Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education member Mary Wineberg is highly qualified to coach track and field at Walnut Hills High School. She is an Olympic gold medalist, after all.
In 2008, Wineberg ran the first leg of the 4×400 meter relay race that won Team USA the gold at the Beijing Olympics.
But does her new position as head track and field coach at Walnut Hills pose a conflict of interest to her work on the school board?
She doesn’t think so. And as long as she doesn’t get paid for her coaching duties, it’s not against Ohio law.
“There is no conflict of interest. I am doing the job as a volunteer,” Wineberg wrote in an email to The Enquirer. She said she won’t be paid for coaching and that she’ll abstain from voting on any school board matters regarding athletics at Walnut Hills.
“I can still fulfill my requirements as a school board member, volunteer coach, parent, community member, advocate, etc.,” Wineberg said.