FARMINGTON (WWJ) - Officials for Farmington Public Schools revealed further insight into the firing of four basketball coaches this week, with one facing 'disturbing' sexual assault allegations.
District Superintendent Chris Delgado addressed students and parents in a note on Thursday evening, calling the developments "a violation of the trust families place in adult leaders for their children," after an alleged incident between a junior varsity coach and two Farmington High School student-athletes came to light.
Delgado clarified how the school came to learn of the allegations and the timeline of their investigation which led them to fire four coaches.
The superintendent informed parents that the district launched an investigation into the claims on Monday, Oct. 9, the same day a concerned parent contacted school officials.
"The administrative team immediately began an investigation and by the end of the day, that coach was fired. The case was turned over to Detroit Police (where the former coach lives) under suspicion of sexual behavior directed from the coach toward a couple of players," Delgado wrote.
Every member of the JV basketball team was interviewed and the district enacted Social Emotional Support for all players.
Additionally, they sent messages to families of players in the program and the FHS school community.
Over the course of the next week, their investigation led them to discover that three other coaches in the school's basketball program were aware that players visited the JV coach's Detroit home, a clear violation of the district's policy.
But they never informed administration, Delgado stated.
On Monday, Oct. 16, those three coaches were terminated from their positions as the details of the case broke on local news outlets.
"Our Farmington School Resource Officer and building administration are actively cooperating with Detroit Police on their investigation and keeping our students and their families at the forefront of our safety, security, and support efforts here in FPS," Delgado assured parents and students. "Although the former coach was screened and had no criminal history, we have begun conversation about possible additional steps that can be taken to onboard and monitor newly hired contracted individuals."
All four coaches were hired via a third-party company, Edu Staff, and were screened prior to onboarding. None of the individuals had questionable backgrounds.
Delgado wrote that he hopes the JV coach is charged and held accountable for his behavior.
"The actions of this individual do not get to define what FPS stands for, the opportunities we provide for students, or the character of our more than 1200 dedicated coaches, teachers and other staff members," the superintendent concluded.
The investigation is currently being handled with the Detroit Police Department.
As reported by WDIV, investigators submitted a warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Thursday (Oct. 19) afternoon in connection to the case.
Delgado's full letter to staff, parents and students can be seen as follows:
“Good Evening FPS Families and Staff,
You may have seen recent media coverage regarding our Farmington High School Boys’ Basketball program. I am writing to you this evening to clarify some information. The incident primarily involved the junior varsity coach and two students. This incident is disturbing and a violation of the trust families place in adult leaders for their children.
Most importantly, the students and their families are doing ok and are receiving support from our Social Emotional Wellness teams.
Here are the facts:
All coaches were hired through our 3rd party contracted service provider, EduStaff, and had no criminal background violations.
All coaches received training and reminders about procedures and policies, including mandatory reporter requirements.
On Monday, October 9th we received a report from a parent concerned about the JV basketball coach. The administrative team immediately began an investigation and by the end of the day, that coach was fired. The case was turned over to Detroit Police (where the former coach lives) under suspicion of sexual behavior directed from the coach toward a couple of players.
During the week of October 9th, The FHS administration conducted an internal investigation, which included individual interviews with every member of the JV team, and the mobilization of Social Emotional Support for all players. Additionally, they sent messages to both the basketball program families and the FHS school community.
As a result of the investigation, they learned that the other coaches in the program were aware that several basketball players had been to the coach’s house. FPS has no knowledge of or reporting from student interviews of parties. However, this clear violation of the coach-student athlete relationship was not reported to administration. On Monday, October 16th, the other three coaches were fired.
Our Farmington School Resource Officer and building administration are actively cooperating with Detroit Police on their investigation and keeping our students and their families at the forefront of our safety, security, and support efforts here in FPS. Although the former coach was screened and had no criminal history, we have begun conversation about possible additional steps that can be taken to onboard and monitor newly hired contracted individuals.
The actions of this individual do not get to define what FPS stands for, the opportunities we provide for students, or the character of our more than 1200 dedicated coaches, teachers and other staff members. There are thousands of positive interactions between students and staff that occur daily in our District in a physically and intellectually safe environment. It is our hope that the Wayne County prosecutor will charge this individual and hold him accountable, as our students and their families deserve justice."
-- Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Chris Delgado