Coach Says He Was Fired for Reporting Abuse

[The Straight Story]

Coach Says He Was Fired for Reporting Abuse


SACRAMENTO (CN) - A Catholic high school fired its head coach for reporting the sexual hazing of football players, and shirked its duty to report the abuse to police, the fired coach claims in court.

Christopher Cerbone sued the Diocese of Sacramento, St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School, its president Mary Ellen Ryan, and the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Sacramento, in Superior Court.

Cerbone started working at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School in August 2012 as a P.E. teacher and head coach of the varsity football team, he says in the complaint.

Cerbone claims he found out about the sexual hazing on Dec. 19, after giving his freshman P.E. class a final exam.

"Mr. Cerbone overheard some of the students talking about the junior varsity football coach Sean Morris ('Coach Morris')," the complaint states. "Specifically, the boys were expressing concern about Coach Morris because he let the varsity football players 'punk' them. Mr. Cerbone then asked what they meant, and the boys reluctantly informed him that on certain days when the coaches were not around the varsity players would hold down certain freshmen while other varsity players would either stick their naked buttocks in the face of the freshmen or slap their penises on the freshmen's faces. Mr. Cerbone was extremely upset and concerned and asked for the names of the varsity players responsible so that immediate action could be taken. Mr. Cerbone further questioned the boys as to why they had not informed anyone about the incidents. The boys responded that they had specifically informed Coach Morris about the abuse, who responded that it was not his problem, and that is why they disliked him."

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/03/19/55841.htm

[chervilant]

1. i just read the whole article.

I hope this man gets justice, and the others are permanently excluded from any position of authority over children.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

2. Courthouse News Service is, of course, only reporting a civil lawsuit. It's too bad that the DA

can't/isn't prosecuting the adults as accessories after the fact.

[gvstn]

3. This is why Steubanville happens.

This is considered horseplay and ignored by the police because it happens between young men. If this happened between a teenage girl and these boys it would be considered sexual battery. How, in August of 2012, this is still ignored by CPS is beyond comprehension!

I truly hope this is a multi-million dollar verdict to set a precedent. It is time this looking the other way stopped. This is what the juvenile justice system was created to correct. When a kid crosses the line you arrest him and drive home that this behaviour is absolutely wrong. His parents can't fix this. He learns the lesson and thinks twice before doing something like this again or becomes the criminal he was destined to be. I don't want the kids' that did it lives ruined but I want it taught that this is unacceptable.

To try to peg the guy who reported it as responsible is pathetic. Do they really believe that without him the kids will be safer?