what’s up with coach touchy feely in the west chester school district?

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In January, West Chester Area School District ballyhooed the maintaining of their bond rating.  But as I have said before, if you are an issuer of debt and rated by issuer paid ratings agencies, in a sense you get what you pay for.  Wonder what today’s news will do to their rating/reputation?

Yes, I make no bones about being skeptical and somewhat jaded about public school systems in PA, and yes I am a pure product of private school.  But truthfully, that occured because at the time my parents worried about what we would learn and not learn in Lower Merion School District, and I am forever grateful they sacrificed so we could go to private school. Not that private schools don’t have coach issues – Shipley had one a year ago when a squash coach found himself in the hot seat for having an affair with a student.  I lost track of the case in September, so I am not sure what happened to the guy James Civello (the former Shipley coach)  in the end.  If I am reading the court docket correctly, he has not yet had his trial.

I am indeed critical of public school systems, but heck, all you have to do is follow a non-profit action organization called LMVUE and other grass-roots groups that fight for public school education and you will get an education of your own.

When I was first introduced to the West Chester Area School District I was appalled by what they called education in the elementary and middle schools.   Let’s start with how much bullying is tolerated in the elementary and middle schools, how they don’t really want gifted student programs, and many other issues.  What happened to the language programs in at least the elementary schools? What’s up with in essence, science in a box?  I saw first hand via a friend, what qualified as “homework” in basics like social studies.

I said it before and I will repeat myself, all I see out of West Chester Area School District is a dumbing down of students and paper pushing.   I remember spring a year ago  something coming out about rankings – I don’t remember West Chester being so hot when it came to stacking up side by side against other school districts.  According to the Philadelphia Business Journal the top ten included Tredyffrin-Easttown, Radnor, Lower Merion, Unionville-Chadds Ford, Central Bucks and others.  But not West Chester. West Chester according to the statistics was 41 in this ranking of PSSA scores.

But now we flash forward to the giant high schools, and today’s news brings the news of a touchy feely coach.  A swim coach at Bayard Rustin High School named Kenneth Fuller, who judging from NBC10’s 11 a.m. news report lives in West Goshen has been accused of doing some non-swimming stroking with an underage girl he was coaching.

O.k. …ICK.  Just ick.  I do not and never will get older guys who have this Lolita fixation.  And it is not the first teacher I have heard of doing this, as these things are unfortunately in the news far too often.  And then of course there are the incidents which never make it to the news or get reported beyond family.

For example, way back when I was in high school I used to do an occasional appearance as a catering extra hand with a friend from high school – it paid better than baby-sitting.  This one summer she and I were extra servers at a very Main Line wedding.   I was either 16 or 17 and one of the guests, a man at that time I believe close to 30 if not a little older came onto me.  It was very creepy.

What was even more creepy is when he called me up at my parents’ house a few days after the wedding like he was some teenage boy asking for a date.  Unfortunately for him, he was one of those obnoxious touchy feely men who was a known quantity on the teen girl circuit, and he had actually approached another girl I knew at the time.  I made it simple for him, I told him if he ever called me or bothered me again I would tell all my friends, my father, and all my parents’ friends.  That worked like a charm.  I never outed the guy, and see no point now since in essence my friends and I rendered him a failure to launch at the time and scared the crap out of him, but when I would occasionally see him as an adult at things with his wife and family I was hard pressed not to vomit.

So, this whole West Chester incident, while disgusting if true, is not surprising.  You just never know what lurks behind a seemingly nice package.  Human nature is a funny thing.

However, I did find what the West Chester Area School District Superintendent Jim Scanlon said this morning on the 11 a.m. NBC10 news cast somewhat disturbing.  When he was speaking about the incident he said that this Kenneth Fuller was not a teacher, just a coach.  News flash: IT DOESN’T MATTER.  What matters is that the school district hired him and if the allegations are proven true, they had this guy around students.  And besides, isn’t coaching in a sense, teaching?  Instead of teaching academics, coaches instruct/teach with regard to various sports?

Schools always protest when one of these relationships is outed that they did background checks, criminal checks, etc.  So I have to ask, is there something else they should be doing, or perhaps paying for more thorough background and criminal checks? (there are different levels of checks – I know because I used to perform them as part of my previous job.)

This distinction made by West Chester Area School District Superintendent Jim Scanlon that Fuller “was not employed as a classroom teacher.  Like all employees, Mr. Fuller had state and federal criminal history clearances and child abuse clearances before he was hired” just doesn’t sit right.  To me it is like there is a subliminal message or the school district preparing to do a Pontius Pilate.

Parents need to start asking this school district some tough questions.  And if they don’t get the answers they need, they should work to get a new school board and administration.  Yes, these incidents happen.  But the true test is in how the school district handles this issue, not just how a purported criminal act is investigated and disposed of through the judicial system.  The school district needs to be accountable for their staff….no matter who they are.

