Louisville Courier Journal Editorial: [Jason] Stinson's Acquittal.

Stinson's acquittal

A jury's job is to weigh whether guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, proven with evidence and argument, can overcome the presumption of innocence defendants are guaranteed in America's system of justice. It took the jury in Jason Stinson's criminal trial little more than an hour to decide that case hadn't been made, and they returned two verdicts of not guilty for the high school football coach charged with reckless homicide and wanton endangerment after Max Gilpin, one of his players, died after a punishing practice in August 2008.

We respect the jury's service and judgment.

That said, exoneration is something apart from a not-guilty verdict, and it will not come so quickly from those of us who remain troubled by aspects of this tragedy.

Yes, Mr. Stinson was cleared of criminal conduct, but the testimony in his trial should be more than enough to keep him from resuming a job of coaching children in this school district. If Superintendent Sheldon Berman is truly “outraged” by the coach's tactic of making the team run until someone quit, then let him prove that by not putting this coach back on a local football field on the public's dime.

Just because Mr. Stinson is not going to jail doesn't mean he should head back to the locker room. At the practice in which Max Gilpin ran up a body temperature of 109 degrees, the testimony made clear, Mr. Stinson was bullying and ill-tempered to his teen-age players. He abused his authority, and the trust placed in him and in his position, with his behavior and his demands. Breaking spirits should not be any more acceptable than breaking rules. Football is supposed to be a game, not a war, and Mr. Stinson was supposed to be a coach, not a field marshal.

As for the Jefferson County Public School district officials, the utter passivity with which they initially conducted what they generously called an investigation into Max Gilpin's collapse and death is a serious misstep from which they will not easily recover. A more in-depth report from JCPS, released in July, did little to restore confidence, as it seemed more attuned to legalities than responsibilities, a chilling revelation about an organization that touts its “CARE for kids” initiative to build caring, respectful communities in schools. The verdicts notwithstanding, Superintendent Berman and the district have a residual credibility problem.

For their part, Max Gilpin's parents noted their son's death had effected change and raised awareness about students, safety and sports. That must be their consolation.

That must also be the community's call to vigilance.

Editor's comment: "Football is supposed to be a game, not a war, and Mr. Stinson was supposed to be a coach, not a field marshal."

This IS one of the BEST C-J editorials I have seen and read in a loong time!