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Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
St. John Bosco targets ex-CEO, backs coach Jason Negro after lawsuit alleges he embezzled money
St. John Bosco High responded Thursday to a lawsuit filed against the Catholic school, football coach Jason Negro and the Salesian Society religious order with a statement backing Negro and targeting the credibility of one of the three plaintiffs. The statement from Fr. Mel Trinidad, provincial of the Salesians and interim president of St. John Bosco, said that Brian Wickstrom was fired as the school's president and chief executive in July because "the school uncovered information that Wickstrom obtained loans without authorization, received excessive compensation and benefits to which he was not entitled, and breached his fiduciary duties." Wickstrom's lawyer, late Thursday, strongly denied the allegations. The statement is separate from a court filing expected soon from St. John Bosco that will serve as a formal response to the lawsuit. The filing is required within 30 days of the defendants being served with the lawsuit, which occurred the second week of January. Wickstrom and fellow former administrators Melanie Marcaurel and Derek Barraza allege in the lawsuit first reported by The Times that they were improperly fired last year and seek restitution, reinstatement and unspecified punitive and general damages for emotional distress. The lawsuit alleges that Negro — a highly regarded coach who led St. John Bosco to the top of national rankings in 2013 and 2022 — embezzled money from the all-boys school for years and had assistant coaches pay the tuition for prized players in cash, saying the payments were from "anonymous donors." Read more: St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro embezzled money, paid football players' tuition in cash, lawsuit alleges The filing in Los Angeles County Superior Court also alleges that Negro conducted financial transactions associated with his powerhouse program in cash that he kept in a safe in his office, with no accounting or accountability by the school. The plaintiffs assert that they were impeded by Salesian officials from reining in Negro. Trinidad did not address those allegations in his statement, other than to stand by Negro by saying that the coach "has, for decades, supported the education, growth and well-being of hundreds of student-athletes in the classroom and on the field. St. John Bosco High School fully intends to vigorously defend this lawsuit and pursue its own legal remedies for the harm caused to the school." The statement zeroed in on Wickstrom, who served stints as athletic director at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio and the University of Louisiana Monroe before he was hired by St. John Bosco in July 2020. "The school gave Plaintiffs' attorney the opportunity to provide any documents or explanation for the financial improprieties," the statement said. "No information or explanation was provided. Instead, this lawsuit against the school, the Salesians and Coach Negro was filed." Wickstrom responded to Trinidad's statement through his lawyer, Rob Hennig. "Father Mel Trinidad fired Brian Wickstrom illegally without any authorization from Bosco's Board of Directors," the statement said. "Wickstrom was fired because he dared to try to hold Jason Negro accountable for Negro's conduct as detailed in a 17-page complaint and with corroborating emails and other evidence. Read more: Sports power St. John Bosco making administrative changes under direction of Salesians "At the time of Wickstrom's termination, Trinidad never raised any claims of financial impropriety or other misconduct by Wickstrom. Indeed, it was only after Wickstrom directly raised his illegal termination with Bosco that Bosco attempted an investigation to come up with a post hoc justification for Wickstrom's termination. "Tellingly, Bosco does not refute Wickstrom's claim that he was fired for trying to hold Negro accountable or that Negro handled large amounts of cash off the books. Wickstrom denies these false allegations and will defend against these smear tactics in Court." A financial services company, Itria Ventures, sued St. John Bosco, Wickstrom and the school's former chief financial officer, Jeff Wacha, in March 2024 for defaulting on a $1 million loan taken out in February 2023. Wacha was replaced by Marcaurel shortly thereafter. Trinidad said in his statement that the Salesians hired independent financial consultants to investigate but that Wickstrom "threatened to file a lawsuit against the school in an effort to prevent the independent financial consultants from completing their investigation and work." Meanwhile, according to the latest lawsuit, Marcaurel and Wickstrom attempted last year to end Negro's alleged cash-only system and run football revenue and expenses through the school business office, with Marcaurel issuing a "corrective action proposal" that included hiring a certified public accountant. The Salesian Order instead responded by sending consultants Jay Conner and Cathy Vivian to the school, the lawsuit states, alleging that they "used the audit as a ruse to come and rid the business office of its current staff and squelch the audit that would provide any accountability for the football program." Read more: Sondheimer: How St. John Bosco and Mater Dei became superpowers Cash payments to Negro and assistant coaches weren't reported as income to the Internal Revenue Service or the California Franchise Tax Board, the lawsuit states, alleging that "Negro, in pocketing and using for his personal use much of the cash obtained for the football program, engaged in embezzlement and fraud." Negro said in a statement Tuesday that "[a]n 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," the coach said, "and our school will defer all questions to them.' Shortly after Wickstrom and Marcaurel were fired by Trinidad, St. John Bosco issued a statement announcing an increased leadership role by the Salesians. 'Over the last several months, the Salesian Society has engaged in a period of discernment regarding how to best position SJB for future success," the statement read. "It became clear to Fr. Mel Trinidad, the Salesian Society's current Provincial, and SJB's other corporate members that they should play a larger role in guiding the school's leadership and shaping its future." Negro is represented by high-powered trial lawyer Brian Panish, a St. John Bosco alumnus and the lead donor to the school's $7.2-million Panish Family Stadium. According to his firm's website, his courtroom victories include a $4.9-billion verdict in a landmark products liability case against General Motors and six verdicts in excess of $50 million. The 5,000-seat football stadium opened in 2018, and at the time, Panish expressed gratitude for his St. John Bosco education, telling the Long Beach Press-Telegram, "The lessons I learned helped me be a better person and prepared me for life. ... I went there at a time in my life when I didn't have all my values sorted out, and they helped me develop my moral compass spiritually, academically and athletically.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
