Latest news with #Dykes
Boston Globe
6 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Amherst middle school counselor to be reinstated after being fired for allegedly misgendering students
The district failed to document disciplinary measures against the counselor over the alleged actions, and the arbitrator lacked evidence, documents, and key witnesses during arbitration, according to a recent statement from the superintendent. Dykes and her attorney did not respond to requests for comment. However, Dykes's attorney, Ryan P. McLane, who also represented two other employees, in 2023 told the Globe in an e-mail the allegations are unfounded. Advertisement 'My clients did not engage in 'conversion therapy' or any Title IX violation,' he wrote at the time. 'They are Christians, but that does not mean that they are somehow not entitled to a fair investigation. While the law prohibits discrimination based on sex, it also prohibits discrimination based on religious beliefs.' As Dykes is likely to return to the middle school for the new school year in a few weeks, students, parents, and advocates are calling on the district to prevent Dykes from interacting with students. Related : Advertisement Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman, who joined the district in July 2024, said she's working to build transparent systems and to ensure accountability. 'We cannot change the past, but we can and must learn from it. We will use this moment to build stronger systems, reset expectations, tighten guardrails, and create clearer pathways forward,' Herman said. The superintendent acknowledged many oppose Dykes's reinstatement, and asked the community to be understanding and not divisive. 'While we are complying fully with the legal requirements outlined in the arbitration ruling, our long-term focus remains on building systems that reflect our values, protect our students, and holds us all to a high standard of professional conduct,' she said. The district's legal team is working with Dykes's attorneys to ensure the arbitrator's order is implemented, Herman said. Related : During a School Committee meeting July 22, dozens of parents, students, and advocates asked the board and Herman to prevent Dykes from interacting with students. Some pointed to Dyke's alleged behavior documented in a 'If there is no other option, and we have to allow her back into the schools, I ask you to make sure that she not be put into any position where she'll be interfacing with any students at all,' Amber Cano-Martin, who has two children in the district, told School Committee members. She said she planned to write letters to staff indicating her children can have no contact with the counselor. Advertisement Jill Brevik, an Amherst resident and parent of a transgender child, said her family is 'devastated' by the news Dykes will be reinstated. 'While the arbitrator ruled that her termination was flawed procedurally, that does not erase what the investigation actually found,' Brevik said. 'How can someone with this depth of bigotry be returned to a role of authority and trust over vulnerable children? Especially if there's no apology, no recognition of wrongdoing or reconciliation with everybody that has been harmed.' Laura Jane Hunter, whose husband is a teacher at the middle school and two children attend the district's high school, said she doesn't want any of her children near Dykes. 'I don't think she should ever be allowed to be near any student. She should not be in any student-facing position,' Hunter said. 'I don't understand what happened, what went wrong. I want transparency. I want to understand fully where the district failed.' Many who spoke at the meeting acknowledged Herman is a new superintendent, but they still want an explanation of how the district could let Dykes win her appeal due to procedural errors. 'Within your role, you have the purview of setting policies. It is your responsibility right now to review all your policies in relation to bullying, LGBTQIA, racism, so forth and so on,' said Jed Proujansky, a member of the select board of Leverett. 'You need to address those policies, review them with complete transparency, so the community once again has faith and trust in the board and the school district.' Proujansky then addressed Herman directly, stating she has the responsibility of monitoring Dykes's actions as the counselor returns to the district. Herman should make sure Dykes's relationships with students and colleagues are appropriate, he said. Advertisement After public comment, Herman said she's spent a great deal of time reflecting about the district's systems. 'The arbitration decision highlighted long-standing gaps in how we document, communicate, and enforce expectations related to personnel,' Herman said. 'These issues didn't appear overnight. They point to a deeper problem—a system where practices around supervision, performance management, and accountability have too often been informal or inconsistently applied." Change is often uncomfortable, she said, but fear of retaliation will no longer be an excuse to avoid mandatory reporting. Ahead of the school year, Herman will release a complaint and communication guide 'to bring clarity, consistency, and transparency.' Marcela Rodrigues can be reached at
Evening Standard
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Antoni Milambo: How Brentford signed one of the most coveted youngsters in Europe
Brentford, who ranked second in the Premier League for tackles won in the final third last season, like Milambo because of his intensity in the press, with Dykes highlighting the midfielder's running stats, pressures and high speed as reasons why he'd be well suited to the way Brentford want to play.