As for this coach, shame on him.  The trust of students and young people in general is a very big deal.  Not only do you have a part in shaping the adults they will become, you are the adult in the equation.  If this is true, this coach deserves what he gets.

Here’s the media on this:

VIDEO

NBC10: Swimming Coach Has Sex With H.S. Student: Cops

A swimming coach in the West Chester Area School District is accused of posing as a student’s father to get her excused from class so he could have sex with her.

By  Jackie Gailey
|  Thursday, May 17, 2012  |  Updated 8:22 AM EDT

A swimming coach at Bayard Rustin High School in Chester County was arrested Wednesday, he’s accused of having sex with an underaged student.

Kenneth Fuller, 47, is charged with institutional sexual assault, corruption of a minor and related charges.

He was arraigned late Wednesday night and only NBC10 was there as he was escorted to Chester County Prison after failing to make his $250,000 bail.

Fuller met the female victim away from the school on three occasions between April 27, 2012 and May 2, 2012 and had sex with her, according to Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan…… pretended to be the victim’s father and had the victim excused from school for a fake doctor’s appointment so that they could have sex, according to Hogan…..NBC10 has obtained a letter sent home to parents by West Chester Area School District Superintendent Jim Scanlon. It reads in part:

“Mr. Fuller had been employed in the West Chester Area School District since the 2009-10 season as the coach for the boys and girls swimming team.  He was not employed as a classroom teacher.

Here is the press release from West Chester Area School District:

Rustin HS Boys and Girls Swimming Coach Arrested

May 16, 2012

Dear Parents,

I am very sorry to inform you that Rustin High School Boys and Girls Swimming Coach Ken Fuller was arrested this afternoon for allegations of committing Institutional Sexual Assault, Corruption of a Minor and related charges according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.

Mr. Fuller had been employed in the West Chester Area School District since the 2009-10 season as the coach for the boys and girls swimming team. He was not employed as a classroom teacher. Like all employees, Mr. Fuller passed state and federal criminal history checks and child abuse history clearances Mr. Fuller had no reports of any improper conduct during his employment with the district.

We take student safety very seriously and are cooperating with the District Attorney and police. Mr. Fuller has been notified that he is not permitted on school property, nor permitted access to any of our students.

We are in no means trying to be inflammatory by releasing this information to parents.   We are trying to be as sensitive as possible to the students involved and impacted by this, however we would rather you hear this news from the school district first, before reading about it in the newspaper or social media. We respectfully ask for your sensitivity to this school community and privacy to the students impacted

The school district is very concerned about these charges and very much regrets any concerns they have caused students, parents, staff and our school community.

Parents who want more information about the investigation should contact Ms. Elizabeth Pitts in the Chester County District Attorney’s office at 610-344-6801. Parents may also contact my office at 484- 266-1018. We will provide counseling to students and staff.

Thank you for your support during this troubling experience.

Dr. Jim Scanlon

Superintendent of Schools

Posted: Thu, May. 17, 2012, 3:00 AM

By Sam Wood

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

A West Chester high school swim coach was arrested Wednesday on charges that he posed as a swimmer’s father, plied her with beer, and had sex with her.

Kenneth William Fuller, 47, head coach of the Bayard Rustin High School swim team, was charged with felony sex assault and corruption of a minor.

“This was a despicable violation of trust,” said Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan.

A member of the team, a teenage girl, told police that Fuller took her to a Kennett Square hotel April 27 and gave her “multiple” beers, court documents state. They had sex twice at the hotel, the documents allege.

On May 2, officials at Rustin received a phone call from a man who identified himself as the girl’s father, telling them the girl had a doctor’s appointment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to court papers. After leaving school early, the girl met Fuller at the same Kennett Square hotel for sex, the papers state.

 

By MICHAEL N. PRICE mprice@dailylocal.com

Posted: 05/16/12 07:08 pm Updated: 05/16/12 10:36 pm

A 47-year-old West Chester Rustin High School swim coach was arrested for allegedly having sex with an underage student-athlete, the Chester County District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday.

12 thoughts on “what’s up with coach touchy feely in the west chester school district?”

  1. Nicely written but you’ve forgotten one thing. Accused is not guilty. Proven guilty is guilty. I happen to know Ken Fuller and if these accusations are true than I feel for the girl and her family. But… I will not rush to judgement and in my heart I can’t believe the accusations. I’ve known Ken for 20 some years. I know his wife and family. I think he’s been tried and found guilty before he even has a chance to say a word. And that is not what this country is founded on. Let’s let the system have a chance to work before we condemn both Ken and the entire West Chester Area School District. My older boy graduated from East and just graduated from Kutztown. He was given an excellent education. My younger son is a freshman at East. I have no complaints but then I didn’t have the privilege you seem to have had to have parents who could afford to send me to a private school.

