At Lake Braddock, sexual harassment accusations, personnel changes and lingering resentment. Football coach fired, filed a whistleblower complaint

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At Lake Braddock, sexual harassment accusations, personnel changes and lingering resentment. Football coach fired, filed a whistleblower complaint

Posted by: Fox News ()

Date: June 30, 2017 09:55PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/at-lake-braddock-sexual-harassment-accusations-personnel-changes-and-lingering-resentment/2017/06/29/59a3d00e-5536-11e7-a204-ad706461fa4f_story.html

A tangled and murky saga stemming from complaints of sexual harassment continues to escalate at Lake Braddock Secondary School, with coaches, administrators, players and parents embroiled in a case that began more than 18 months ago and now includes two pending federal legal complaints.

On one side are parents who claim school officials failed to meet Title IX obligations pertaining to the handling of sexual harassment allegations against a former girls’ basketball coach, leaving their daughters subject to offensive behavior for more than two months after a complaint was first raised.

On the other side are current and former school and district officials, who in emails obtained by The Washington Post give varying accounts of when they were made aware of the claims. Clouding the matter is that the parents were unaware of the alleged behavior until the coach already had resigned.

And dragged in from the periphery is Jim Poythress, a physical education teacher and the school’s longtime football coach, who filed a whistleblower complaint May 9 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claiming school officials removed him from both jobs in retribution for being named as a witness in the parents’ complaint.

At the center is former girls’ basketball coach John Giannelli, who spent four seasons at the Burke school. In a recent telephone interview, Giannelli said he was unaware of any claims made against him and that his resignation was a personal decision. Informed that players claimed he had used sexually suggestive language toward them, he denied doing so.

“I know I didn’t do anything wrong over three years,” he said. “I hope someone does the correct investigation — the county, the police department, anybody — so this gets settled.”

The Post interviewed 25 people familiar with the girls’ basketball team and school district and reviewed more than 2,100 pages of documents obtained through sources and open records requests for this story. The school district withheld 432 pages of public documents because they contained privileged correspondence, student information and personnel information.

Giannelli owns Fairfax Sportsplex in Springfield, where numerous Fairfax County teams, including Lake Braddock, practice during the offseason. He has coached in Maryland and Virginia for 22 years and became a girls’ basketball coach at Lake Braddock in the fall of 2012, coaching the junior varsity for one season before moving up to become the varsity head coach.

Four players interviewed by The Post said Giannelli, 53, routinely made personal comments that made players uncomfortable throughout his tenure at the school, but the frequency and nature of the remarks intensified during the 2015-16 season. The four players and their parents spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Post does not identify alleged victims of sexual harassment.

“We never knew what he was going to say, whether it was going to be about basketball or something else,” one player said. “It wasn’t something we looked forward to, going to talk to him. It normally wasn’t always about basketball. There was always that tone of discomfort.”

The players said they had not told their parents of Giannelli’s behavior. They met as a team in December 2015 and decided that one of them would take the matter to school officials. On Dec. 18, 2015, the designated player went with a teacher to share the players’ concerns with Director of Student Activities Michael Clark.

In that meeting, the player said, she described to Clark repeatedly and in detail remarks Giannelli had made to and about members of the team, including comments about their sexual activity and bodies, according to accounts of the meeting. She said she described multiple instances during which Giannelli insinuated the players engaged in oral sex and made remarks about players’ breasts and rear ends.

The player drafted a handwritten witness statement during the hour-long meeting and turned it over to Clark, players said. Several team parents said school district officials have declined to provide copies of the statement.

Clark, who declined to speak on the record for this story, citing a nondisclosure agreement, acknowledged the meeting in an email to Lake Braddock Principal David Thomas months later, after his conduct was called into question: “During the afternoon of Dec. 18, 2015 — the same day that the student and the aid (sic) came to see me, I specifically told you that a player had told me that they were claiming that coach G was using inappropriate language toward some of the other girls during practice. .?.?. We then discussed that I would continue to the monitor the situation.”

Thomas did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls seeking comment for this story.

