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http://nwitimes.com/news/breaking/article_...1cc4c03286.html Former LaPorte coach turns himself over to authorities By Christine Kraly and Marisa Kwiatkowski Times Staff Writers | Posted: Friday, December 18, 2009 12:05 am | (7) Comments LAPORTE | A former LaPorte High School assistant girls volleyball coach was charged Thursday with multiple felonies for an alleged sexual relationship with a minor, an Indiana State Police spokeswoman confirmed. And a Times investigation shows the charges could be a second black mark for LaPorte High School's volleyball team in the last two years. Robert Ashcraft, 45, faces two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and one felony count of child seduction, state police Sgt. Ann Wojas said. The LaPorte resident turned himself in about 6:30 p.m. Thursday at LaPorte County Jail, Wojas said. Wojas was unable to provide details of Ashcraft's charges Thursday, including when the alleged incidents occurred and whether they took place at LaPorte High School, where Ashcraft had been an assistant junior varsity coach. Wojas did report that the victim was younger than 16 years old at the time of the alleged incidents and that Ashcraft was not involved at the school other than in his coaching role. LaPorte Community School Corp. officials announced Ashcraft's resignation at a district meeting Nov. 11, 2008. Jim Dermody, the school corporation's assistant superintendent, said Thursday evening that he was unaware of Ashcraft's charges and felt it would be inappropriate to comment. Other school and athletics officials contacted by The Times did not return phone calls seeking comment. In an unrelated case in March, the U.S. Department of Education found that the LaPorte school corporation unlawfully retaliated against a student trainer who reported seeing what he believed was a professional trainer fondling a female volleyball player in 2007. The federal agency's Office for Civil Rights found the corporation violated Title IX when it stripped then-senior Dan Vermette of his student trainer duties after he reported the 2007 incident. Vermette -- who is now a computer specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps -- reported the alleged groping to both the school corporation and an outside employer that helped fund the professional trainer's salary, according to the Office for Civil Rights decision. A school official told Vermette that reporting the incident to that outside employer was "incredibly inappropriate," federal records state. |
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![]() Spends WAY too much time at CBTL ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Admin Posts: 16,432 Joined: 8-December 06 From: Michigan City, IN Member No.: 2 ![]() |
http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2010/0...60502181517.txt
QUOTE Retired coach, parents rally to Lebo’s defense Bob Wellinski/For The N-D Ken Schreiber speaks at Tuesday’s meeting. By Matt Fritz Staff Writer Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 4:17 AM CDT LA PORTE — Parents and community members on Tuesday night asked for an end to the “kangaroo court” becoming of La Porte with its treatment of Head Volleyball Coach Marybeth Lebo. During the La Porte Community School Corp. board’s special meeting, retired La Porte High School teacher and coach Ken Schreiber spoke against community members who claimed Lebo must have had knowledge of former volleyball coach Robert Ashcraft’s alleged sexual misconduct with a female athlete, and without any proof and asking for her resignation on top of it. He pointed out that Ashcraft’s case was being handled in a court of law, while Lebo wasn’t even given that benefit from public opinion. “This isn’t a court of law, it’s a kangaroo court with an emphasis on innuendos, untruths and facts without any substantiation,” he said. “I’m embarrassed by the community of La Porte and these people who say they’re representing it.” La Porte resident and parent James Maurer supported Schreiber, saying he hoped Lebo remained the head volleyball coach due to the way she treated players on the team. “She cared about her players as complete individuals,” he said. “This leads me to believe she did not know about the problem with the volleyball coach.” Joe Otis, Valparaiso, said he knows the coaches and the good they do, pointing out the large number of scholarships they’ve earned for their players, and said he was tired of the vicious trash being spewed about them by anonymous “cowards” online and at the end of newspaper stories, although he did commend those who spoke before the board about their concerns since they didn’t do it anonymously. Taking no stance on innocence or guilt in the case, Miki Young, La Porte, begged for peace among members of the public, saying the disgust and hate being expressed by people in this case were causing more harm than good, and affecting more people than the remarks were aimed at. “It’s easy to judge those you don’t have any kinship to,” she said. “And I have no right to cast any stones, but lives here are being damaged and will continue to be damaged... The words of rage hurt people.” |
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