OUSTED CHS BASEBALL COACH FISCHETTI LANDS NEWARK POST

Fischetti

Former Columbia High School baseball coach Joe Fischetti, who was forced out of his CHS coaching job after former players' claims of bullying, is back on the field in an assistant coaching role at nearby Newark East Side High School.

East Side Head of Athletics Adrian Bosolasco confirmed the hire, but declined to comment further on it Tuesday.

East Side Head Baseball Coach Steve Campos, a former CHS freshman baseball coach, said he was glad to bring Fischetti aboard when he took the top coaching spot at East Side this year.

Campos

"East Side's been asking me to come back and I came back to take the job," said Campos, who had coached on the Newark campus from 2003 to 2010. "When the opportunity came up, I said, 'why don't you take me and Fischetti so we can all be together."

Fischetti left CHS coaching ranks at the end of last summer when the school board chose not to rehire him for the 2017 season. He remains a tenured physical education teacher at Columbia.

His departure ended a very lengthy and difficult time for the baseball program, which saw Fischetti accused of several instances of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) dating back two years.

Those claims led to the hiring of an outside investigator last spring to look into the charges and the school board's decision to search for another coach for the 2017 season. One former student, David DeFranco, also filed a lawsuit against Fischetti, other coaches and the district claiming abusive treatment, which has yet to go to court.

Last fall, CHS hired James Whalen, a physical education teacher at Valley View Middle School in Denville who had been an assistant baseball coach at West Essex High School in North Caldwell since 2002, to coach the Columbia varsity baseball team.

Asked about having Fischetti as an assistant given his problems at Columbia, Campos said, "I'm happy to have him here, the kids love him ... Columbia's loss is East Side's gain."

TROUBLED CHS BASEBALL COACH NOT EXPECTED BACK IN 2017

Several recent signs are pointing to troubled Columbia High School baseball coach Joe Fischetti not being re-appointed next spring to coach the team.

First, sources within the district indicate that plans are underway to launch a search for a new varsity baseball coach for 2017, with a job posting expected soon. 

Second, parents of CHS baseball players are being urged via email to oppose the plan to remove Fischetti, who has been under fire for nearly two years for alleged bullying of some players.

An email from the CHS Baseball Boosters has been circulating for the last week urging players and their parents to contact school board members and Superintendent John Ramos to support Fischetti, adding that they have learned he is to be removed as coach.

The letter states, in part:

We have learned that the superintendent may not recommend to the school 

board the reappointment of Coaches Fischetti and Becht for this coming season. 

This is despite a recent investigation that, I understand, has cleared the coaches 

of any HIB violations during the 2015 season, and following a very successful 

2016 season. 

This is also despite the fact that the coaches enjoy support among nearly 

all of the players and, from what we've heard, many of you. 

This is also despite the fact that they continue to enjoy the support of both 

Ms. Aaron and Mr. Busichio. 

Because we have just learned that this issue may be raised at tonight's 

Board of Education meeting, either publicly or privately, I am sharing this 

information with you in case you wish to email either Dr. Ramos and/or 

any of the board of members to express your position with respect to our 

coaches.

Read the entire letter, sent last Monday, HERE.

It's been six months since a former player filed a lengthy lawsuit accusing Fischetti and some of his staff of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB). 

Several other parents have also filed complaints, several of which were found to be valid by the district's own investigation.

Since then, the school district has racked up more than $20,000 in legal bills, with more on the way; paid an outside investigator $5,000 to re-investigate the coach -- and has yet to release those findings; and still has not indicated publicly how it plans to handle the team's future.

Ramos was expected to update residents at the last school board meeting last week, but did not.

Fischetti, who was appointed to coach the team again last spring in a split, 6-3, school board vote, was also allowed to coach them this past summer in the High School Development League.

But according to the Boosters letter, there are apparently indications he is not expected to be appointed coach for the 2017 season. Fischetti is also a full-time CHS physical education teacher, a job that appears unaffected by the latest information.

