Settlement reached in lawsuit alleging abuse by coach
Martinez denies all accusations
SANTA FE — A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit five Española Valley High School parents filed over allegations of retaliation and verbal and physical abuse by former basketball coach Richard Martinez.
Española school board president Ruben Archuleta confirmed Thursday that the New Mexico Public School Insurance Authority, the school district’s insurer, paid the plaintiffs “in the range of” $200,000 in the settlement reached last year. Both sides agreed to dismiss the case in July.
Parents Darrell Roybal, Christine Roybal, Jose Serrano, Rick Herrera and Cinderella Herrera filed the suit in January 2017. Their children were on the boys basketball team during the 2015-2016 season.
The suit alleged that Richard Martinez committed battery against a player and parent, including punching the student in the chest in what was referred to as an “Atomic Pound,” or “Atomic Punch.”
It also says both Richard Martinez and his coaching brother Frederick Martinez retaliated against parents and players who were interviewed as part of a 2016 Public Education Department investigation into Richard Martinez’s conduct by removing the students from the team.
Richard Martinez told the Journal Thursday that he denied all allegations against him.
“Kids that are abused, bullied and intimidated, they never accomplish what my kids did,” he said, referring to two Sun Devils’ state championships with Martinez as coach.
In August 2016, a PED notice after its investigation outlined several other allegations of physical and verbal abuse and other misconduct over the course of his career. In May 2017, Martinez lost his teaching and coaching licenses and left Española Public Schools as part of a deal with the PED.
Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez fired Martinez in April 2016 but was immediately forced to resign by the school board. Her successor, Eric V. Martinez, no relation, reinstated him as coach.
Things changed after a new school board majority took over in the March 2017 elections. Gutierrez regained her job as superintendent.