My son plays high school baseball for one of the largest School Districts in our state. 2014-2015 was his Freshman year and it went well. He played and started at 3rd base and batted 3rd in the lineup all season. He was brought up to Varsity for the playoffs.
The following year he was on JV. The Coach called us one night in August of 2015 and practically begged my wife and I to be Treasures of the Booster Club. We hesitated but accepted the position. I remember thinking to myself at one of our first baseball meetings, I would love to know where all this money goes. Be careful what you wish for...
One of the stipulations for us taking the time consuming position of Treasurer was to excuse my son from Spring Break 2016 because we booked a family reunion vacation. One of the baseball rules is Spring Break is not a break for baseball players except the last weekend. We met in the Coaches office and he agreed to it. In September of 2015 the coach sent out emails to parents asking for payment to play Fall baseball. He said “I will accept cash for this as I have to pay umpires, field rentals, coaches and entry fees for two Tournament teams”. The fees were $200 for Varsity and $125 for JV. We paid the $125 cash. Once Fall Ball started I thought there’s no way this costs $7325 (45 players) and started investigating on my own. I checked out the Tournament website and found that the umpires donate their time and the fields are donated as well. I emailed the Director and asked him if the umpires still donate their time and he said yes. As Treasurer we have the laptop that runs a Quickbooks program where all the financial transactions are kept. Booster Club wrote checks for the Tournament entry fee and paid coaches with checks as well. The coach said in emails he had to pay coaches with cash. We were also able to see exactly who paid the fees by check and made a parent list. The parents who did not pay the fees with a check are assumed cash payments. Fast forward to the start of the season in March of 2016 I decided I just can’t let this go. So I knew some of the JV parents that assumed paid cash and made up a phony story asking if they paid with cash because we needed that information for tax preparation. Every parent I asked with my heart racing said “yes, we paid cash to the coach”. We confirmed $1225 in cash was given to him and decided to not ask anyone else because we didn’t want to tip him off. After adding things up $4625 in cash was unaccounted for. My wife and I didn’t know what to do with this information. I called the District Attorneys office for guidance. They told me to make copies of everything and file a police report. Two games before Spring Break my son was benched. Keep in mind he never came off the field. We scratched our heads and wondered what the hell. One of the baseball policies is parents cannot ever discuss playing time with a coach. We went on the family reunion trip over Spring Break. Once we returned our son was benched for the next two games. Now Im furious but respect the policy. We then receive an email stating:
Good afternoon,
Due to your son missing 2 games during spring break, he has the following discipline to complete:
1. Run 35 miles
a. The most he can run in 1 day is 5 miles.
b. The minimum he can run in 1 day is 5 miles.
c. He must complete his minimum requirement during a normal practice day, 3:30-6:00.
d. He can only run his minimum requirement during practice time.
e. If he fails to complete his minimum requirement for a day, his total will not be reduced.
2. When he has completed his 35 miles, he will be reinstated to the team.
3. He will have to earn his playing time from that point on.
As a runner who has completed two marathons in the last 6 years I know this “discipline” is unattainable. Two things will happen 1. He will get injured 2. Accepting this would inevitably keep him out of the program due to the stipulations and available practices during the week. So we decided to contact the Principal for a meeting before our son attempts this nonsense. She agrees to meet on short notice along with the Athletic Director and the first thing out of her mouth is “ you are more than welcome to drop out of the program” we both screamed at the same time “ARE YOU KIDDING ME”. Furious my wife tells the Principal if my son goes out there and gets injured you will regret it. I jump in and explain how running these type of miles takes time and discipline to ramp up and it’s unattainable. She finally agrees and calls off the discipline. My son never played an inning for the rest of the season. He was asked up to Varsity for some reason but had to pay $100.00 for a pair of pants that cost $45.00. Not wanting to make waves we paid the $100.00 fee with a check.
On 5/20/16 we contacted the Police and filed a report. We were contacted by an investigator who after only a few phone calls and emails stated “the DA's office advised her for us to go through the school because this must be worked out by the school district and they are the ones who will prosecute”. We never met the Detective and she never looked at any records.
On 6/8/16 the Booster Club receives a check request form to pay a vendor $418.75 for silk screened Camp baseball t shirts. We write a check to the vendor and send it off. After we sent it we realized the shirts are for the coaches personal summer camp program and has nothing to do with the high school team.
We decided to call a meeting at our house with the Booster Club President and Athletic Director. We meet on 6/21/16 and at my dining room table proceed to tell them the situation with the check request and missing cash. They were both shocked and went immediately to the school to inform the Principal. We received an email from the Principal stating there are strict protocols in place and she will keep us updated. 8 weeks go by and I start sending emails to upper levels of the school district requesting an internal investigation and audit. Finally I get a response from Legal Services stating " I'm not in charge of this matter and I'm trying to determine who is".
Keep in mind the Booster Club President and Vice President both served as Principal at the High School. Plus the Principals son played on Varsity.
In 6/25/16 Booster Club receives a Deposit form with a check for $418.25 from non other than the Head Coach for “reimbursement”. We refused to deposit the check.
On 8/29/16 we contacted School District Police and filed a report. That meeting took over 2 hours and was recorded. They confiscated the reimbursement check.
On 9/5/16 we received an email from the school districts Audit Department asking to meet and turn over Booster Club documents for an audit.