Ramos and Athletic Director Larry Busichio did not respond to requests for comment on the letter or Fischetti's future as coach. CHS Boosters did respond to an email about the letter, but with no comment about their plans other than to apparently confirm the letter's validity.

CHS BASEBALL COACH LAWSUIT RESPONSES OFFER INSIGHT

Joe Fischetti

It's been six months since a former Columbia High School baseball player filed a lengthy lawsuit accusing CHS baseball coach Joe Fischetti and some of his staff of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB). 

Since then, the school district has racked up more than $20,000 in legal bills, with more on the way; paid an outside investigator $5,000 to re-investigate the coach -- and has yet to release the findings; and still has not indicated how it plans to handle the team's future.

Schools Superintendent John Ramos is expected to update residents at the next school board meeting on Monday, Aug. 22. 

Fischetti, who was appointed to coach the team again last spring in a split, 6-3, school board vote, was also allowed to coach them this past summer in the High School Development League. 

In the meantime, lawyers for Fischetti and others named in the lawsuit filed by former player David DeFranco have filed their responses to the court in papers submitted earlier this summer. 

The responses, filed in June and later amended in July, admit no guilt and claim that the assertions against Fischetti and other coaches are false.

But they offer some insight into how the baseball team coaching was carried out and Fischetti's view of the actions related to DeFranco and other players.

For instance, one of the claims in the original lawsuit contends that Fischetti and other coaches called members of the baseball team "pussy" and made sexist remarks, and at one point allegedly permitted a sign posted that declared a player engages in oral sex. 

The defendants' response states: "these defendants may have used expletives, but denied that they were directed at individual players." It later added that the sign in question was posted, but said coaches did not permit it and ordered it removed.

In another instance, the lawsuit claims that DeFranco was not invited to an off season work out in 2015 as retaliation for his previous complaints of bullying by the coaches. The response contends he was not invited because he had been invited in 2014 and "rarely attended."

In one of the major complaints, the lawsuit claims DeFranco was cut from the team in his senior year, 2015, despite having played all three previous years. The response claims this was because he "was not as skilled as other players."

Superintendent John Ramos

But DeFranco was later reinstated that season and, according to the lawsuit, was confronted by the coaches who "unlawfully restrained David by holding him captive in the coaches office." The claim added that DeFranco was criticized for taking his bullying concerns to the district and Board Attorney Phil Stern, who also handled bullying issues at the time.

The coaches' response admits they asked him why he would go to  Stern and said he should address playing time concerns with them, but denied any other intimidation or abuse in the incident. 

In another claim, the lawsuit states that Fischetti and other coaches made racist statements and discussed sexual activity with some players. The response admits only that the coaches wanted more African-American players to participate. 

The coaches' response also indicates that when one coach "overheard players discussing sexual activities with their girlfriends (he) told them to stay away from the girls who can be distractions."

ACCUSED CHS BASEBALL COACH RE-APPOINTED FOR NOW; INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

CHS baseball players showed up to support Coach Fischetti

Columbia High School baseball coach Joe Fischetti, who has been dogged by claims of harassment and bullying of some players -- including one who filed a recent lawsuit -- was reappointed to the coaching post Monday night in a split decision by the school board.

But the appointment is contingent upon the findings of an outside investigator who will be brought in by the district to review past claims of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) made against Fischetti dating back to 2014.

Superintendent John Ramos announced the investigation prior to the vote Monday night:



After testimony from several baseball players and local parents, the board voted, 6-3, to reappoint Fischetti, and later all of his assistants. Those voting against Fischetti's re-hiring include Board President Elizabeth Baker and members Chris Sabin and Johanna Wright.

The vote followed last week's filing of a lawsuit claiming harassment and bullying of a former player, David DeFranco, by the coaches, as well as claims from another parent, Randy Nathan, that his son was unfairly treated.

