BUTLER TWP — After 20 years of coaching girls basketball at Butler High School, Dorothea Epps will have a 21st.

Epps — head coach of the Golden Tornado for the past 12 years — received a 6-2 vote from the Butler School Board Monday night to retain her position.

That vote came after the athletic committee reviewed the final report of an independent counsel investigating parental complaints against Epps. More than 23 people were interviewed as part of that investigation.

“I didn’t know how this was going to go,” athletic director Bill Mylan said. “I didn’t have a feel for it.

“But the investigation did not find any truth behind the allegations that were thrown out there. In the end, it was in the best interest of the program to retain Coach Epps.”

The investigation was done by JonesPassodelis, a law firm in Pittsburgh, for a cost not to exceed $20,000.

During the investigation, which lasted more than two months, Epps was not permitted to be around her players. Butler did not participate in a spring league nor hold any formal workouts.

Assistant coaches ran a handful of open gyms that some players participated in.

“The people most affected by this have been the girls,” Epps said. “We’re trying to compete in one of the best sections in Quad-A, and we’re way behind now. The (spring) leagues are pretty much done.

“We’ll do what we can to catch up.”

Mylan agreed with Epps’ assessment.

“This isn’t about Bill Mylan or the board or anyone else ... It’s about the kids,” he said. “Sadly, they’re the people who are hurting the most.”

Epps’ reputation took a blow as well.

“I didn’t even recognize the person they were making me out to be,” she said of her detractors. “I was painted like a criminal. Those parents were being selfish.

“If they had put as much time and support into aiding their daughters’ development as they did in trying to get me fired, we wouldn’t have had to go through any of this.”

Epps expressed gratitude to numerous people who supported her during the investigation. She said she never thought of resigning at any time during the process.

“I’m a fighter,” she said. “I don’t ever give up in a game. If I was to give up here, what would the girls in the program think? Coach doesn’t live the talk.

“I had a lot of people in my corner. People were coming up to me, giving me hugs ... people that I don’t even know. There was a lot of motivation in seeing a wrong get righted.”

Butler brings back a young team next season and is coming off a 7-15 campaign. Epps has guided the Tornado to three successive section titles and numerous WPIAL playoff appearances in her career.

But Butler has missed the postseason four of the past five years.

Epps said she has no idea of how many players have been attending the open gyms “because I haven’t been around.”

“I invest 10 or 11 months a year into coaching — time away from family — because I believe in preparing girls for life after high school,” the coach said.

She questions the argument that the program’s numbers are down.

“We have the seventh highest enrollment of players among the 22 schools in Quad A,” she said. “Girls basketball numbers are down, but it’s not a Butler issue. It’s a country issue.”

Joe Marak has had two daughters play for Epps. One is in the program and Marak’s oldest daughter, Samantha, just completed her sophomore season at Pitt-Titusville.

Sam Marak suffered a broken leg early in the season, came back and made all-conference.

“The determination and fire she had to battle back, that came from Dorothea Epps,” Joe Marak said. “My children are better kids today because of Dorothea and Paul Epps. They really are.”

Paul Epps, Dorothea’s husband, is an assistant coach with the girls basketball program.

“They are good people,” Marak said. “Throw wins and losses aside. That doesn’t even matter. Nobody is going to the pros here. High School sports teach work ethic, discipline, desire to succeed ... That’s what the Epps family is about.”

Don Gage’s daughter, Morgan, was a freshman in the girls basketball program this year.

“This was a ‘playing time’ issue from the start,” Gage said. “And some people took things a couple of steps too far. The interaction coach Epps had with my daughter was nothing like the criticisms being made about her.

“The kids were away from the game and their coach for too long all because of an investigation that was unfounded. I think this will hurt the season coming up.”

Marak agreed.

“I’m glad to see the truth come out, though,” he said. “It was wrong, what those parents did, and they should be held accountable. They cost the school district $20,000 (for the investigation) and two months to find out what everyone else knew in 10 minutes.

“This is what happens when parents try to get involved in their child’s sports.”

Ultimately, Epps is happy with the outcome.

“My mother always told me, when the truth is on your side, things will work out,” she said. “Now we have to get it together. We’ve got work to do.”

Assistant coaches Holly Geibel and Ashley Nocera have been running Butler’s open gyms.

“They stepped into a tough situation and did that for the program,” Mylan said. “I applaud and respect those assistant coaches. They showed how much they care about the girls, too.”