Seton Hill Ex-Coach Front Page News!

The front page of today's Tribune-Review reads: "Ex-coach charged with scamming students."

An apparent scandal has just been cracked wide open in regards to a volunteer coach on the SHU Men's Basketball team. He allegedly turned himself into the police after being accused of scamming various students out of $17,000 and sexually assaulting another.

To read the full story, click here.

Here are some choice excerpts:

Ranieri joined the school's athletic department during the 2004-05 basketball season in an unpaid capacity, said Molly Robb Shimko, Seton Hill's associate vice president for institutional advancement. In that peripheral position, he was given the courtesy title of assistant coach, Shimko and police said.

Between late September and early March, Ranieri developed bonds with three students in which he promised but failed to provide several goods or services, according to the criminal complaints.

Worse yet....

Ranieri also is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony, because of an accusation that he fondled and sexually assaulted a male student in February after getting him drunk at the student's home. Greensburg Detective Jerry Vernail, the investigating officer, said the victim was unaware of the incident until a videotape surfaced on campus a month later.

Ranieri sent a telephone text message to the victim on Feb. 12, according to court records. Ranieri asked the victim to participate in a business deal involving properties around California University of Pennsylvania. Ranieri allegedly gave the victim liquor, offering to invite young women to the victim's home if the victim finished bottles of Jagermeister and vodka.

After the victim passed out, Ranieri allegedly performed sexual acts on him.

The videotape surfaced when another student, who purchased a television from Ranieri, found it in a bag Ranieri gave him, police said.

And one more time:

The charges against Ranieri are seven counts of theft, four counts of improper use of credit cards, three counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of identity theft, and single counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, furnishing liquor to a minor and invasion of privacy.

In the article, SHU is quoted as saying that from now on, all volunteer coaches will have to sign a form saying that they read the handbook. A great preventative measure that would certainly make me feel like my kids were safe here. (Not.)

Posted by MikeRubino at April 21, 2005 12:37 PM | TrackBack