‘Devastated’ Overton denies exposure charges
Lincoln basketball coach says he was just relieving himself in the woods
LOWER OXFORD >> A day after it was revealed that Lincoln University head basketball coach Doug Overton, had been charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct by the Lower Merion Police, the 47-year-old is denying the charges through several attorneys as well as a press release.
“We want Doug’s position out there because he is just not guilty,” said Skippack-based Marty Mullaney, who was the initial attorney of record before being replaced by Weir and Partners of Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon.
“I’ve advised Doug against talking to anyone about this,” said Brett Datto of Weir and Partners. “But I can tell you that the charges will be vigorously defended.”
According to police, several witnesses reported that Overton had exposed himself along the Cynwyd Heritage Trail on April 30. He was arraigned later that day and released on $10,000 unsecured bail.
Numerous calls and e-mails to Overton’s office at Lincoln have not been returned. Mullaney and Datto acknowledged that they’ve advised Overton to refrain from commenting.
“The entire case is a shame because (Overton) is going to be judged in the world of public opinion well before he makes it into a courtroom and proves his innocence,” Mullaney said. “That’s why these cases are horrendous to somebody’s reputation. Doug is not going to avoid that same penalty.”
Pittsburgh-based Worden Public Relations is partnering with Weir and Associates and issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon. Datto said that the statement was in Overton’s own words:
“I went to the Cynwyd Trail on Sunday afternoon to walk my dog, which I typically do three or four times a week. As I sometimes do, I stopped to pick up a cup of tea on my way to the trail. Of course, during the walk I felt the need to relieve myself. With the nearest bathroom nearly a mile away, I stepped off the trail and into a wooded area to take care of business in what I thought was a discreet manner. I then pulled up my sweat pants and returned to the trail to continue walking my dog. That is the only thing that happened. Unfortunately, it appears I wasn’t as discreet as I thought, and some misinterpreted what they saw. I sincerely apologize for my lapse of judgment and the confusion it caused.”
First reported by the Main Line Times and Digital First Media newspapers, the Lower Merion police received numerous calls shortly after noon on Sunday that a man was seen walking the trail with his penis exposed. Motorcycle patrol officers responded and three separate witnesses identified Overton as the man.
“Doug is devastated,” Mullaney said. “It’s devastating to him, his family, his friends, his colleagues. He is a dedicated family man, he’s been married for 24 years and he has two wonderful children.
“But if you read the facts as they’ve been set out by the commonwealth, they just belie logic.”
According to Mullaney, Overton was walking his 100-pound Rottweiler on the trail, which is located about a mile from his home in the 2400 block of Golf Street in Philadelphia.
“Doug was wearing lightweight silk workout pants,” he added. “And with hundreds of people around, three people said that’s what they saw. Our position is that they had to have been mistaken.
“The allegation is that Doug is walking down the trail with his genitalia hanging out of his pants. There is no allegation of masturbation or … that this was some kind of satisfying experience.”
According to the affidavit, Overton stated that at one point he exited the trail behind a tree to relieve himself. According to Mullaney, Overton was later stopped by police as he was walking toward his car at the end of the trail.
“Doug was absolutely shocked when the police approached him and explained what the allegations were,” Mullaney said. “He categorically denied the allegations at the time, but cooperated fully with the police.
“I think if the police would have talked to other people who were on the trail, they would have determined that his genitalia was just not outside of his pants.”
Lower Merion Police Superintendent Mike McGrath was contacted, but declined to comment accept to say: “We don’t get into back and forth with defense attorneys.”
A Big 5 Hall of Famer who played at La Salle from 1987-91, Overton went on to play nearly 500 NBA games with eight teams over 11 seasons, including the Philadelphia 76ers. His coaching experience includes assistant jobs at St. Joseph’s and with the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets.
Overton served as a postgame analyst for the Sixers on Comcast SportsNet for two seasons before being hired by Lincoln in May 2016. There were reportedly 131 applicants for the job.
His only season at the Division II program was mixed. The Lions went 7-20 overall, which was the lowest win total dating back to the 2010-11 campaign, which was the debut season for Overton’s predecessor, John Hill.
Lincoln went 5-12 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and finished fifth out of six teams in the CIAA Northern Division. The highlight of the season was a 67-53 road victory over arch-rival Cheyney.
Calls to Lincoln’s Interim Athletic Director Anthony Pla and Maureen Stokes at the office of communications and public relations were not returned.
The school released the following statement: “Lincoln University is aware of allegations surrounding the arrest of Doug Overton on April 30, 2017. Mr. Overton has been employed by Lincoln University as the head men’s basketball coach since May 23, 2016. The University has made no changes to the employment status of Mr. Overton.”
Jonathan Howell-Clark, who is an assistant coach at Lincoln, said that Overton had not been in the basketball office on Wednesday and declined to comment. Datto said that Overton plans on continuing his position as head coach.
“Coaching is the love of (Overton’s) life, so we all hope he will continue working,” Mullaney added.
A preliminary hearing at the Magisterial District Court in Lower Merion Township is tentatively scheduled for May 23.
“Doug looks forward to getting into the court room and proving that this just didn’t happen,” Mullaney said.