Longtime Copperas Cove Bulldawgs home game announcer quits

By TAYLOR BETZ
Cove-Leader Press

The Board of Trustees meeting for the Copperas Cove Independent School District (CCISD) on Tuesday saw one speaker in public forum, longtime Copperas Cove Bulldawgs home games announcer, Les Ledger.
During the public forum, he announced that he was stepping down from the role which he has held for 46 years.
But first, he introduced himself as a “longtime supporter of the Copperas Cove Independent School District.”
As well as being the renowned announcer of Bulldawg football games for over four decades, he is a 1962 alum of Copperas Cove High School and his family is deeply entrenched in the community. Likewise, he and his wife were inducted into the Copperas Cove Education Foundation’s Hall of Honor.
“But tonight I quit, and I want everyone to know why.”
Ledger told the CCISD board of trustees that he has quit announcing, expressing his discontent with the district’s athletic department, citing “unfairness, unprofessionalism, and injustice” as the main reasons behind his decision.
The longtime announcer highlighted the case of Jennifer Simpson, a district athletic trainer who was “fired” after 23 years of service.
“They have fired my best friend’s daughter-in-law. She was a trainer here for 23 years and suddenly, without any reprimands in her employee file, she was told to resign if she wanted a recommendation necessary for finding a new job.”
Ledger emphasized to the board that his resignation was not due to personal reasons or declining health.
"I am not on my last leg or some fanatic who wants his 15 minutes in the sun," he declared. "I have come to tell you that Jennifer Simpson has been wronged, and I fear that we have other employees leaving the district, and not just for money.
“I’d call that bullying, and I want no part of it.”
Ledger’s departure will leave yet another void in the Bulldawg football games, marking the end of an era.
His announcement comes months after the passing of “Big Joe” Lombardi, who had announced Bulldawg games on radio for 45 years.