29-01-2025
- USA Today
California high school football coach embezzled, committed fraud, lawsuit alleges
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@ or on social media @
Los Angeles Times
28-01-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro embezzled money, paid football players' tuition in cash, lawsuit alleges
A lawsuit filed by three former employees of Bellflower St. John Bosco alleges that highly decorated football coach Jason Negro embezzled money from the Catholic school for years and had assistant coaches pay the tuition for prized players in cash, saying the payments were from 'anonymous donors.' The filing in Los Angeles County Superior Court also alleges that Negro conducted all financial transactions associated with his powerhouse program in cash that he keeps in a safe in his office, with no accounting or accountability by the school. California Interscholastic Federation bylaws state that 'anybody tied to the school cannot give out money based on athletic ability,' and a spokesman for the Southern Section said that providing money to players for tuition is a 'potential violation.' Plaintiffs Brian Wickstrom, Melanie Macaurel and Derek Barraza allege that they were improperly fired last year and seek restitution, reinstatement and unspecified punitive and general damages for emotional distress. Wickstrom was the St. John Bosco president and chief executive from July 2020 until July 2024, Macaurel was the chief financial officer from February 2023 until July 2024, and Barraza was vice president of technology from August 2021 until September 2024. 'The Salesian Order's termination of Wickstrom and Marcaurel was motivated by the desire to protect the football program and its head coach Jason Negro from scrutiny or oversight of illegal conduct,' the lawsuit alleges. The filing also alleges that officials in the Salesian Society, a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco to care for poor children during the industrial revolution, retaliated against the plaintiffs for reporting the violations, citing what is known as the California Whistleblower Protection Act. Macaurel, in particular, confronted Negro about the practice of collecting cash and making payments, demanding that the football program adhere to established accounting practices, but was met with 'fierce resistance' from the coach, according to the lawsuit. One of the assistants who allegedly delivered cash to the business office for overdue tuition for players was Jake Negro, Jason's brother who is the special teams coach and a mathematics teacher at St. John Bosco. Jason Negro, a 1991 St. John Bosco graduate, became coach in 2010 and almost immediately elevated the program to a level on par with longtime reigning Southland power Mater Dei. By 2013, St. John Bosco went 16-0, winning its first Southern Section championship and state title and earning a No. 1 national ranking by Max Preps and USA Today. St. John Bosco again topped the national rankings in 2022, winning its fourth state title under Negro, who took home national coach of the year honors. 'St. John Bosco High School is aware of claims made against the Salesian Society and myself by former employees of St. John Bosco,' Negro said 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.' Among the allegations detailed in the lawsuit are that only cash was accepted as payment for youth camps run by St. John Bosco, that gear given to Negro by Nike was sold for cash and that the proceeds from parking, game programs and raffles at home games were paid in cash to Negro. Cash from Negro's safe also paid for the coaching staff to take periodic 'retreats' to the Palm Springs area, the lawsuit alleges. 'There, the football staff engaged in profligate spending for hotels, meals, and large amounts of alcohol. Assistant coaches raved that they were able to go drinking on 'Bosco's dime.' Negro, who set up these retreats, was reluctant to provide receipts or any other accounting to Marcaurel.' Marcaurel and Wickstrom attempted last year to end the cash-only system and run football revenue and expenses through the school business office, with Marcaurel issuing a 'corrective action proposal' that included hiring a certified public accountant. The Salesian Order responded by sending consultants to the school instead of hiring a CPA, according to the lawsuit. The consultants, Jay Conner and Cathy Vivian, 'promptly demonstrated that they were not there for the Salesians' stated intent, but instead used the audit as a ruse to come and rid the business office of its current staff and squelch the audit that would provide any accountability for the football program,' the lawsuit alleges. Cash payments to Negro and assistant coaches weren't reported as income to the Internal Revenue Service or Franchise Tax Board, the lawsuit states, alleging that 'Negro, in pocketing and using for his personal use much of the cash obtained for the football program, engaged in embezzlement and fraud.' Wickstrom was fired by Salesians official Fr. Mel Trinidad, who according to the lawsuit 'violated California corporations law by inserting himself as principal and CEO of St. John Bosco High School.' A week later, Trinidad fired Marcaurel, the suit states. Barraza, a 1999 St. John Bosco graduate who did a variety of tasks for the business office and athletic department, was fired in September for 'his perceived loyalty to Wickstrom and Marcaurel,' according to the lawsuit. St. John Bosco issued a statement shortly after Wickstrom and Marcaurel said they were fired, pledging support for Trinidad and for an increased leadership role by the Salesians. 'Over the last several months, the Salesian Society has engaged in a period of discernment regarding how to best position SJB for future success,' the statement read. 'It became clear to Fr. Mel Trinidad, the Salesian Society's current Provincial, and SJB's other corporate members that they should play a larger role in guiding the school's leadership and shaping its future. 'Consequently, they have directed a few leadership changes in the school's administration. They have also recently implemented a number of other changes, and they anticipate that additional changes may be made in the future. 'The goal of these efforts is to better align the school's governance and operations with the Salesian vision. The Salesians pray that these changes will enable SJB's faculty and staff to better serve the students of SJB and their families in the spirit of St. John Bosco.' Reached for comment at the time, Negro pledged his unqualified support for the Salesians, saying, 'We're in an awesome spot.' Times staff writer Eric Sondheimer contributed to this report.
