Former coach sues school district
Eric Kasperowicz says Pine-Richland schools defamed him, fired him unjustly from football team
The former football coach at Pine-Richland High School has sued the district and several officials in federal court, saying they defamed him by claiming he had allowed hazing of his players and then fired him unjustly.
Eric Kasperowicz, whose contract was not renewed in April, named the district, Superintendent Brian Miller, school board President Peter Lyons and Thomas Salopek, the assistant principal at the high school.
Mr. Kasperowicz had been the football coach from 2013 until he was told in April that his contract would not be renewed. The move prompted protests by players and parents upset over the dismissal of the highly successful coach.
After that, according to the complaint filed Wednesday, the defendants made “false and defamatory statements to the public” about him condoning hazing, bullying and intimidation on the team.
Mr. Kasperowicz said he was never aware of hazing. Had he been, he said, he would be responsible under the law to report it.
According to the complaint, Mr. Salopek told at least three students on April 16 that the district had “information that would ruin [Kasperowicz’s] reputation.”
The suit says that statement is false and that Mr. Salopek said it to damage Mr. Kasperowicz’s character.
Similarly, during a news conference on April 20, Mr. Lyons also said the coach was aware of or condoned hazing and “rites of passage” on the team and accused him of not reporting it. Mr. Kasperowicz said, again, that the statements are false because he didn’t know about any hazing.
Then, on May 7, Mr. Miller was interviewed by a local media outlet and said there were “a series of events that have been orchestrated by [the Plaintiff] and others that put students in the middle.” Mr. Miller said Mr. Kasperowicz was aware of incidents of intimidation, humiliation, fights and rites of passage on the football team and that he didn’t report them.
The suit says those statements are false.
The superintendent also said Mr. Kasperowicz had previously failed to report a recruiting violation to school officials, which the suit says is also false. Mr. Kasperowicz said he did tell the “appropriate persons” about the recruiting issue as soon as he knew about it.
In addition, Mr. Miller said the decision not to renew the coach’s contact was unanimous, which the suit says Mr. Kasperowicz believes is also not true.
In a letter to families in the district dated May 7, Mr. Miller also wrote that Mr. Kasperowicz failed to report a “culture of hazing and emotional and physical bullying and intimidation that arose in and around the football program, particularly in the locker room, for years.” The letter also said that Mr. Kasperowicz had previously been placed on a performance improvement plan in part because of his alleged failure to report ”serious matters.”
Those statements are also false, the suit claims.
“Plaintiff reported any and all known concerns throughout his tenure as head football coach to the appropriate persons,” the suit states.
The performance improvement plan never referenced an alleged failure to report issues, Mr. Kasperowicz said.
The complaint says that the school officials and the board president “unjustifiably harmed” Mr. Kasperowicz’s reputation and deprived him of his rights under the 14th and Fourth Amendments.
The suit is asking for compensatory and punitive damages against each defendant, as well as other costs, “including injunctive and/or declaratory relief.”
The Pine-Richland solicitor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In May, Mr. Kasperowicz filed a similar defamation of character lawsuit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court against the school district and administrators.