California high school football coach embezzled, committed fraud, lawsuit alleges
Three former employees of a high school football powerhouse in California have filed a lawsuit against the school and its longtime coach, alleging financial mismanagement within the football program, including embezzlement and fraud.
In the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last month, the former employees at St. John Bosco High School claim that football coach Jason Negro eschewed standard accounting practices by distributing payments for the program with cash from a safe he kept in his office. He and his assistant coaches used the cash to pay tuition bills for players, the lawsuit alleges, as well as food and alcoholic beverages at staff retreats.
Plaintiffs Brian Wickstrom, Melanie Marcaurel and Derek Barraza − all of whom were fired by the school last year − allege that Negro committed tax fraud and embezzlement by not properly accounting for the incoming and outgoing payments and by using some of the football program's funds to pay for meals and beverages.
'St. John Bosco High School is aware of claims made against the Salesian Society and myself by former employees of St. John Bosco,' Negro told The Los Angeles Times in a statement. 'An independent investigation has already been conducted and all the facts will come to light in court. The claim has been in the hands of our legal team and our school will defer all questions to them.'
Negro and St. John Bosco principal Ernest Antonelli did not immediately respond to a message from USA TODAY Sports seeking comment. A spokesperson for the Salesian Society, the religious order which oversees the school, also did not immediately reply to an email.
Negro has been the head coach at St. John Bosco since 2010, helping shape the school's program into one of the best in the country. The Braves have won four state titles and finished the 2022 season as USA TODAY Sports Super 25 national champions. Quarterbacks Josh Rosen and DJ Uiagalelei are among the notable former players who went on to play football in college or the NFL.
The lawsuit claims that St. John Bosco's football success, however, helped insulate the program from oversight and accountability. It alleges that Negro and his staff paid for the tuition of players under the guise of donations from anonymous donors and did not properly account for football program revenue from camps, clinics, parking and raffles.
Marcaurel, the former chief financial officer at the school, learned of Negro's alleged financial mismanagement and requested that he provide invoices and receipts for transactions that, according to the lawsuit, were previously handled in cash. The ensuing conflict led to the involvement of the Salesian Society and, eventually, the firings of Marcaurel, Wickstrom and Barraza.
Wickstrom previously served as St. John Bosco's president and CEO, while Barraza was the vice president of technology. The trio of former employees allege that their firings were retaliatory and are seeking unspecified monetary damages, including back pay and compensation for emotional distress, pain and suffering.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.
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