THOMAS PLANS TO REMAIN A TEACHER

JACKSON -- Bruce Thomas, the highly-successful wrestling coach fired this week at Jackson High School, has no plans to stop teaching.

"I plan to teach and do a darn good job at it," he told the Southeast Missourian Thursday evening.

The Jackson Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night to fire Thomas as coach, a position he had held for a dozen years. Neither his teaching position nor salary were affected.

"I'm going to miss wrestling a lot," Thomas said. "I've been involved in wrestling 29 years as a coach or competitor. Right now, I feel a piece of my heart has been ripped out."

The board announced Thursday that Steve Wachter, a longtime assistant wrestling coach, will be the new head coach. Brandon Norman, a first-year teacher, was named assistant wrestling coach.

Thomas gained media attention when his estranged wife, Donna, shot school nurse Cheryl Litzelfelner over a long-term affair.

The school administration is also investigating an in-class assignment in which Thomas reportedly told students to write an essay on his teaching abilities. Some parents complained to board members, feeling the request was inappropriate.

About 50 of these student papers were turned over to the board Tuesday.

Board member Jack Knowlan Jr. received one parent complaint about the essays and said other board members received similar calls.

"These essays were laid on the table as part of the executive session. They were delivered in support of Coach Thomas," said Knowlan. "It might have been well-intended, but some parents didn't think it was appropriate that kids were asked to write an essay in support of a teacher."

Bruce Thomas wouldn't comment on the matter, saying only that he has tried not to talk about his situation in class. All the media attention, he said, has made that difficult.

Thomas was somewhat surprised to be relieved of his coaching duties. The season starts Nov. 29.

"This has been extremely hard on me," said Thomas. "I've lost my family. I've had to sell my home. I've lost about everything I had."

But Thomas feels lucky to have coached a successful wrestling program at Jackson.

Jackson teams finished second in the state in 1992, and sixth in 1993. His teams won five conference and eight district championships. Between 1982 and 1988, the Jackson squad won 52 dual matches in a row.

Each year he coached at Jackson, students qualified for state competition.

"The community has been wonderful to me during my coaching tenure. The best part of it was the wonderful kids I had to work with," he said.

Thomas said he hasn't decided whether he will watch the wrestling season from the stands.

"If I go, I know it will hurt. It also might overshadow Coach Wachter's efforts and distract the kids and I don't want that," he said.

Thomas doesn't see an end to the controversy any time soon. The shooting trial of his estranged wife still looms.

"Just when I think it can't get any worse, it does," he said.

A faculty member since 1979, Thomas will continue to teach three sections of health and two classes in career exploration.

School officials won't say if the district will seek Thomas' dismissal.

Thomas said he doesn't know what the board will do.

"I've always wanted to be a coach and teacher. I passed up several other jobs to do that."

Although the action was taken Tuesday night in executive session, it took the board most of the 72 hours allowed by law to make the vote public.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education dismissed Donna Thomas as a junior high teacher on Sept. 27. Today is Litzelfelner's last day as a Jackson school nurse. She submitted her resignation Oct. 3.