Just 20 days after leading the girls' basketball team at Bishop Manogue Catholic High School in Reno, Nev., to a 30-1 record and its first state championship since 2003, head coach Sara Schopper-Ramirez was fired.
In an exclusive interview Friday with Nevada Sports Net and the Reno Gazette-Journal in her lawyer's office in downtown Reno, Shopper-Ramirez, one of the most successful high school coaches in Nevada history, said she is in the process of filing a wrongful termination lawsuit against Bishop Manogue, claiming she was fired for not playing the Miners' white players over the team's minorities.
Manogue's girls' basketball varsity roster this season included five minority players out of 12, Schopper-Ramirez said. That included two players who are Tongan, one who is Native American, one who is Samoan and Black and one who is Middle Eastern in addition to seven white players. When Schopper-Ramirez joined Manogue's staff in 2019, she said there was only one minority player.Schopper-Ramirez filed a complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission this week, the first step in the lawsuit process, Nevada Sport Net's Chris Murray reported.
Schopper-Ramirez, who led the Miners to a 64-15 overall record since becoming their head coach in 2020, said she is filing the lawsuit to clear her name of any wrongdoing. Bishop Manogue confirmed to NSN last week that Schopper-Ramirez was no longer employed by the school but declined further information.
As reported by NSN's Murphy:
Schopper-Ramirez claimed in an August preseason meeting with Bishop Manogue president Matthew Schambari she was told her team had a disproportionate amount of kids requiring financial aid to the school that carries a $15,550 annual tuition. Schambari continued to say having such a diverse team was going to create issues within Manogue's parent community. Schambari added, according to Schopper-Ramirez, Manogue needed to be intentional about not supporting a narrative where the school is "paying to bring in these brown kids to come win us basketball games and the white kids don't get to play."
Schopper-Ramirez said she recorded that preseason conversation with Schambari without his consent because earlier that month she received a phone call from Manogue athletic administrator Jason Sterrett requesting her resignation. The recording of that closed-door conversation was provided to NSN, which has not confirmed the male voice speaking in the clip. Schopper-Ramirez, Schambari and Manogue athletic director Frank Lazarek, who recently resigned, were the only three people at that meeting, Schopper-Ramirez said.
On March 14, Schopper-Ramirez said she was offered the chance to resign during her regularly scheduled exit meeting with Schambari and interim athletic director Teresa Burrows. When she declined, she was fired. Schopper-Ramirez said the rationale for her firing from Schambari was she "did not listen to them in the preseason meeting." A two-time state champion, Schopper-Ramirez ranks top-10 in Nevada history in girls basketball wins with a career record of 323-104.
"I'm sad and shocked," Schopper-Ramirez said, as reported by NSN. "It was a great season, and I feel like they didn't care. They don't care about the family. They don't care about the team, the girls. Whatever image they need to portray, it came above all that. I've been coaching for a very, very long time, and just watching my name — 'Sara's been fired' — and then people wondering what's going on? What's the scandal? What did she do wrong? That was hard.
"My name means a lot. I've done a lot in this community, and so just kind of getting my name back and giving an explanation. My son has gone there, and I have paid every penny to Bishop Manogue for the last three years for my son. So, I just want to make it right. They don't care, and it saddens me. And I want Manogue to be able to change. They have good families there. They have good kids there. And they need to make changes for them."
In a statement Friday, Bishop Mangue president Matthew Schambari said:
"I am very proud of the Bishop Manogue Catholic High School community and our increasingly diverse student body, faculty and staff and board of directors. It remains a high priority of mine to protect the well-being, and ensure fair treatment of, every member of Bishop Manogue. Today, I was made aware of an audio recording that I have yet to hear, and therefore cannot verify certain comments that have been attributed to me. Nevertheless, I deeply regret any hurt these remarks, as they have been presented, may have caused.
"The conversation in question – which was recorded without my knowledge or consent – was part of a broader discussion about athletics, the treatment of our student-athletes, and the coach’s professionalism on and off the court. Unfortunately, the entirety of this constructive discussion was not fully captured. The isolated comments, as attributed to me, falsely represent Bishop Manogue’s mission and core values. To be clear, a student’s financial status or race has zero impact on their position on a team or playing time. The decision to terminate Coach Schopper-Ramirez was solely based on what Bishop Manogue felt was in the best interest of our student-athletes because of her behaviors and actions for several seasons. I am not at liberty to comment any further on this personnel decision.
"As President of Bishop Manogue, I am fully committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for all our students and staff, and I do not condone any form of discrimination or racism. The entire Bishop Manogue administration and I continue to diligently improve our leadership practices to make every school year better than the last. I have personally experienced bigotry in my life, and I understand the gravity of the situation and the impact words can have. I remain open and willing to engage in a positive discussion with our parents, students and staff who have concerns about this matter."
