By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
Members of the Hillsborough High School field hockey team attended a recent school board meeting to offer support for their coach, who was ultimately suspended by officials.
Dorian Gilmartin-Dzitko, who started her third year as the team’s head coach earlier this month, was one of two staff members suspended with pay during the Sept. 12 Board of Education meeting.
Prior to the board’s 5-3 vote to suspend the coach, high school senior and field hockey player Allison Tucker urged officials to reconsider the suspension.
“Coach Gilmartin has encouraged us to perform to the best of our ability both on and off the field. She acknowledges us as individuals with strength and weaknesses, however she pushes us to challenge ourselves,” she said. “I can confidently say that you will never find a coach as genuinely and full-heartedly dedicated to not only the sport, but her players.”
The board was originally scheduled to decide on the coach’s termination, according to the meeting agenda, but officials revised the item to a suspension just prior to the vote.
District officials declined to comment on the matter, nor did they offer to explain why Ms. Gilmartin-Dzitko had been suspended, since doing so would “violate laws pertaining to the confidentiality of employee records.”
Ms. Gilmartin-Dzitko began coaching at the high school in 2014 when then coach Lyndsay Boettke vacated the position following the 2013 season. Prior to that, she had played for the high school until she graduated in 2009. She went on to play lacrosse as the University of Connecticut.
Ms. Gilmartin-Dzitko could not be reached for comment.Ms. Tucker, who asked for clemency for her coach, said Ms. Gilmartin-Dzitko has personally made an impact in her life after she was dealing with debilitating anxiety last year.
“Coach Gilmartin was more than understanding and expressed her support for what I was going through, acting not only as a coach, but as a mentor,” she said. “If it weren’t for her sincere concern and hand she reached out to me, I may have not returned to the program.”
Details on how long Ms. Gilmartin-Dzitko’s suspension will remain in effect were not available.
