Jordan Key is pictured speaking at the January 27 Climax-Scotts Board of Education meeting.
By Bruce Rolfe
It’s been 16 weeks since Climax-Scotts varsity football coach, Dean of Students and Athletic Director Tyler Langs was placed on paid administrative leave in all three roles after complaints were made against the varsity football coach, however a man who spoke in the public forum segment of a special C-S School Board meeting January 27 indicated an effort to remove Langs may have started months earlier.
Tyler Langs learned before the varsity football team played at Pittsford October 24 that he had been placed on paid administrative leave, according to the school district’s superintendent.
After Langs was placed on paid administrative leave in all three capacities, C-S Superintendent Doug Newington said, “The district has received complaints regarding the current football coach. The district will not comment on the allegations within those complaints and is consulting with legal counsel to complete a thorough investigation.”
Langs remains on paid administrative leave in all three roles.
Amonng those who spoke at the January 27 C-S School Board meeting was Jordan Key. Key, who currently resides in Sturgis, plans to build a home in Climax Township. In a prepared notarized affidavit for his statement, Key said last May 5 he stopped into the Climax Township Hall to obtain a physical address for his family’s future home.
He said while he was at the Climax Township Hall he met a current Climax Township Board member. Key said in his sworn statement that he and the Climax Township Board member had a long conversation on different topics and issues.
Key said he recalled playing Little League at South Portage, joining many Climax kids in Little League, including members of the Langs family. He mentioned this to the Climax Township Board member.
Key said in his affidavit statement that the Climax Township Board member said to him: “There are some people in this community who want the Langs gone. People come to me with issues but don’t have any solutions. I tell them when you have a solution, come back and we will talk.”
Key added when he heard the person say, “there are some people in this community who want the Langs gone,” he interpreted that meant not only Tyler, but the entire family.
Key said in his statement the same person is on the C-S School Board.
While he did not mention the Climax Township Board member or school board member by name at the January 27 meeting, the following day Key said current Climax Township Supervisor and C-S School Board Vice President Trent Piper was the township board member he talked to that day.
Key said when he learned Tyler Langs had been placed on paid administrative leave, he started following the school board meetings closer. He decided to come forward at the January 27 special meeting and share his concerns.
“I strongly believe if there was some sort of communication between this board member and Tyler this whole thing could have been averted. By not communicating creates a toxic environment,” declared Key.
When reached January 28 Piper said he did recall having a conversation with Key at the Township Hall, but he denied what Key told the board and audience was the discussion he had with him.
“I never knew the man,” Piper said. “I had just been introduced to him. Why I would say something like that is beyond me. There’s no way. But if that’s his perception of whatever that conversation was, then sometimes perception becomes reality. I can’t change what he thought he heard, but I can assure you, I know I didn’t say that,” added Piper, who said he didn’t agree with the statement Key read at the meeting.
Tyler Langs said he was also surprised to learn there may have been an effort months earlier to remove him as the football coach.
“I haven’t butted heads with any of these board members,” Langs insisted. “I hadn’t butted heads with any of these parents that had these complaints. I haven’t had any issues. So then all of a sudden for there to be, we want you fired, it took me sideways. So now all of a sudden just to hear some of those things from Mr. Key, that some of these things may have been going on in the background for some time. Yeah, it definitely took me by surprise,” said Langs.
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