but I fear that another action resembling his "hurt feelings report" could be the tipping point for an embattled student already struggling with suicidal thoughts. That's quite a gamble, Johnson County School Board. After some of our state's painful history with LGBT issues, we should know better.

[wildwest2012]

08:38 PM on 11/14/2011

I agree. As a Buffalo Wyoming resident, I am also embarrassed. A intolerant bully attitude is unacceptable as a coach and definitely as a counselor.

[WyomingLady]

07:16 PM on 11/14/2011

When did it become acceptable for a school GUIDANCE COUNSELOR to be homophobic and misogynic?

[MinisterMelinda]

06:08 PM on 11/14/2011

....and how does this help to educate the young people, or help them in any way? It's like a lesson for Bullying. Whether Lynch wrote the survey or just distributed a survey that already exists, the little voices should have told me to not do it and think of the young people he is negatively influencing or demeaning. But then not many people of the age of consent or older would have appreciated this either.