Greece Wrestling Coaches Resign
Jane Flasch (Greece, NY) 01/18/05 – Two middle school coaches at the center of a controversy in Greece have resigned their positions.
District officials said the resignations were voluntary, and not the result of disciplinary action.
The district disputes a sixth grader’s claims that he was sexually assaulted in a locker room which should have been supervised.
The coaches are not teachers at the school. According to school board members they were hired in February to expand the wrestling program beyond JV and Varsity into the middle schools.
Anne Miller is a former school board member and community activist who questions why the current Greece board has not begun its own investigation.
“They do have a responsibility to look into why these coaches resigned, “Miller said.
The controversy began when a 6th grader said he was held down and sexually assaulted by older wrestlers. The district concluded there was no sexual contact–just “horseplay”–and briefly suspended two students.
School board member Bill Grason said the district has told the board very little.
“I think the board should be allowed to ask some questions and get some answers from the administration. More information should be forthcoming, “Grason said.
Former board member Miller said, “I believe they need to be more involved in demanding the information the administration has collected”¦they have a responsibility to this little boy and his family. “
Greece school board president Gerry Phelan said the board has been assured by the police department that their investigation will take days — not months. He said it is responsible behavior for the board to wait until the investigation is complete.
Medical reports document injuries which are consistent with the boy’s story, but the injuries could have been caused in other ways, according to investigators.
Officials would not say how experienced the coaches were, or whether they had sufficient training and experience to work with students.
However, the coaches were required to possess New York State Certification or acquire a temporary coaching license–that is school policy.
The intramural wrestling program at Greece Athena is on hold. No practices or meets.
Greece police are still investigating.
Wrestling Gear