Meanwhile, players said, Giannelli’s behavior continued, and the players heard nothing more from school officials.

“When [the teammate] went and talked to [Clark], she was trying to stand up for younger girls,” one player said. “But when he didn’t do anything, that made a lot of girls who were feeling iffy [about telling someone] go the other way. They were scared to say anything.”

On Feb. 20, 2016, after the conclusion of the season, Giannelli announced to players in a team meeting and to parents over email he would not return to the team the next season. But on March 1, he emailed players and parents asking to be reinstated. Fairfax County coaches are at-will employees on annual contracts.

At this point, players said, they agreed to inform their parents for the first time of the alleged harassment by Giannelli, in the hopes of preventing his return.

“It was hard for me to talk about with my parents, but things didn’t really even happen to me,” one player said. “I said some things to my father, but I didn’t know how to tell him some of the sexual things. I tried, but I couldn’t get the words out. How do you say something like that?”

On March 3, a parent representing the team sent an email to Thomas and Clark requesting a coaching change. However, the email made no mention of the harassment allegations.

Later that day, Clark responded to parents with an email — on which Thomas was copied: “This is the first that I have heard about your frustration with the varsity program.”

He declined to dismiss Giannelli and the next day distributed online surveys to families of winter athletes, a standard procedure at Lake Braddock after a sports season.

Parents used the surveys to lay out explicitly the claims of sexual harassment.

One survey provided to The Post described Giannelli “making sexual references to a player who was blowing up a balloon, suggesting she had her lips on a condom,” and asking a player who was looking through her purse whether she was “looking for condoms.”

Another survey read in part: “Another time this year two teammates were discussing the size of leg rollers (to work out cramps), and the head coach made reference to the girls comparing the size of their boyfriends’ penis. And then last year when a player was stretching out her leg, the coach commented on her ‘swollen’ chest instead of her swollen knee.”

On March 15, six days after the survey responses were due, Giannelli resigned. He said he left the position willingly and said that Clark did not mention any of the allegations against him when the two met.

“I sat down with Mike and said, ‘As much as it might hurt and I can’t let these girls down, it was too much,’?” said Giannelli, who added that he first contemplated leaving Lake Braddock because he had moved and was tired of the commute. “It was draining. It was time for me to walk away.”

Feelings between parents and administrators grew increasingly contentious.

Giannelli’s departure did not satisfy Lake Braddock parents. In emails to one another, they expressed anger that school and district officials had not followed Fairfax County regulations for reporting sexual harassment and potentially had violated Title IX requirements pertaining to sexual harassment claims.

Federal guidelines state that if a school knows or reasonably should know about sexual harassment that creates a hostile environment, the school must take immediate action to eliminate the harassment, prevent its recurrence and address its effects.

In an email, a parent requested that Thomas, the school principal, open a formal investigation into Giannelli that would make other school administrators wary of hiring him in the future.

In his reply to that parent on March 24, 2016, Thomas wrote he had been “aware of the situation with our girls basketball program. It was brought to my attention the first week of March after a parent initiated meeting with the other families in the program.” He wrote Clark was still collecting survey responses, and, “To my knowledge, we didn’t receive any concerns about the program until this parent meeting in March” after the conclusion of the season.

By the end of the month, parents began a series of confrontations with school administrators to urge them to take Giannelli’s behavior more seriously.

In an April 2 email to Thomas, a parent wrote, “I’m sure you are aware of Coach Giannelli’s .?.?. degrading sexual comments to numerous girls on the varsity basketball team across numerous seasons.”

Thomas wrote to a friend that the parents’ desired inquiry into Giannelli “is turning into a witch hunt for a coach that no longer coaches here.”

In an email to a parent dated May 4, Thomas wrote, “I think we are going to have to agree to disagree with the level of action you expect from me and the leadership here at Lake Braddock [regarding the 2015-16 basketball season]. .?.?. Regarding Coach Giannelli, the school has taken appropriate and final actions.”