USA Today
12-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Connor Stalions fires back at TCU coach's sign-stealing narrative
Brett McMurphy has just started his new job at On3 and felt like he had a bit of a juicy story, even if it's one that's already been told. All the way back in October 2023, a TCU contingent told ESPN that the Horned Frogs were aware of Michigan football's Connor Stalions and his sign-stealing ways, and that they had devised a clever plan which made the Wolverines' machinations backfire on them. Now, years removed, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes is adding gasoline to the flames by telling McMurphy and On3 at Big 12 media days about the countermeasures that the Horned Frogs took against the Wolverines in that 2022 Fiesta Bowl. 'We had some intel that (the sign stealing) was going on,' Dykes told On3 from Big 12 media days. 'Look everybody does it to an extent, but we had some intel that it was kind of next level there.'Dykes' solution? 'We changed some signs, we left some the same,' Dykes said. 'We found out early enough (before the game) where we could change a lot of our signals and then we had some dummy signals and some things where we checked a dummy signal to a signal that we knew they knew. 'We got some favorable matchups because of that and, yeah, there was some big plays in the game. No one who was a part of that Michigan football team had been able to fight back on the allegations publicly. But now, as he waits for the NCAA to levy its punishment for the advanced scouting scandal, Stalions isn't letting this one go by idly. Stalions took to X (formerly Twitter) to rebut McMurphy's story on Dykes, responding to the article post in great, great detail about why this account from the Horned Frogs coach is erroneous. To be 'tipped off' that your next opponent is good at stealing signals is like saying you were tipped off that you had an upcoming game. To save everybody's time so we can move on from the same recycled story from Coach Dykes, I'll provide some more details and we can wrap this up: We lost because we turned the ball over & had a poor game tackling. And TCU played well. Congratulations. The same way we won the Natty (when I was not with the program) because we blocked well, tackled well, and took care of the rock. Welcome to the game of football. Since people are so intrigued by signals…The entire Air Raid communication system is the offensive coordinator signaling to the QB, then the QB signaling to the Receivers. USC, TCU, etc. It's all the same. They're all the same signals too. And TCU kept everything from the coordinator to QB the same, but had dummy signals & some new signals from the QB to Receivers. But that didn't matter because I'm watching the coach and seeing what they changed in real time. Similar to Ohio State 'changing their signals.' They changed their route concepts & some run concepts — not their formations & pass protection signals, which is all I cared about. To say anyone 'fooled' me is admitting that you have no idea how signal deciphering & protecting works. No team has ever 'changed' signals — meaning they don't recycle the same signal to have a different meaning because that would confuse the 18-year olds on the field more than it would confuse me. They simply create new signals. And if I see a new signal, I'm not guessing what it means. There were games where I relayed information 0% of the time, all the way through 99% of the time. No one is forcing you to signal. Rutgers & Minnesota huddled (didn't signal). Nebraska didn't signal until the 2nd quarter when they were down 14-0. Even we, Michigan, didn't signal on offense. If you don't want teams to steal your signals, then don't signal. Any team that signals on offense is trying to force the defense to signal so they can steal it. There's really no other advantage unless you're trying to prevent a sub, or it's 2-minute. If that weren't true, you'd see the entire NFL go up tempo to find advantages. But you don't. And it's still going on today in college with coach comms. Notice how teams still signal — it's because they're going up tempo. The continuous attempt to correlate signals to any wins & losses at Michigan is funny. There were 7 games in my time at Michigan where I knew almost every signal the whole game: 2021 MSU, 2022 MSU, 2022 PSU, 2022 OSU, 2022 TCU, 2021 Georgia, and 2021 Wisconsin. We lost 3 of those games because we didn't tackle well, and Georgia was historically good. We won the four other games because we dominated the line of scrimmage & tackled well. Blocking, ball security, tackling, run fits & coverage tools. That's football. This is not rocket science. That is true -- it wasn't so much that TCU took great advantage of Michigan being in the wrong place throughout the game. The Wolverines struggled throughout the entire College Football Playoff semifinal with the fundamentals, and ultimately found themselves making mistake after mistake -- from J.J. McCarthy's two interceptions, to a fumble at the goal line, to running the Philly special on a fourth down. Then, when TCU had the ball, Michigan struggled to finish tackles or whiffed entirely. It wasn't a case of catching the Wolverines off guard; it was a case of Michigan not being able to get out of its own way. Even still, the game came down to the maize and blue's final possession. Of course, narratives will persist, regardless, especially since Stalions didn't start going on the record until Netflix's 'Sign Stealer' was released in August 2024. He's since made a trio of podcast appearances and is becoming more and more of a social media presence.
Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Bryan Mbeumo deal broke down as Brentford chief opened up on Man Utd target
As Manchester United continue their pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo, here's the story of how Brentford got a transfer for the Cameroon international over the line in 2019 It's not easy getting a deal for Bryan Mbeumo over the line - just ask Brentford technical director Lee Dykes. The Cameroon star remains at the top of Manchester United's wish-list as Ruben Amorim strives to pep up his forward line following a dire season at Old Trafford. United have seen several bids, including a £60million offer, rejected but remain hopeful of getting their man, having already snared Matheus Cunha from Wolves. Brentford signed Mbeumo from French side Troyes in 2019, although their pursuit of the striker was far from straightforward. It was a big moment for Dykes, who had recently joined from EFL side Bury. 'I felt big pressure because I walked into a function where I was trying to take forward some of the good work that had already been done,' he told the Bees' website in December 2023. 'Coming into Brentford, I'd never really spent a lot of money. I'd always worked at League One and League Two level. 'The most I'd spent was £50,000 on a player, and then six weeks later we are paying €5million for Bryan Mbeumo. So obviously you start to think, 'Wow, this is big money.' But, at the end of the day, it's just different money, same process.' Dykes, co-director of football Rasmus Ankersen and head coach Thomas Frank made a whistlestop trip to France in an effort to complete a deal Mbeumo, only for those initial talks to come to nothing. 'We were figuring that there was a possibility to sign Bryan,' said Dykes. 'We had cleverly sourced that information, having been told that he wouldn't entertain the Championship. 'It became quickly apparent that we had to get in and out of France in a day as Thomas (Frank) had his training commitments because it was near to the season starting. 'Where the meeting was going to take place, there was no airport close enough we could find from London or a route to do in one day, so we didn't know if we could make it work. 'I remember Rasmus just calling me up saying, 'I spoke to Matthew (Benham, club owner) and he said he'll fire up a jet and we'll get over there' - at that point, I was just thinking, 'Wow!' 'But that's when I started to feel the pressure. I'd lined it all up with Troyes, as well as the agents that were involved, so me, Thomas and Rasmus got on this jet. 'We got there, it was one of the hottest days of the year, it had reached about 43°C when we landed. It was a 60-minute journey and the air conditioning wasn't working in the taxi we got in! 'We had the meeting, spoke with the player, the club and the agent, but the deal broke down. So, I had convinced everyone to fly over to France to get this deal done - I thought it was going to get done - but it had broken down.' A bad day then got even worse for Dykes before a deal for Mbeumo was eventually revived. He added: 'On the way back, and I'm not a good flier in general, the pilot turned to us and said, 'It's chaotic weather in London, it's snowing, there's thunder, there's lightning.' I was thinking, 'What? It was 43 degrees when we left France.' 'And the journey back was horrendous - I could see the pilot avoiding the dark spots on the radar. I was bricking it! 'But, fortunately, we landed safely and, more importantly, managed to turn around the deal a few days later and eventually sign him. So, Brentford fans must know that I risked my life to sign Bryan Mbeumo!' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Dyke March to return to S.F. during Pride Weekend following leadership shakeup
The San Francisco Dyke March plans to return in full force this Pride Weekend after last year's festivities were abruptly canceled due to an internal shakeup. 'Since the end of February of this year, 7 committees formed and got down to the business of hosting a Dyke March in the traditions of years past, focusing on Dyke visibility and disability access,' organizers wrote in a statement released on Monday, June 23. 'Because of the volunteer efforts of these dedicated, devoted Dykes and their tireless and generous spirits, the Dyke March is back.' Now under new leadership, a pre-march rally is set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, at 19th and Dolores streets, and will feature performances by local acts Skip the Needle, jazz pianist Tammy Hall, and comedians Marga Gomez and Leigh Crow. The march immediately follows, leaving from 18th and Dolores streets and traveling its usual route to the Castro and back to Dolores Park. Dolores Street between 18th and 20th streets will be closed to traffic all day to accommodate crowds. Organizers ask that allies cheer from the sidelines while 'all Dyke contingents and individuals,' as well as cisgender and transgender women, participate in the march. 'Dykes (and Queers) are craving connection to each other in these turbulent times,' M Rocket, interim project director, told the Chronicle. 'Finding a way to channel the need for connection into a broader effort to support the community on this large scale is exciting and so gratifying, to feel like we've done something that may make a difference in the hope for real change.' A series of challenges — including deaths among its leadership and burnouts — prompted organizers to call off the 2024 event. Still, thousands gathered at Dolores Park for an impromptu Dyke March. Organizers said that they consulted the community to compose a collection of value statements that anchor the event's core mission. 'We dykes are against war, imperialism, all forms of genocide, including the ongoing US-backed genocide in Palestine,' part of the statement, shared to Instagram on Sunday, June 22, reads. 'We oppose the use of political, institutional, and military power to oppress marginalized groups of people, including Native peoples, Black people and other people of color, immigrants, asylum seekers, people with disabilities, and transgender individuals.' The Dyke March heavily relied on grant funding in previous years, but the 2025 revival is largely made possible by community donations. Organizers launched a fundraiser in March and have received nearly $65,000 of its $100,000 goal as of Monday. But there is still plenty of work to be done even after Pride Weekend to secure the future of the Dyke March. The event's 'new organizational membership model' will be unveiled at the fifth public Dyke Town Hall meeting on Aug. 20. An election for the new board is scheduled for Sept. 27.
