In a statement to the Bedford School Board, Superintendent Jere Hochman defended last month’s firing of longtime Fox Lane girls basketball coach Ayo Hart.

Her dismissal—for reasons the district adamantly refuses to disclose—has generated a low-key controversy, with at least one petition already claiming 65 signatories beseeching officials to reinstate the coach.

Hart, who was not a district employee, had been a part-time coach with the basketball program for 11 years, most recently as the varsity’s head coach.

Her dismissal followed a Jan. 12 incident, in which she departed a game against Port Chester, leaving her team in the hands of an assistant coach. Hart, a self-employed Pound Ridge resident, later said a business commitment made the early exit necessary.

Five days later, Athletic Director Beth Staropoli sacked Hart and replaced her with Kristopher Matts, a Fox Lane English teacher.

While Hochman, reading from a prepared statement, addressed the school board during a meeting at the Middle School, his remarks seemed clearly intended for the television audience beyond.

His statement is posted in full as a pdf with this story.

Asserting that “misperceptions” surrounded the midseason coaching change, Hochman warned parents and others against “assumptions” or thoughts that “our decisions are based on subjective or unfounded opinions.”

He stressed that Hart’s dismissal was not linked to any objectionable behavior on her part, saying, “To be clear, there was no action on the part of Coach Hart that raises any question of her moral character or demeanor.”

Still, neither the statement nor Hochman in a later interview provided details that might clear the air. In his statement, the superintendent said “it would be inappropriate for me to be specific regarding all reasons for our decision.”

Expanding on that theme in response to a reporter’s questions after the meeting, Hochman likened the coach’s firing to a denial of tenure or teacher firing—negative personnel actions that by district policy are not publicly discussed.

For her part, Hart has attributed the abrupt dismissal to a belief by the athletic director, Starapoli, that Hart was not fully committed to the basketball program. She quoted Starapoli as saying Hart’s leaving the Port Chester game confirmed her flagging dedication. 

Hochman said, however, that “many of the communications” coming into the district noted that “Coach Hart has been committed to the players . . . over the years. We concur.”