FFA trophy investigation over, lack of information hindered police

A police investigation determined there is no evidence of criminal intent to steal, vandalize or otherwise destroy national FFA plagues and trophies that were disposed of by a Ritzville High School teacher.

While he said no crime was committed, Police Chief David McCormick said there were numerous inconsistencies and other issues he encountered along the way.

“There was a lack of cooperation that hindered my investigation, to the point that if I would have had that information when originally requested, the outcome of my investigation may have been different,” McCormick wrote at the conclusion of his report.

The investigation is the latest turn of events that stems from the disposal of several FFA plaques and trophies earned by past Ritzville FFA members prior to Brad Gering becoming the FFA advisor.

After interviewing several people, including Principal Deborah O’Brien, FFA Advisor Gering and a handful of students, McCormick found holes in individual statements but said he was unable to address those matters because he did not receive a complete, chronological recounting of the school district’s investigation when he was first asked to look into the matter.

McCormick launched his investigation on the 21st of April after meeting with Superintendent Bill Thurston.

“He (Thurston) advised me some time last November, approximately 18 award winning National FFA trophies were vandalized and thrown away,” McCormick wrote in his narrative.

McCormick wrote that the superintendent requested the police investigation after having difficulty with the district’s internal investigation.

“Thurston said he had talked to Brad Gering, the current FFA advisor, several times about specifically what happened to the trophies and said Gering has been ‘evasive with his answers.’ Today (April 21) he had a meeting set up with Gering and he told him that he wanted answers about who removed the trophies from the case, who moved them to the ag shop and how they were damaged. Thurston told Gering if he would not provide answers to his questions he was going to turn the matter over to the police. Gering hung his head and did not respond to him.”

According to McCormick’s report, the disposal of the trophies was discovered by Rick Koss of Wheatland Waste Systems, Inc. while he was performing his duties in October of last year. Koss saw the trophies inside the trash truck after dumping the ag shop’s dumpster.

While Gering has maintained the trophies were damaged before his disposed of them, Koss’s statement contradicts that.

“Koss said none of the trophies he observed had any damage except the pictures of the students on the judging team,” McCormick wrote. “The dumpster and the back of his truck (Koss’s) were wet and some of the pictures had some moisture damage.”

Twice Koss told McCormick the trophies were not damaged.

“Again, he said they were in good condition with no broken or missing parts and no scratches to the wood,” McCormick wrote.

McCormick interviewed Gering and his union representative on Friday, May 6.

When McCormick asked Gering when the trophies were removed from the trophy case in the high school, the answer was February or March of 2010. According to McCormick, Gering then told him the awards were placed on a table in the back of the classroom at the ag shop.

McCormick asked Gering how many were damaged. According to McCormick’s written narrative of the interview, Gering said “All of the ones I threw away were damaged except the ones that I put into the trophy case in the classroom at the ag shop.” Gering said he didn’t know how the trophies were packaged when they were moved out of the high school trophy case. He didn’t know who packaged them or who transported them to the ag shop.

During the interview Gering said the trophies were disposed of at the end of April or early May. Gering disputed Koss’s statement that the trophies and plaques were disposed of in October. He said he had already disposed of them.

Gering told McCormick, according to the report, that the superintendent wanted him to pay $500 toward the replacement of the missing national awards.

“Gering said he was not going to pay anything. Both Gering and his union representative admitted he should have gotten permission before disposing of the damaged trophies and plaques but he did not. They both pointed out there is no policy to follow. If there was going to be discipline given to him for throwing the trophies and plaques away without permission, so be it.”

At the start of McCormick’s investigation, Thurston provided him with four paragraphs of information regarding the district’s investigation. Then on June 2 Thurston provided McCormick an additional 13 pages of information.

“In reviewing the attached 13-page document I received from Thurston on June 2, there are statements that conflict with information I had received (early in the investigation),” McCormick wrote.

Monday, after a school board workshop, Thurston and board chairperson Marci Miller confirmed the district is moving forward with the replacement of the awards that were disposed of.

Miller noted that a total of 20 awards are being constructed by a Spokane company. She said three of those are plaques that were never made.

The exact cost of replacing the awards is unknown at this time.

Thurston said how the new plaques will be paid for hasn’t been completely resolved either. He does expect the district’s insurance carrier to pay for the majority of the expense.

Miller noted that if private citizens want to, they can donate money to cover the $1,000 insurance deductible.

No discipline has been administered by the district. Thurston said he had submitted a possible course of action to the district’s attorney, but hasn’t been advised on whether or not he can proceed.