Nathan was one of two speakers who opposed Fischetti's rehiring:




But most of those who spoke at the meeting were in support of Fischetti and his staff. See their comments below:

 

Ramos said the investigator would be paid no more than $5,000 to review the allegations and past HIB claims and would likely take two to four weeks to complete the review. If the findings support the claims that unfair treatment of players occurred, Fischetti could be dismissed from the position.

CHS BASEBALL COACH SEARCH COMMITTEE WANTED FISCHETTI AGAIN

Joe Fischetti

A search committee created by the Columbia High School athletic director to find a new baseball coach initially recommended troubled former coach Joe Fischetti, but that idea was nixed by Superintendent John Ramos.

The committee then recommended James Whalen, a Denville physical education teacher and former West Essex High School assistant baseball coach, who was officially appointed earlier this week.

Drew Dix, the newly appointed president of the CHS Baseball Boosters, said he was part of the committee formed by Athletic Director Larry Busichio that included parents and administrators.

Drew Dix

He said they were asked to interview six finalists for the position, which was vacated at the end of last season after the school board chose to open the position to new applicants.

That choice followed more than two years of complaints and investigations into claims of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) by Fischetti, which resulted in an internal review finding that such actions occurred. 

The district also hired an outside investigator, at a cost of $5,000, to review the evidence, but have yet to disclose his findings. A lawsuit by former CHS baseball player David DeFranco was also filed and is still working its way through the courts.

Dix said the search that formally began in late August was halted for about a month in late September, but the Boosters were given no reason. On Nov. 7, he said Busichio told the committee the search was back on and the group interviewed the six finalists that day. 

Among the finalists was Fischetti, who remains a physical education teacher at CHS, and his former assistant, Matthew Becht.

"I'm a Joe Fischetti guy, Joe and Matt put us in a different direction, two straight conference championships," Dix said. "We evaluated them and we recommended Joe. It was not unanimous." 

He said Ramos received the recommendation of Fischetti, but rejected it. "We went with James." 

Dix replaced former Boosters president Bill Krais in September after he stepped down. Krais is among a long list of defendants named in the lawsuit.  

Dix said the parents will work with Whalen and believe he will be a great coach.

"I think it's tough, but I think the way the program heals is to put the focus back on the kids where it has not been, it's been on whatever the board's motivation is," Dix said. "To get the coach together with the kids as soon as possible, we are hoping to do that the next couple of weeks."

School district officials and Busichio did not respond to requests for comment.

CHS BASEBALL COACH INVESTIGATION DELAYED; WILL NEVER BE MADE PUBLIC

Leroy Seitz

Nearly a month after the school district hired an outside investigator to review its findings of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) against CHS baseball coach Joe Fischetti, no findings have been released.

And they apparently never will be.

District Spokeswoman Suzanne Turner said the investigator, Parsippany-Troy Hills Superintendent Leroy Seitz, will not submit his report to the school board until its next regular meeting on April 18. That will be nearly two months after his hiring was announced on Feb. 22 and he was contracted on Feb. 26.

But even then his report will not be made public, Turner said.

Joe Fischetti

"There will not be a public report on the findings," she said via email. "Since we are legally prohibited from sharing results of HIB investigations with the public due to laws regarding confidentiality of students and staff issues. The Board of Education will receive an update during executive session at its April meeting."

At issue are the claims by several former players against Fischetti of multiple counts of alleged HIB behavior. One of the student's parents, Randy Nathan, had his allegations validated by a district review that also included a letter from Ramos supporting the claims.

In addition, another former player, David DeFranco, filed a lawsuit last month with additional claims against Fischetti and other coaches.

Superintendent John Ramos

The school board voted, 6-3, in February to re-appoint Fischetti for the 2016 baseball season, but with the provision by Ramos that Seitz would be hired to review the findings. He said then that Fischetti could be dismissed if the findings provided enough proof.

Seitz was hired on Feb. 26 under an agreement that pays him up to $5,000 for his work. Ramos said then that his investigation would take two to four weeks.