On May 6, a parent contacted Eric Brent, the Fairfax County Public Schools Region 4 executive principal who oversees Centreville, Robinson, South County, West Springfield and Lake Braddock high schools and their feeder schools, to request an investigation into Lake Braddock’s handling of Giannelli.

Responding to a follow-up email from the parent, Brent wrote, “Per your request, the investigation initiated on May 6, 2016, was completed on Monday, June 13, 2016.” Giannelli said he was never interviewed as part of the investigation. Parents said their daughters were never interviewed. Brent did not respond to multiple requests to comment.

On June 25, school board member Elizabeth Schultz, who had agreed to keep the parents informed of any personnel developments relating to the case, sent an email saying that Clark had been placed on “approved leave.”

On Sept. 27, Thomas recommended Clark’s dismissal as director of student activities, a recommendation that led to Clark’s email asserting that he had told his boss everything he knew as soon as he knew it.

While on leave, Clark announced he would retire, and the county stopped pursuing his firing. His retirement became official Dec. 31, 2016.

As tensions between parents and administrators escalated, Lake Braddock’s longtime football coach became ensnared in the turmoil. On Nov. 28, 2016, a parent filed a formal complaint with the Fairfax County School Board. The 25-page complaint with 57 enclosures lists one witness outside the basketball program who could testify to Thomas’s knowledge of the harassment allegations: Jim Poythress.

According to the complaint, Poythress witnessed Clark and Thomas discussing the Giannelli situation at the school — once in March 2016 and again in August 2016.

Shortly after the complaint was filed, Poythress, who in 13 seasons had won more games than any football coach in the school’s history, suddenly found himself the subject of uncommon scrutiny from school and district officials.

On Jan. 13, 2017, Karl Kerns, Lake Braddock’s new student activities director, confronted Poythress for letting a college recruiter in the school’s back door instead of requiring him to sign in at the front desk, a violation of protocols that is nonetheless routine practice among local football coaches. Kerns did not respond to multiple requests to comment for this story.

The next school day, Thomas called Poythress to his office, where the pair met with associate principal Laura Waterman for close to 45 minutes. Thomas asked Poythress about his involvement with the group of parents who were voicing displeasure with the handling of complaints about Giannelli’s behavior, people familiar with the case said. Poythress, who had been expecting to be admonished further over letting the recruiter in the back door, was surprised by Thomas’s line of inquiry, people familiar with Poythress’s thinking said.

In an email to Kevin Sills, the FCPS director of equity and employee relations, Eleanor McNulty, Poythress’s sister and attorney, presented a version of the meeting in which she said Thomas told Poythress he was being placed on “Administrative Leave-Unusual Circumstances,” and when Poythress asked whether this was because of the door access issue, Thomas replied, “This isn’t about the door. It is about whether I can trust you.”

Poythress returned to Lake Braddock the next day to turn in his keys to the building. Over the weeks that followed, he continued to be questioned by district officials over matters unrelated to the Giannelli case, including additional inquiries regarding the improper door access and two incidents in which he used profane language toward players during the previous football season, neither of which he had disputed and both of which had appeared to have been resolved earlier. One of the language incidents was later categorized as a “sexual harassment” investigation.

In a March 7, 2017, meeting involving Poythress, Sills and FCPS investigators, Sills asked Poythress to sign an agreement in which the coach would admit to violating the school district’s sexual harassment policy and the county would allow Poythress to transfer the next academic year to another school where a football coaching job was available, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. The agreement also prevented Poythress from publicly discussing all matters related to the case. Sills did not respond to multiple requests to comment for this story.

Poythress refused to sign the agreement, and Sills then threatened to fire him unless he did, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. Poythress then called McNulty, who over the phone negotiated amendments to the agreement — mainly, removing any admission of rules violations — at which point Poythress agreed to sign it.

In a subsequent email to Sills, McNulty characterized these investigations and the leave placement as “reprisal for my brother’s being named as a potential witness by an LBSS parent in his quest for answers to questions .?.?. in a matter unrelated to my brother.”

