Beachwood Basketball Coach Solicited Donation Without Permission, Official Says

Beachwood girls' basketball head coach Melvin Burke because he held an unauthorized fundraiser and made inaccurate claims about school district finances in a letter to a local business,* said Athletic Director Ryan Peters.

The letter, part of a fundraising effort that school officials had not authorized, made it seem that the district is in dire need of money, Peters said.

All fundraisers for the Beachwood athletic department must be cleared by the athletic director, said Peters, and Burke did not obtain permission before sending the letters.

“It’s very unfortunate, because Coach Burke did a fantastic job with this team,” Peters said. “He did not do anything that would harm the kids or do anything in under any way shape or form that would benefit him financially.

“His intentions were for the kids, but he missed a big step," Peters said. "You have to get approval for a fundraiser.”

Burke, previously a highly successful coach at Lutheran East High School, led the Bison to an 18-5 record this year, the best ever for girls' basketball in the district.

But his tenure was marred by

Although school officials will not say who the suspended girls are, four girls – including at least one who dropped from the team at the same time as the OHSAA suspension – transferred to BHS from Lutheran East High School after Burke was hired to coach at Beachwood.

Although Beachwood officials considered them genuine residents of the district, the state ruled them ineligible because of inaccurate statements on their residency documentation.

"This had nothing to do with the ineligible players," Peters said. "It had solely to do with this incident."

All Beachwood coaches reapply for their jobs each year.  There is no timetable for hiring a new coach, but Peters said he intends to find the best candidate for the job.

“We have a very bright future for this team,” Peters said. “Whoever gets this position will inherit a great squad.”

*Editor's Note: The original version of this article said that Burke sent letters; in fact, said Peters Monday night, he sent one letter.