Prosecutor says harassment charge in order for Neshaminy coach Jerry Devine
DOYLESTOWN – The Bucks County prosecutor says he will recommend a charge of summary harassment against a Neshaminy High School coach who physically confronted a referee during a recent boys basketball game.
Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler announced the decision this morning (Wednesday, Jan. 13) in the case of Redskins varsity basketball coach Jerry Devine. The D.A. reached the conclusion after reviewing the results of an investigation by Middletown Township Police Detective Aileen Torrente.
The prosecutor said the summary count is punishable by a jail sentence of up to 90 days and a fine not to exceed $300 but added that he does not expect any jail time.
What it means is that Devine won’t face a more serious charge of misdemeanor simple assault. The harassment charge is tantamount to being issued a traffic ticket. Deputy District Attorney Matt Lannetti has been assigned to prosecute the case should Devine request a hearing on the charge.
Devine was ejected after confronting a referee Jan. 5 while protesting an offensive foul call made during that evening’s battle between Neshaminy and Pennsbury.
Video seen on the WBCB 1490 AM radio website seemed to show the coach chest-thumping the official. However, film footage seen from the side-angle and that seen on many television news stations in the Delaware Valley showed that perhaps more aggression was shown by the coach. Some might go so far as to say it looked more like a head-butt.
Devine was suspended from his coaching duties but was allowed to return to his teaching job on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
An article written by Kevin Cooney that appeared in the Jan. 12 edition of The Bucks County Courier Times indicated that Devine will not return as coach.
Neshaminy School District spokesman Chris Stanley declined comment on the decision and said the coach’s status remains unchanged. Athletic Director Tom Magdelinskas, who appointed varsity assistant John Mason interim coach in Devine’s absence, reiterated that statement, saying that Devine is “suspended indefinitely from coaching.”
The incident is also under review by the PIAA, the state agency that governs scholastic sports in Pennsylvania. Melissa Mertz, associate executive director of the PIAA, reports that the state agency is currently awaiting a report from the school district regarding its findings and any subsequent disciplinary actions taken, if any.
The District One Committee, which oversees scholastic sports in Southeastern Pennsylvania, will look at the Neshaminy report and determine if any further action is necessary. If the D-1 Committee is not satisfied with the actions taken by the school district, it can convene a hearing of its own and hand down penalties in accordance with Article XIII, Section 9 of the PIAA by-laws.
Those by-laws state that: “A coach who intentionally strikes, bites or kicks a contestant, coach, an official or any other person in attendance at the contest … shall be disqualified by the Regional Panel or District Committee … for a period of not less than one year from the date of either the incident leading to the suspension or the date of the hearing to consider the matter.”
Devine has been teaching in the Neshaminy School District for 15 years and has been the coach of the boys varsity basketball team for ten.
Contact the author at ssherman@21st-Centurymedia.com, or @BucksLocalSport on Twitter