In April, while still on leave, Poythress was transferred to West Potomac High in Alexandria, then Mountain View Alternative High in Centreville. Next school year, he will teach physical education and health at Edison High in Alexandria but will not be the head football coach.

In March of this year, having received no response from the Fairfax County School Board, the parent took the complaint to the Civil Rights Office at the Department of Education. Before deciding whether to accept the case, that office requires a report from Fairfax County Public Schools regarding its response to the complaint. Fairfax County officials have told parents that it expects to complete its report by Tuesday.

Read These Comments:

Wards678
9:28 PM EDT
Come back to Lee High School! (Many of those students are transfers). We don't have these problems at Lee. Do your research. Our Director of Student Activites is awesome and accountable. Our principal has integrity and cares about our kids first and foremost. We will welcome you back! Hurry!
LikeReplyShare
Put together the facts
8:36 PM EDT
Allegations of sexual harassment (or, indeed, of other types of harassment, such as racial harassment, bullying, homophobia, or psychological harassment) will—following a fact-finding investigation—either have merit or not. Merit is determined through a proper investigation: a fact-finding process aimed at clarifying and assessing the issues raised by the allegations. This article ruins this coach before an investigation has been done. I don't think this reporter did the right thing by writing this article until an investigation has been done.
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Put together the facts
6:51 PM EDT
I agree with you. It sounds like the coach was never told of any of this stuff. They could of done an investigation right away and the truth would of came out.
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sherberg
6:17 PM EDT
Why didn't Lake Braddock respond swiftly and appropriately to the girl's complaints?
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MKadyman
5:41 PM EDT
Sounds like much ado about very little.
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ChaunceyGardner
1:18 PM EDT
This kind of verbal harassment complaint could only be brought by girls against a coach. I can surmise what this coach said to them, and that would've been my high school coach on his best day. Ask anyone on most high school football teams about the coaches and they'd just laugh at this 'verbal harassment'.
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Mrkeyjr
3:03 PM EDT
Any male coach who made similar comments to you should have been terminated immediately. That you fail to see that speaks volumes about your upbringing and your value system (or complete lack thereof to be more accurate).
LikeReply3
ChaunceyGardner
4:01 PM EDT
Spoken like something who's never participated in team sports and was probably in the knitting and sewing club in high school.
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Maxlax41
12:10 PM EDT
Bruinfan - Eleventh paragraph, first sentence: "The players said they had not told their parents of Gianelli's behavior." This was during the beginning portion of the season. No, I am not on the team, but I do know how to read.
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Maxlax41
10:36 AM EDT
If the sexual harassment by Gianelli was so severe, why didn't at least one of the girls tell their parents during the season? Seems like these could have been isolated comments blown out of proportion, especially since not ONE team member considered it not rampant enough to mention it to their parents. Also, the biggest WITCH HUNT is the LB and FCPS admin going after Poythress. Beginning with a serious reprimand for letting a college coach in thru a side door (oh the horror!), then they maliciously revisit past mistakes by Poythress which were previously resolved as fodder to fire him for what? Being honest? Roll up your windows if traveling on Burke Lake Road. There is a rotten stench hovering over LBSS.
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BruinFan19
11:30 AM EDT
Were you on the team? Seems like you think you know a lot. Unfortunately some girls did not speak up to their parents due to the nature of the comments by Giannelli. You really think not one girl said something? Grow up.
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Syrimne
12:27 PM EDT
I am so sick of these stupid questions. These are KIDS. I was that age once. This is about the hardest conversation you could have as a girl that age with your parents. And that's assuming your parents are cool and not complete disasters. Are you really going to insinuate that ALL of these young girls were lying???? Really???
LikeReply3
Mrkeyjr
3:02 PM EDT
Are you a 17 y/o female? Were you in the same situation ever? I love the blame the accuser attitude so many folks take.
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charmcitymomma
10:02 AM EDT
Will Education Administrators never learn?
So many people (and their careers) are being dragged down because Administration (Clark and Thomas) decided to back a sexually harassing coach (Gianelli)! Educators-in-charge, please take note. Kids safety and well-being first! Just ask the Penn State crew....
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charmcitymomma
9:49 AM EDT
If administrators had only had the mindset that their first obligation was to the safety and well-being of their students.....
Note how the teen girl who first reported was ignored, minimized. etc. And everyone wonders, "why don't women report" sexual harassment, rape, etc by men in authority!!! I commend that young woman for her courage.
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SnappyCat
7:48 AM EDT
Investigate. This is simple. this is not hard. If investigation did not take place within 24 hours of knowledge, jobs should be at stake. PERIOD.

