The Tamaqua Area school board voted 4-3 Tuesday night to rehire a longtime assistant coach for the high school softball team.

Terry Knoblauch’s position wasn’t on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting. The board took up the issue unexpectedly after hearing from his daughter: the team’s head coach, Jillian Barron.

In a lengthy public comment to the board, Barron said she learned last month that the board’s auxiliary committee - which recommends coaching hires - had rejected her father’s application for the 2022 season. Knoblauch, known as Nails, has served on her staff since she became head coach in 2010, and has coached sports in the district since 1993.

“This decision to not hire my dad as an assistant coach is completely unfair, and abusing your position as a school board member for your benefit,” she said.

Barron said her father is the victim of a personal vendetta against her which began with allegations of poor coaching methods and bullying which came up at board meetings after the 2021 season.

Barron said that she was only rehired to her job in July after numerous meetings with administrators, and completing an action plan they prescribed.

She blamed an unnamed board member, identifying them as a recent addition to the auxiliary committee. In December, the committee reorganized with two new members - Thomas Bartasavage and Trina Schellhammer.

She said the unnamed board member had recently violated board policies by contacting former players and parents for information about her, claiming to represent the board.

Barron said the situation has taken a toll on her, having to face constant questions, and meetings and messages with administrators which distract from her day job as secretary to the high school principal.

“To be honest it was an absolute struggle to get out of bed to come to work, and it still is to this day,” she said.

After Barron spoke, a parent told the board that he doesn’t feel the coaching staff should be controlled by one family. Nate Houser said his complaints have been documented, but other parents feel the same way.

“They took a sport that my daughter loved to play and she wants nothing to do with it now, and that is wrong. There are two sides to every story,” Houser said.

Auxiliary Chairman Mark Rother proposed rehiring Knoblauch. The motion came after the board went into a closed-door session at the end of the public comment portion of the meeting.

Rother, Nicholas Boyle, Daniel Schoener and Melanie Dillman voted in favor.

Nancy Jones, Bartasavage and Schellhammer voted against. Board President Larry Wittig abstained without stating a reason, and Bryan Miller was absent.

Wittig said votes without a committee’s recommendation are rare - he said it hadn’t happened in 15-20 years - but they are allowed.

“There’s generally a protocol, but there’s nothing inappropriate about that just happened,” Wittig said.

After the vote, Schellhammer said that Barron was incorrect in alleging an abuse of power. She said she was giving a voice to students and parents who have come to her over the years with complaints about what she called “emotional abuse” from Barron and Knoblauch.

“If parents come to me as an elected official and a board member, I have every right to seek out truth,” she said.

Wittig repeatedly advised Schellhammer not to speak, and asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

“Trina, I respect you highly, but I don’t know if interaction like this is appropriate,” Wittig said.