Saturday will be one month since the investigator was hired and there is no sign that the report is close to being completed.

And if the public is not made aware of the findings, as Turner indicates, how will the public know if the HIB claims are correct? And if the $5,000 in tax dollars spent to pay for it was worthwhile?

The CHS baseball team, meanwhile, starts its season on April 1. If the board chooses to remove Fischetti, that will leave the players in a bit of a bind. 

FORMER CHS BASEBALL PLAYER FILES SUIT ALLEGING BULLYING AND HARASSMENT BY COACHES

Coach Joe Fischetti

A former Columbia High School baseball player has filed a lawsuit against the school district, coach Joe Fischetti, and several administrators claiming 17 acts of bullying and harassment during his time on the team.

The lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Essex County Civil Court, claims that David DeFranco, who graduated in 2015, was unfairly treated by Fischetti and others and had his complaints ignored by the district.

The suit names the Board of Education, Fischetti, fellow coach Matthew Becht, and several other administrators. It contends that "throughout his baseball career at school, David was subject to a culture and climate of discriminatory conduct including harassment, intimidation, bullying and retaliation which was and continued to be fostered by" the defendants.

See the main portion of the lawsuit and the first count HERE.

The lawsuit contends such treatment dates back to August 2014, alleging that "Fischetti and Becht and other coaches directed lewd, sexist, racist and vulgar comments towards David and others."

One allegation claims that DeFranco was called a "s---head" and a "motherf---er" by the coaches, the lawsuit alleges. "At one point in time, the baseball coaching staff permitted the posting of a sign that said things such as a male student "[name witheld] sucks d---," the suit also alleges.

Attorney Jeffrey Youngman, who is representing DeFranco, said the district was advised of his intention to file a lawsuit last year, and as recently as late January, but declined to meet with him or his client to discuss the issues.

Youngman said the major issue is that the district has an anti-bullying policy that it does not enforce. "The school district is just not policing its coaches," Youngman said. "It clearly had knowledge [of the bullying] that goes back many years. An absolute case of having a policy in name that it does not enforce in anyway shape or form."

Several parents and players brought similar complaints to the board a year ago at the Feb. 23, 2015, meeting, saying at that time that they or their children were wrongly treated.

At the same meeting, supporters of the coaches and the baseball program also spoke out in favor of their work.

Fischetti declined to comment on the lawsuit, while District spokesperson Suzanne Turner and Board Attorney Phil Stern did not respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit comes just a few weeks after another parent, Randy Nathan, addressed the board and made public the results of several complaints he had filed against the baseball coaches and the district's findings that acts of harassment, intimidation, and bullying had occurred.

The board will consider re-hiring Fischetti for the upcoming baseball season at its next meeting on Monday, Feb. 22. It will also take a final vote on several policies related to coaching conduct and sportsmanship. 

SUPPORTERS OF ACCUSED CHS BASEBALL COACH URGING HIS RE-HIRING

Supporters of Columbia High School baseball coach Joe Fischetti, who is the subject of a lawsuit claiming harassment and bullying of a former player, are rallying to his defense with a petition signed by most of the team and plans to speak out on his behalf at the school board meeting on Monday.

We reported on Wednesday that former player David DeFranco had filed suit this past week in Essex County Superior Court claiming numerous counts of such alleged abuse.

That prompted many of his players to file a petition on Friday with the school district urging that he be appointed to the coaching post for 2016, a decision the school board plans to make Monday when it votes on appointing all of the spring coaches.

The petition, with at least 30 players signatures, stated:

We, the undersigned players of the Columbia High School baseball team, fully support all of our coaches, including Coach Fischetti, Coach Becht, Coach Maietta, and Coach Campos.  These coaches have supported us, trained us, and challenged us.  We ask the Columbia High School administration, including Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ramos, to support our coaches and recommend the reappointment of Coaches Fischetti and Becht, and we ask the Board of Education to endorse their reappointment.

