Sex Abuse Support Group Protests High School Hiring Embattled Coach

KATU
November 21, 2014

http://www.katu.com/news/local/Support-group-protests-hiring-of-embattled-coach-Central-Catholic-David-Douglas-High-School-283435701.html


A sexual abuse support group lined the street outside Central Catholic High School Thursday, demanding they fire Patrick Jay Wallace - a former coach accused of sexually assaulting a teenager.

"We are here today to ask two simple questions. Why the secrecy? Why the risk?," said David Clohessy, the director Survivors Network Of Those Abused By Priests (or SNAP).

It's been 17 years since Bobi Blue says the then David Douglas High softball coach Patrick Jay Wallace sexually assaulted her sister, who is still too shaken up to talk about it.

Bobi agreed to speak on her sister's behalf.

"It was devastating. It still is. This is the reason I'm here being filmed instead of my sibling. It's traumatizing," Blue says.

Blue says her sister was playing for Wallace's summer club softball team when they went on the road to play a tournament in Idaho. She says Wallace sexually assaulted her sister on the trip.

The district investigated. Our partners at Willamette Week reported that then principal John Harrington led that investigation. Wallace was ultimately fired.

Wallace was hired by Central Catholic back in 2006, Harrington now serves as the school's president, Willamette Week reports.

"This is not just about coach Wallace. The principal, Harrington, clearly knew this man had twice faced criminal child sex abuse allegations but evidently told no one or very few people on the school staff," Clohessy says.

He led Thursday's protest, calling on the archdiocese to suspend Wallace and Harrington while they conduct a full investigation.

He admits Wallace has never been convicted of a crime but says he has no business being back in a school environment.

An Idaho prosecutor initially charged Wallace with battery but that charge was later dropped.

KATU reached out to the school and archdiocese for comment but never heard back.

Willamette Week reports Wallace told them he did nothing wrong and passed a background check when he was hired at Central Catholic.

Harrington told the paper he played no role in Wallace's hiring.