Ugh. A TEACHER AT MY SCHOOL!! How horrible.
Cops question coach's relationship with youth
Mitch King suspended; School officials to meet Tuesday
By Rick LaFrombois
Wausau Daily Herald
[email protected]
Police are investigating Wausau West High School's varsity girls basketball coach based on parents' allegations of inappropriate conduct involving their child.
Wausau Police Deputy Chief Jeff Hardel confirmed Sunday that the department is conducting a criminal investigation of the coach, Mitch King, but Hardel would not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.
Hardel also declined to say whether the child is a player on King's basketball team.
King, who also teaches at the school, was suspended from his coaching duties on Thursday after the Wausau School District was informed by police of the criminal investigation. Berland Meyer, the district's deputy superintendent, said administrators plan to meet Tuesday to discuss King's coaching suspension. They have not suspended King from his teaching duties.
"We'll have a chance to take a look at what do we know and where do we go from here and what steps do we take," Meyer said.
Superintendent Charles Skurka is out of town and plans to return to Wausau later this week.
Schools in the district are on a holiday break, so classes aren't in session this week.
Skurka and Meyer informed King of the suspension Thursday while the varsity girls team was preparing for its game against Wausau East. Assistant coach George Waldvogel filled in for King during that game, which West won, and will remain acting coach for now.
Meyer didn't elaborate Sunday on the reasons for King's suspension.
"(The police) made us aware of conversations they were having," Meyer said.
Phone messages left by the Daily Herald at King's home over the weekend were not returned.
King is in his 13th year as a social studies teacher at West. He served as an assistant softball coach and boys basketball coach for seven years before being named varsity girls basketball coach in 1999. He also coaches golf at Wausau West.
King will continue to receive pay as basketball coach while the school district conducts its investigation. Aside from informing him of the suspension, Meyer said, the district has yet to speak at length with King.
Parents of the players on King's team are waiting for answers from district officials, who have not said much about the allegations, the mother of one of the players said. But the parents also are committed to seeing their daughters finish up the season with as little disruption as possible, said the mother, who asked not to be named because it is a sensitive matter.
"We haven't heard anything at all," she said. "Our main concern right now is we have to keep things going as normal."
That was Monday's paper. Here's Tuesday's article.
Arrest warrant issued for West coach
Wausau Daily Herald
An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for Wausau West High School varsity girls basketball coach Mitch King on nine felony counts related to the sexual assault of one of his players.
King, 40, was suspended with pay from his coaching duties on Thursday after Wausau police told school officials that they had received a complaint from parents that King had engaged in inappropriate conduct with their child.
Wausau police said Sunday that they were investigating whether King's conduct broke any laws. Police had not interviewed King, who was out of the state over the Christmas holiday, as of Monday.
The district attorney's office listed on the arrest warrant three counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of child enticement with sexual contact, three counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff and one count of exposing a child to harmful material dating back to April.
School district officials have launched their own investigation of King's conduct, and said Monday that they would send a letter to the parents of the varsity basketball team explaining what the district was doing about the allegations. King's daughter is a member of the team.
The Wausau School District suspended King from his teaching duties at Wausau West High School on Tuesday after the arrest warrant was issued.
Tuesday's second article:
Coach letter in works
Basketball team parents to receive missive Wed. explaining district, police investigation of King
By Rick LaFrombois
Wausau Daily Herald
[email protected]
Parents of players on the Wausau West High School varsity girls basketball team will receive a letter Wednesday from the school district explaining its investigation of the team's coach. The investigation was prompted late last week by parents' allegations of inappropriate conduct involving their child.
Administrators return to work today from the Christmas holiday, but they spent much of the night Monday on the telephone discussing the investigation and planning their next move. The coach, Mitch King, was suspended with pay from his coaching duties Thursday after police told school officials about the allegations.
"I want parents to know that the district cares about them and their children, and we're watching the situation very closely and we're bringing in the best people available for their support," Deputy Superintendent Berland Meyer said from his home Monday night. Counselors in the district are being asked to be available on their week off for the winter break should students need to talk, he said.
The district is required to conduct its investigation because King is the subject of a police investigation, said Stephen Murley, director of human resources and employee relations for the district.
School administrators and police would not say whether the inappropriate behavior King is accused of involved a player on the team that he had coached since 1999. And they would not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.
"We can't share details of the investigation," Murley said. "We can indicate we understand the seriousness of the issue. We're also dealing with young adults, and in a situation like this their emotions are running high."
Meanwhile, Wausau Police Deputy Chief Jeff Hardel, whose daughter plays on the team, said Tuesday he hoped the district would contact parents soon because some have been calling him for information. King's daughter also plays on the team.
"Many of them have suspected or heard rumors similar, but it's not been confirmed, and that's what they're looking for," said Hardel, who is overseeing the police investigation. "I'm restricted, too, from saying anything. It's frustrating, but they understand."
Murley said school officials are in the process of evaluating King's status as a teacher with the district, where he is in his 13th year of teaching.
The winter break gives the district time to develop its investigation without having to decide King's teaching status right away, Murley said.
"That's beneficial for us. It allows us to initiate the investigative process without placing him back in the classroom if indeed he is a threat to other students," he said.
Still, the district has not spoken at length with King about the allegations of misconduct with a child.
Phone messages left Friday, Sunday and Monday by the Daily Herald at King's home have not been returned.
King served as an assistant softball coach and boys basketball coach for seven years before being named varsity girls basketball coach. He also coaches golf at Wausau West.
The basketball team has returned to practicing under the supervision of interim coach George Waldvogel, whose daughter also plays on the team.
Today's article will come in the next post... this just IRKS me.
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Creepy. Did you know him? Glad he got caught...
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