The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office will not pursue criminal charges against Bergen Catholic High School officials -- including two wrestling coaches -- who have been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual and verbal abuse at its nationally-ranked wrestling program, according to multiple media reports Thursday.
However, a separate 12-count civil lawsuit -- filed in April on behalf of a former Bergen Catholic wrestler who alleged that coaches from the wrestling team engaged in sexual and verbal harassment, while school administrators covered it up -- still stands and in fact can move forward.
David Eisbrouch, an attorney for the former wrestler in the lawsuit, told NorthJersey.com that he was not aware of the closing of the investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.
"In the event it has been closed, we feel that it is premature and that a thorough investigation has not been completed," Eisbrouch told NorthJersey.com. "We shall be sending a letter to the acting prosecutor, Dennis Calo, shortly. If necessary, we shall be contacting the Attorney General's Office. It's our intent to pursue all criminal and civil remedies."
The Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman did not offer additional comment beyond the announcement issued this week.
The original 29-page, 12-count lawsuit, which had been filed in state Superior Court in Bergen County in early April, accuses school officials of conspiring to cover up illegal or inappropriate behavior on the part of school officials, including allegations that coaches shared pornographic images, watched wrestlers strip naked, and sent inappropriate text messages to student-athletes.
In addition, that civil lawsuit alleges that officials at Bergen Catholic High and the Newark Archdiocese tried to protect the wrestling coaches from "criminal detection" in a "conspiracy to endanger children."
The wrestling program at Bergen Catholic was ranked No. 2 in the nation by InterMat at the end of the 2017-18 season. The Crusaders won the most individual titles at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Wrestling Championships earlier this year, with three. They have won 12 individual titles in the last four years.
https://windows10download.xyz/