On 9/19/16 we receive a certified letter from an attorney stating the coach has retained him/her and to not to discuss this with any parents or players because it would create a negative atmosphere.
On 9/21/16 we receive a certified letter from the School District stating “the Booster Club is a separate entity and the District takes no responsibility in how the Booster Club has operated”.
In the mean time ever since the request for an audit from the District I have been trying to schedule a day to meet with the auditor and provide the documents. Unbeknownst to us the audit was cancelled and the Booster Club was dissolved.
On 11/15/16 The School District Detective comes to my home and drops off the case files and the check and said “we do not have jurisdiction to investigate this case even though the law has been broken and I should contact the District Attorneys office for assistance”. I asked him what did the coach do with the cash. He would not answer.
On 1/14/17 I email the Public Integrity Division at the District Attorneys office and inform them of the situation.
On 1/17/17 We get a call from Public Integrity asking to meet to discuss the situation and to send all files electronically. So we get one of those Apps that scans and start sending over files. The last file I send is a copy of the Attorneys letter. We arrive downtown and are set up in a conference room. The Assistant DA says I’ll go grab the Forensic Auditor and return. On the table next to me are the multi copied legal papers typed out with the coaches name and numerous lines of information. I want to grab it and read it but too afraid they would walk in. So I say to my wife “they are going after him now” They return, sit down and we are introduced to the Forensic Auditor. He has a strange grin on his face. The Assistant DA proceeds to tell us they are unable to discuss this case because the Attorney the coach hired is the District Attorney. The new DA just took office in January and this is a conflict of interest. The case would need to go before a Judge and he/she would need to appoint a Special Procecutor.
On 4/17/17 I call Public Integrity and they verify that yes a Special Procecutor was hired and they gave me his contact info.
In the meantime my son is a Junior on Varsity and is the backup “second baseman”. He’s too big and slow for that position but I can’t say anything. Towards the end of the season the coach tells my son you are going to be a first baseman now and get ready because you will be starting if you beat out the starting senior. Playoffs roll around and to my dismay my son is starting at first base. He played really well considering his limited time at that position. They lost in the first round and the season ends. At the end of every year the coach sends out a detailed end of year evaluation and expectations for next year. His final comment was you are the starting first baseman for next year and need to take 100 ground balls a day in the off season.
On 6/27/17 we meet the Special Procecutor and his private investigator go over the case.
Summer ball (school team players only) rolls around and he plays one inning a game at first base. Towards the end of the season we drive an hour in traffic to a game only to discover the game has been scheduled at another location. We call another parent and they confirm an email was sent out last minute. We did not receive it. So we drive another hour and 10 minutes and arrive in the 6th inning. Very disappointing.
My sons senior year of school starts and on the very first day of school practice the coach lines up all the players and gives them their position. The coach tells my son you will not be playing any fielding positions and will only have the opportunity to be the designated hitter. As a parent to here this come out of my sons mouth was sickening.
On 1/17/18 we received an email from the Principal demanding the return of all Booster Club documents and the laptop because District Policy states all records belong to the school. That policy does not exist. As Treasurer bylaws state I could request past documents for review. I did and had everything in my possession from 2012 to date.
1/18/18 I email the Special Procecutor and tell him about the situation and he asks to meet at my house the next day and takes possession of all documents.
At this point we are not getting the parent email communication. I send the Athletic Director and Principal an email asking for clarification. The Principal proceeds to tell me due to the allegations I’ve made against the coach, relentless emails and School Board reviews that the Assistant Coach will be forwarding all of the head coaches emails to us. Not wanting to rock the boat anymore we accept it. Two weeks ago they have a game scheduled for Wednesday an hour and 20 minutes away. I’m at a facility playing ball with my younger son and on the way out I see one of the players girlfriend. I ask her if she’s going to the game. She said it was changed to Thursday. We contact another parent and an email was sent out with the rescheduled info. We did not get one. I contact the Superintendent and inform him of the situation. The Principal then responds with “as previously explained the reasons why communication is shared with you via Asst. Coach including Head Coach being advised by his attorney to avoid direct communication with you until the conclusion of this case. I will continue to facilitate and respond to any concerns you have given the circumstances”
This was the first of us hearing about his new Attorney and decided we are no longer taking this BS and contacted the Superintendent again to say: All I’m doing is requesting to be included in the mass email that all baseball parents receive. This is not the coaches personal baseball team and his attorney should not be allowed to play a role in the communication process within a public school. The next day we are placed back on the Head Coaches contact list.
My son was told before the first scrimmage of the season that he was tied with another player for Designated Hitter. My son was given the start at DH. We arrived an inning late and as soon the coach saw us our son was replaced with the other player.
Facts:
This baseball program brings in on average $60,000-$70,000 per year through athletic consumable fees and fundraising. At the end of the season the account balance is in the hundreds. So at the end of this season for 3 levels of baseball teams to play 4 years of highschool ball is over a quarter million dollars. We don’t even have a home field.
Booster club has written personal checks over $22,000 directly to the Head Coach.
Thousands of dollars are unaccounted for above and beyond the cash from past years.
As I’m writing this the school team is at a 4 night away Tournament. We didn’t go because it’s a five hour drive and can’t miss work. They have played 3 games to this point and my son was finally put in to bat in game 4. He walked.