    • I never said he was guilty, even if it seems there is no denial he had relations of some sort with an underage girl, correct? If he is guilty, he deserves what he gets. I feel sorry for his wife and family no matter what, and as for the school district? Really? They are not above reproach here and this district has *issues* no matter what your experience was at East.

      And if you are going to go all “privilege” on me because my parents chose to sacrifice and send us to private school because in part of what they saw in the public schools where I grew up, we are pretty much done here. I will not apologize for being grateful I could go to private school. Public school would have eaten me alive when I was a kid.

      Opinion is a two way street. You have yours, I have mine. I can agree to disagree, can you?

      • First of all, I’ve spent my live agreeing to disagree. I am usually quite easy to get along with.

        As for sacrificing so kids could go to private school, no amount of sacrifice would have had my mom who often had to choose which bill to pay, be able to choose where we went to school. I was addressing it because you brought it up. As for privilege, I’m happy for you. I’m always happy for others. I personally believe in the public school system and while I can afford to send my kids anywhere they want to go, I think learning how to deal in the real world is very important and being in the public school environment provides a better example of that than private school does. If you do not have children in the district and did not attend yourself, the “issues” you speak of are second hand information. Yes. We can agree to disagree.

        When you put forth an opinion as forcefully as you have, you need to expect to be disagreed with. As far as Ken denying the charges, I don’t see where a quote from Ken was allowed anywhere. He was just arraigned last night. I don’t believe he’s had a chance to refute anything publicly or otherwise. I have room in my heart for his innocence. If you didn’t say he was guilty, what do you call “coach touchy feely?”

        I can only speak to my experience of the district and that has been, with both sons, a good one.

        I am not attacking you so please don’t take it as such. I didn’t write this post, you did.

      • No one said you weren’t easy to get along with. I appreciate this topic is seriously personal to you, and I admire your loyalty to your friends. Nevertheless, I did not create this topic, and I have written upon published media reports and how I feel personally about adult men who are inappropriate with young girls. As for the school district in West Chester, you are very lucky that your kids have had positive experiences, because as you know, that isn’t what always happens no matter how large or small a district.

        I refer to this coach as coach touchy feely because that is what sprang to mind when the news broke, along with a sense of disgust on the issue and pity for his family. And pity to an extent for this coach a grown man if these allegations prove true. All opinion, all perfectly acceptable. Again, I get your outrage towards my post because you have a personal connection to him and his family. And for THAT alone I hope this ends up being not true because of the sense of betrayal that you might possibly feel if the allegations are true, along with what his family will suffer as a result through no fault of their own.

        As for him not making a statement, I saw microphones and cameras near him as they bought him in and out of wherever and he said nothing. I also imagine he has been advised by counsel to say nothing.

        If he ends up being innocent, I will delete this post or replace it with an updated one. Until then, it stands. The great thing about this country is you are allowed to express personal opinion. That is what a blog is to a large extent.

        I will leave the private vs. public school thing alone. It seems to be a touchy subject, and again, I will not apologize for having been a product of private schools – which incidentally, also have issues, and if you were more familiar with my years of blogging you would know I have expressed opinion there as well that has not necesarily always been either positive or flattering.

  3. WCASD ESPECIALLY STETSON HAVE SOME REALLY RACIST TEACHERS AND A ASSISTANT PRINCIPLE WHO LIES ON STUDENTS AND NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT IT I HAVE CALLED THE SUPERINTENDENTS OFFICE FOR HELP WITH ALL THE NONSENSE THAT MY FAMILY HAS HAD TO ENDURE THE LAST TWO YEARS. MY CHILD IS SCARED TO DEATH OF THIS PRINCIPLE BECAUSE HE IS NOW WATCHING AND STARTING AT HER EVERYDAY HE HAS TOMAKE

    • Remember if you have a problem that crosses lines contact the Chester County District Attorney’s office regarding the school district as the articles in the papers and the TV reports today suggest.

  4. TO SAY SOMETHING TO HER EVENTHOUGH HE WAS TOLD NOT TO SAY ANYTHING TO HER. HE CONTINUES TO HARRASS HER AND I CAN’T GET ANY HELP….NEXT STEP I GUESS WILL BE TO GET A LAWYER AND SHOW THE DISTRICT WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON….MONEY WILL NOT CONTINUE TO COVER UP WHAT IS GOING ON I. THIS SCHOOL!!!!

    • Thank you for commenting. Remember, blog admins can see where the comments come from. Post your comments, remember the truth is your best defense and if you have a problem that crosses lines contact the Chester County District Attorney’s office regarding the school district as the articles in the papers and the TV reports today suggest.

  5. Pingback: a word from your friendly neighborhood blogger | chestercountyramblings

  6. As always, excellent journalism Carla, the truth will come out!

  7. Pingback: coach touchy feely pleads guilty | chestercountyramblings

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