BUT ALSO, why are public schools paying money to private "sports complex" to practice in the off-season. Do we not have problems enough with pro-sports at the College level. If we are spending taxpayer dollars to professionalize sports, that is highly unethical. If we are professionalizing HS sports to make money off the backs of public school students, that is worse. If we are professionalizing HS sports just to keep up with the Joneses, that is worse yet.

AND ALSO, This guy left FCPS (under questionable circumstances) and next thing we know he owns a "sports complex" which enjoys the business of his former employer? What are the conflict of interest protections? What were the contractual terms? Did he give FCPS discounts for this service, which, one could argue is not appropriate in the first place???
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HS Sports Fan in Burke
8:16 AM EDT
I don't think the school/county pays all that much into the sports and other activities anymore. They rely on fees paid by the parents, fundraisers, ticket sales and sponsors. I had a child at Lake Braddock doing only a couple activities, and I can't even begin to imagine how much money I've paid in fees, how much time I've volunteered for fundraisers, how much money I've spent on tickets. I don't regret any of it. But taxpayer money only goes so far (apparently.)
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SnappyCat
8:33 AM EDT
Thx...Hope so...the relationship is worrying, however.

One of my pet peeves is that money that is sunk in to sports in HS because people are led to believe there are big scholarships out there (maybe a few...but not worth the investment). Seems like sports is way out of proportion to value...and money is being made off the backs of students/parents...
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Put together the facts
6:47 PM EDT
Bad fact #1 is the sportsplex doesn't even have basketball courts so how does LB or other schools practice there in the off season. Bad fact #2 if you look up the information about the owners of the sportsplex this coach is not one of them. What else in this article could be wrong. Maybe an investigation should have been done before this article was written.
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muhammad abdullah2
6/29/2017 11:13 PM EDT [Edited]
In my country, this is normal practice. NO man should suffer this fate. Coach Giannelli is innocent. SPEAD THE WORD.
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PhillySixersphan
6/29/2017 10:59 PM EDT
Check out Giannelli's Facebook page. He's a Trump supporter. That's explains it all.
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WatchIt2CIt
8:39 AM EDT
You are an idiot, comments like this invalidate everything else you say or think.
LikeReply3
Mrkeyjr
3:12 PM EDT
Why? If the accusations against Giannelli are true, they mirror the language of our current commander in chief. It could very well be a monkey see monkey do situation.
Like1
8496now
6/29/2017 10:51 PM EDT
Kevin Sills is a joke, so is half of the administration in Fairfax County Public Schools! Fairfax will never acknowledge inappropriate behavior by their employees and they absolutely punish the teachers and coaches that speak up or do not condone the inappropriate conduct. Karl Kerns was a nightmare at Annandale and needs to be removed, end of story! Leadership punishes the good teachers when they speak out and protect the long timers! I have had to take a complaint up and get an attorney and the entire administration at Gatehouse was a joke! The did a subpar investigations and only interviewed individuals that would tell them what they wanted to hear! Parents at LBSS keep fighting and take your story to anyone that will listen. Fairfax administration cares more about their reputation then anything else! Go public, very very public! I had videos of inappropriate behavior and they still tried to deny it happened, and blame me for recording it. When the video went public and their hands were forced by legal action they had to address, but still did a poor job protecting the ones the should, the kids!
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PhillySixersphan
6/29/2017 10:45 PM EDT
For the sake of the girls who were harassed by this creep, please ensure that justice is served.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2017 09:56PM by Fox News.

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