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."