When somebody spends a lifetime teaching our students, and then is abruptly uninvited back to school, an explanation is in order.

This did not happen when the Bremerton School District cut veteran track and field coach Lloyd Pugh.

In fact, it may not be accurate to say it was the district’s decision, as Superintendent Lester Herndon indicated, Athletic Director George Duarte makes these decisions without oversight.

If one is inclined to believe Pugh, an institution in Kitsap’s sports and education community, the dismissal was a result of his public and private criticisms.

If so, if the decision was based on personal friction, then it was a poor decision. Bruised egos may have been salved, but it constitutes a betrayal of the district’s mission to provide students with the best teachers and role models possible.

(Note to educators: Those who stand up and tell the truth are excellent role models.)

Now the people who pay the salaries of Herndon and Duarte are left wondering.