Pocatello High School varsity girls basketball coach Laraine Cook has been relieved of her duties, as confirmed by the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District Wednesday afternoon.
As with any issue of this sort, District 25 would not comment on the reason behind her dismissal.
“It’s a personnel issue,” said School District 25 spokeswoman Shelley Allen.”We can’t discuss that at all.”
However, Allen said that Cook is no longer in charge of the team, and that Pocatello High School is currently looking for a new varsity girls basketball coach.
“I can confirm there is an opening,” she said.
Cook coached the Lady Indians for four seasons, and took led them to a third-place finish in the 2013 4A state basketball championship, and a 17-9 overall record.
Both Cook and Pocatello athletic director Robert Parker did not return phone calls.
(13) comments
And just what does this have to do with her being fired? Rumors are called gossip and really none of anyones business except the people directly involved.
I heard a rumor that she is still married to her second husband (40 years her senior) so I checked out idcourts.us and sure enough, that woman is still married. She has filed for divorce - end of July, 2013 but nothing final. How long has she been with Mr. Harrison? Over a year? I could care less about the photo. Big whoop. I also heard that before Harrison there was an Idaho State basketball coach in her life - and she is still married. Most young ladies know what is wrong and what is right to their own set standards. The odds of Cook's behavior most likely will not change that. However, what kind of message is she sending to her two small, innocent boys? [sad] Mr. Harrison just happens to be freshly divorced. What a coincidence, you say. Do either of them care what their behaviors are doing to the their families? What about the embarrassment that their exes (or soon to be exes) must be facing right now - they didn't sign up for this either.
Has anyone actually seen this alleged photo? Some people are making it out to sound like in was some pornographic picture. I'm sure it wasn't that bad for god sake.... It sickens me the abuse of power in southeast Idaho, it runs ramped around here, just like Idaho State University our local education system is filed with it to. I agree with RobinIdaho, she should get a good lawyer cause this termination sounds like B.S.
This is total discrimination against women! Pure and simple. She should get a good lawyer and sue them.
Has all to do with lady that sits in District office trying to show off her power.(not her first rodeo) Honest mistake on posting and now Mary and her pawns are trying to ruin a career. Very sad that it has gone this far.. OldSchool.. you must have a daughter with no game and Axlrose..what ward do you hail from?
First off, I don't think that Coach Cook should have been fired. But I don't think this is a matter of discrimination. To my knowledge, Coach Harrison is not accused of posting inappropriate pictures on the internet. I hope everything works out for Coach Cook, I don't know her, but I doubt if she wants Coach Harrison to lose his job too.
boy, since all things are reviewed by the district, sure hope no one posts pics of a non school funded wrestling match. There won't be anyone left to coach the kids. Come on Poky, cowboy up! Just remember,everyone has a pic they are not proud of, a few might just start to show up.
What the article does not tell you is that this incident took place back in July and the picture in question was one of many vacation pictures posted to her facebook page. The administration saw it the very day it was posted and asked her to remove it. She apologized and removed it promptly. Now three weeks before the start of basketball season the school board decides to remove her, leaving the girls without their coach. Who does that? I don't condone her actions by any means but people do have lives outside of their professions. Maybe we should start holding other prominent figures in our community to the same standards we hold educators. If every doctor, lawyer and politician lost their job over the scandals in their personal lives we would have quite a few less of them in this town.
Harrison and Integrity should not be uttered in the same breath...
Clearly Poky and School Dist. 25 wont reprimand Harrison. After all, he is the one groping her in the FaceBook picture in which Cook was allegedly fired over posting. Gee, that sets a great example to those players.
Unfortunately, integrity is a quality not relished by PHS i.e. their AD and softball programs. "Private lives" do influence public lives.
"Good thing some people don't care what others think. ", if it were only true.
[sad]
My opinion is that she didn't deserve to be fired, perhaps a reprimand would have been justified. Taking the picture was her own business, however, it was poor judgement to put it on Facebook. Yes, it was taken down immediately, but the damage was done. I think a better way to have handled it would have been to have her publicly apologize to the team and teach them that they should be careful what they post online. To be fired is ridiculous!
Hopefully, her live in boyfriend, who is twice her age, (Tom Harrison) is up next. Get someone, anyone, with a little integrity in there like they just did for boys hoops, joe green.
Yes because you are in a position to question her "integrity." While you are up in your ivory tower make sure to judge the rest of us please. Glass houses? Stones? Any questions? John 8:7.
I don't care for her coaching, and I will publicly say that it left much to be desired. If she were let go for the blatant favoritism she showed, or a losing season that is the issue. However, you nor I, or anyone else have any business to comment or JUDGE on how she lives her PRIVATE life. Ahhh life in small town (minded) Pocatello. Good thing some people don't care what others think.
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