CHS Student: My High School Baseball Coaches Were 'Bullies'

Maplewood, NJ – A New Jersey high school baseball program has come under fire from some parents and students who are alleging that coaches and school staff let a culture of bullying take root in the district.

On Tuesday, David DeFranco of South Orange – a former player at Columbia High School in Maplewood – filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court against the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, as well as the school district, high school, the CHS Baseball Boosters and several staff members and coaches.

The lawsuit, posted on Maplewoodian.com, alleges that coaches and school administrators created a “culture of discriminatory conduct including harassment, intimidation, bullying and retaliation.”

According to the lawsuit:

• Coaches allegedly made repeated “lewd, racist and vulgar” comments to him and other players, including alleged racial slurs and negative comments about homosexuality
• “Despite knowledge of the inappropriate conduct, the [Board of Education] permitted the unlawful action to continue”

The lawsuit also claims that after DeFranco began to raise concerns about a possible bullying culture, coaches began to retaliate against him by leaving him out of team events and workouts, intimidating him during a locker room meeting and eventually cutting him from the team during his senior year.

In one alleged act of retaliation, coaches posted a sign in the locker room that read: “Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a team and find ways to win.”

DeFranco is not alone in his accusations of bullying. Randy Nathan, the father of another former player on the team, told NBC New York that the administration allegedly investigated Fischetti and found six instances when his son was bullied or harassed.

SCHOOL, COACH RESPONSE

“Over the last few months, the board has drafted several policy changes that impact our athletic programs including our Athletic Department and Coaches, Sportsmanship, Athletic Code of Conduct and Volunteer Athletic Coaches,” district spokeswoman Suzanne Turner stated.

Several parents have spoken in support of the coaching staff; a video of their comments during a public board meeting can be seen here.

The Village Green reported that during a February board meeting, parent comments in support of the coaching staff included:

• “Getting rid of these coaches will destroy the Cougar baseball brand”
• “[These coaches] taught us how to become men”
• “Coaches sometimes raise their voices and use salty language”
• “You can’t coddle your child”

Varsity Head Baseball Coach Joseph Fischetti, a named defendant in DeFranco’s lawsuit, told the Village Green in February that he disagrees with the accusations of inappropriate conduct among coaches on his team.

“In 16 years in this community I’ve never been accused of any” of these things,” Fischetti said. “If there was a history…I would think that they would have shown up before tonight.”

The South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education will consider re-hiring Fischetti for the upcoming baseball season at its next meeting on Monday, Feb. 22, the Maplewoodian reported.

Board members will also take a final vote on several policies related to coaching conduct and sportsmanship.

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