Two Texas high school softball coaches have been charged with covering up a series of sexual assaults — allegedly because the suspects were “good players” needed on the team.
Prosper High School head coach Renna Bersosa and assistant Kasie Ostrom were told on Aug. 7 that one of their athletes had abused three other students during a summer sleepover, according to a police affidavit obtained by the Dallas Morning News.
But Bersosa responded by saying that “the suspect in the sexual assault is a good player, and they don’t want to lose him,” the student who reported it told police.
The head coach told the student to “handle this with the suspect” himself – and told him “if he doesn’t stop sexually assaulting him, he will report this to the coach,” the affidavit said.
The student said he then texted the accused with the warning, the report said, without detailing if there was a response.
The embattled coach was fired from Prosper High School, north of Dallas, Texas. FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
Ostrom also attended the meeting but did not say anything, said the student’s mother who reported to police.
Neither educator went to authorities, even though Texas law requires educators who believe such abuse may have occurred to report it within 48 hours, the Morning News said.
When interviewed by police, Bersosa claimed “he was not aware he had to report the third-party allegations,” the affidavit said.
Head softball coach Renna Bersosa was arrested last week and is on bond. Collin County Jail
Both coaches were arrested – Bersosa on Friday and Ostrom on Tuesday – on misdemeanor charges of failing to report child abuse.
They have also been fired, the school district confirmed to the Morning News.
Assistant coach Kasie Ostrom was jailed Tuesday and has since posted bond. Collin County Jail
None of the students have been identified, and it is unclear if any action was taken against the girl accused of sexual assault.
The district addressed the scandal in a letter to parents, Fox4 said.
Bersosa was named head softball coach in May.Prosper Softball/Twitter
“State law requires educators to file a report within 48 hours when they suspect potential child abuse or neglect,” the letter reads.
“Prosper ISD requires employees to undergo training to ensure they know the proper steps to report such cases.”
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