Father barred from attending J-M football games sues school district
The father of a Jefferson-Morgan varsity football player is suing the school district in federal court after he was barred from the campus and football stadium after he asked the head coach to resign following a game last year.
Virgil McNett of Mather filed the lawsuit Friday claiming he is being unfairly punished when he “calmly asked (head football coach Aaron Giorgi) to resign from his position” after a game on Sept. 18.
A week later, McNett received a letter from the school district accusing him of “bullying, intimidation, physical or verbal aggression, and the repeated use of profanity,” and that he was prohibited from stepping on school grounds or attending events, such as football games, according to the lawsuit.
McNett sent a letter to school officials in the spring asking them to reconsider their decision, but they denied it, accusing him of “loud, profane, aggressive, disruptive, and threatening” behavior, according to the lawsuit. Another request made before the start of this school year was also rejected last week.
“(McNett) has made repeated efforts to rectify the situation, including meeting with the superintendent and principal of the school and requesting a meeting with the school board,” the lawsuit alleges. “(McNett’s) requests to meet with the school board have been rejected, denying him any opportunity to explain his side of the story.”
The lawsuit claims Jefferson-Morgan violated McNett’s First Amendment rights and has made a “deliberate effort to defame his character,” while also barring him from watching his son play during his senior season, which begins Friday night at home against Leechburg. The lawsuit claims McNett is also concerned that he can no longer pick up his children at school and will likely miss his son’s high school graduation and cannot coach youth sports if the suspension remains in effect.
McNett is also “heavily involved” with the school district and has overseen its youth football program for six years, which he is no longer permitted to do while being barred from school property.
The school district apparently sent information about McNett to a local police department – which is not named in the lawsuit – as a precautionary measure. However, that information has become public, resulting in “hatred, ridicule, contempt, and have lowered him in the esteem of his peers and of his community,” the lawsuit claims.
Giorgi, who was the head coach at Jefferson-Morgan for the past six years, left in March for the same position at Waynesburg Central High School. Brent Baker, who was an assistant coach under Giorgi at Jefferson-Morgan, took over the head coaching position at the school.
The lawsuit requests an injunction to lift the suspension and unspecified damages for defamation.
Anthony Werner, the attorney who filed the lawsuit in federal court in Pittsburgh, declined to comment.
Jefferson-Morgan solicitor Ernest DeHaas said he could not comment because neither he nor school officials had seen the lawsuit as of Tuesday afternoon.