The agenda for the meeting states Fischetti would earn $6,566 for the part-time post. He is currently a full-time physical education teacher at the high school.

The school board on Monday also plans to adopt seven new policies related to treatment of athletes by coaches, sportsmanship, and codes of conduct for coaches. See those HERE.

Meanwhile, all of the baseball players received a letter from Columbia Baseball Booster President Bill Krais via email advising them to show up and counter the claims of abuse with their own views.

That letter stated, in part:

I'm sure that their presentation and attendance on Monday will make us all very proud. I also understand that the players may be encouraging their parents to attend Monday night's meeting to show their support for the baseball program. It would be great if you could join your son at Monday's meeting - and if you feel compelled to speak, even better ... Please understand that if the board does not vote to reappoint our coaches, there is no plan B; it's unlikely that Mr. Busichio will find suitable coaching replacements before tryouts begin on March 5.

Second, you may have read press accounts of a lawsuit that David DeFranco apparently plans to file (if he hasn't already) against the school board, Ms. Aaron, Mr. Busichio, Coaches Becht, Campos, Fischetti, and Maietta, as well as the Columbia High School Baseball Boosters and me.  The coaches categorically deny all allegations made against them.  Similarly, both the CHSBB and I deny allegations made against us. 

See the entire letter HERE.

The Star-Ledger, meanwhile, has posted an online poll with its story about the lawsuit that asks if student athletes are too quick to claim bullying and if Fischetti should have been sued. See those results HERE.

Monday's meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. at the board offices, 525 Academy St. 

LEGAL BILLS RELATED TO CHS COACH PROBE NEAR $20,000

As the Board of Education digests the outside investigative report into Columbia High School baseball coach Joe Fischetti's alleged harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) of former players, legal costs related to it are nearing $20,000.

In addition to paying $5,000 to outside investigator Leroy Seitz to review the district's own HIB findings against Fischetti, the case has also racked up nearly $20,000 in outside legal bills through May from the firm of Schenck, Price, Smith and King of Florham Park.

That does not include likely billing for June and at least part of July.

You may recall that the district hired Seitz nearly four months ago to review its own investigation that found Fischetti had allowed harassment and bullying of at least two former players.

Despite that, and a lawsuit filed by former player David DeFranco, the school board on Feb. 22 voted to re-appoint Fischetti as coach this season by a 6-3 vote. Board members Johanna Wright, Chris Sabin and Elizabeth Baker voted against the re-appointment.

At the same meeting, Superintendent John Ramos announced that an outside investigator would be brought in to review the findings. It was later revealed that investigator was Seitz.

Seitz provided his report on Fischetti to the board in a closed session last week. It has yet to be made public and so far will not be, the district states. The board is set to meet on Monday, but the agenda has no item related to the investigation.

Schenck, Price, Smith and King was retained in January to work on the Fischetti and DeFranco cases. The firm is the district's outside legal counsel at $175 per hour. Records obtained from a public records request finds that firm has charged $19,457.54 from January through May for its work on the HIB case.

DOES CHS COACH INVESTIGATOR HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?

Leroy Seitz

The investigator hired to examine the internal review of CHS baseball Coach Joe Fichetti -- who was found to have engaged in harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) of at least one former player -- apparently has a conflict of interest related to the investigation.

Dr. Leroy Seitz, acting superintendent of the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District, was hired by the South Orange Maplewood School District on Feb. 26 to review the SOMA investigation of Fischetti that found several counts of HIB by the coach.

Joe Fischetti

The review was announced at the Feb. 22 SOMA school board meeting where the school board voted, 6-3, to re-appoint Fischetti as the CHS baseball coach for 2016. 

Some concerns were raised by board members given that Fischetti and some of his staff had been found to have committed harassment and bullying acts against former player Alex Nathan.

His father, Randy Nathan, has spoken out at several meetings about the situation, while another former player, David DeFranco, filed a lawsuit alleging numerous similar examples of bullying.

