County schools back out of coaching hire
 
Dustin Edward McCollister, who was recently considered for an assistant coaching position for the Loudon High School baseball team, will not be in the dugout this coming season.
 
McCollister, 30, of Lenoir City, was approved by Loudon County Board of Education at the Nov. 9 meeting to be a coach pending a positive background check.
 
Director of Schools Jason Vance said after reviewing McCollister’s background, Vance decided to stop the hire.
 
“The baseball coach had brought him to my attention and wanted to employ him as a baseball coach,” Vance said. “Typically, we do a background check, and I’ll present it to the board. We had presented him to the board — the board had approved him pending a good background check, and so the Friday after the board meeting I got a background check, I reviewed it and I decided not to enter into a contractual obligation with him. So in essence he’s never worked for Loudon County Schools at all.”
 
McCollister was charged Monday with public intoxication and has since been released on $1,000 bond.
 
The arrest came after Lenoir City Police Officer Jeremy Dishner was called to a local grocery store over concern of an intoxicated person. McCollister was in the restroom.
 
“Upon contact, Mr. McCollister had slurred speech, was unsteady on his feet and admitted to consuming alcohol while in the store,” Dishner wrote in a report. “Mr. McCollister also advised he was prescribed Bunavail, which is an opioid blocker.”

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12/4/17