Eastie calls foul on Lynn English

Makes recruiting charge

By Dan Ventura | Saturday, February 13, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com |

MALDEN - Mike Rubin isn’t looking to become a modern day vigilante, hell-bent on sucking the life blood out of the Lynn English boys basketball program.

All the East Boston headmaster seeks is fairness and accountability.

At a meeting between the District A and District B committees yesterday at Malden High, Rubin spelled out what he believes were blatant recruiting violations involving Cory McMillan, who transferred from East Boston to Lynn English this season. McMillan, who was denied a waiver, is sitting out the season and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

“All I want is a level playing field, I want the recruiting to stop,” said Rubin. “If we’re going to have championships, I want it to be pure. So, all I want is for everything to be on the up and up.”

According to Rubin, he received information in August that a member of the Lynn English coaching staff (believed to be assistant coach Simmie Anderson) was talking to McMillan, looking to get him to transfer to his school. Later that month, Rubin said he had a conversation with McMillan at which time he explained what Lynn English was doing was wrong and a violation.

Rubin also alleged that Lynn English officials set it up so that McMillan could live with a member of the coaching staff. LE school officials countered by stating McMillan’s father signed over guardianship to William Dutch, who lives in Lynn and helps out with the athletic teams, according to Lynn English athletic director Gary Molea.

“I don’t want to see the kids hurt,” said Rubin, “but the administration and the coaching staff need to be held accountable. In my mind, they need to face some sort of reprimand or sanction.”

When given their time to speak, Lynn English officials immediately let it be known that it took severe actions upon learning of the situation. Joining Molea was vice principal Thomas Strangie, school committee member Thomas Iarrobino and superintendent Catherine Latham. Principal Andy Fila was away and didn’t attend the meeting.

“Everything that took place was Simmie Anderson acting on his own,” said Strangie. “When it was brought to our attention, we took immediate action and suspended him for the rest of the year.”

Latham was next to speak and it was evident she was stung by the recruiting allegations. As Rubin spoke of the volume of transfers suddenly arriving at Lynn English to play basketball, Latham could be seen shaking her head in disgust.

“I’m embarrassed and apologetic,” said Latham. “We don’t tolerate recruiting. It is an unfortunate situation and we are putting new rules in place going forward.”

After the meeting, Molea was looking for some sort of closure.

“We want to get to the bottom of this,” Molea said. “We felt as though we did all the right things. The sad part is that Cory McMillan is missing his whole junior year for one reason or another.”

The standard procedure is for the committee to render its decision, then notify both schools of the verdict. As District B committee chairman Dana Brown of Malden spelled out at the start of the meeting, either side could appeal the decision to the MIAA board of directors.

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