In reaction to such concerns, Superintendent John Ramos announced that the outside investigator, later identified as Seitz, would conduct his own review and that Fischetti could be dismissed as coach if the review finds the HIB claims to be valid.

But now it appears there is a conflict of interest between Seitz and SOMA Board Attorney Phil Stern, who is also the district's HIB coordinator and who oversaw the Fischetti investigation.    

Records with the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District indicate Stern was employed there as a labor counsel in 2009 when Seitz was previously superintendent.

Seitz and the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District did not respond to requests for comment, while Stern also has not responded.

South Orange Maplewood School Board President Elizabeth Baker referred questions to District Spokeswoman Suzanne Turner who issued the following statement:

Dr. Seitz is investigating HIB complaints on behalf of the district. Mr. Stern is
not the subject of any actual HIB complaint, so any past interactions between Mr.
Stern and Dr. Seitz present no implications for the investigation. 

Mr. Stern is not the subject of any investigation.  The allegations of HIB are the
subject of the investigation.

CHS BASEBALL COACH UNDER FIRE AGAIN AS HE FACES RE-APPOINTMENT

Coach Joe Fischetti

Complaints about Columbia High School baseball coach Joe Fischetti date back more than year.

We reported on some parents accusations of bullying and unfair treatment of players almost one year ago. At that time, the district -- specifically Board Attorney Phil Stern -- said they would investigate the matter.

One year later, as the district nears its decision whether to hire Fischetti for another year this spring, at least one parent remains adamant that his son, and others, were poorly treated.

And he appears to have proof that the district agrees.

Randy Nathan, whose son, Alex, graduated last year, raised his concerns once again at the last school board meeting on Jan. 25. He took issue with how the district had handled complaints he raised about treatment of his son and some other players.

“There is a serious issue, families claiming that kids are in a culture of harassment, intimidation and bullying on the baseball team,” he told Maplewoodian.com.

Nathan said his son played varsity baseball under Fischetti in Spring 2014 with no complaints. He said the problems started after some parents approached him and asked him to help them with their concerns about harassment and bullying of their sons.

As a professional anti-bullying mediator and consultant, Nathan said the parents hoped he could help them get their concerns addressed by the district.

Nathan said he organized a meeting with Stern and CHS Principal Elizabeth Aaron in August 2014.

“They thanked me for coming to them, took it seriously and I said my biggest concern is that there might be retaliation directed at my son,” Nathan recalls. “They said nothing would happen.”

Nathan said he also filed a complaint on behalf of the other parents and received a response from Stern that indicated their concerns were legitimate and would be addressed.

Months later, when it came time for the 2015 baseball season to begin, Nathan said his son was not listed as a varsity player. He believed that was retaliatory. 

After complaining and meeting with the coach, Nathan said his son was returned to the team, but did not play as often as he had in the past and eventually quit the team.

“During the season, it wasn’t the same,” Nathan said. “He got the cold shoulder. It got really bad. He was miserable inside.”

Fischetti declined to comment citing his lawyer's advice, while Stern and Aaron did not respond to requests for comment. School District Spokeswoman Suzanne Turner said the district could not comment on the issues.

Nathan filed five more complaints between April and August 2015 on his own behalf and his son.

Each complaint received a response from the district agreeing that harassment, intimidation and bullying did occur and stating the matter was “worthy of administrative action.”

The issues were also found to be valid by the Essex County Department of Education and Superintendent John Ramos, who looked into the matter upon joining the district in August 2015. In an Aug. 27, 2015 letter to Nathan, Ramos said the issued had “languished for too long.” Ramos did not respond to a request for comment.

Nathan contends no action has been taken and that Fischetti should not be allowed to coach again this year when the board considers appointments at the next meeting on Feb. 22. 

“Don’t hire these coaches,” Nathan said. “Don’t let them be coaches again. They hurt kids.” 

Nathan raised his concerns at the Jan. 25, 2016 meeting in a lengthy, angry comment during the public comment portion. See that below: