Blodgett's office said the sexual abuse occurred primarily between Jan. 1, 2017, and Feb. 5, 2018. In an email Thursday, Antonucci said Blake is on paid leave pending "termination proceedings. Superintendent John Antonucci addressed the allegations during a school committee meeting Tuesday. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The lawsuit alleges that Blake sexually assaulted Foley in the school in 2006, and that the school didn't do enough to keep the student safe. The tumult, paired with another scandal involving Duxburys football team, has prompted ongoing questions about how school administrators handled the long-standing concerns and some high-ranking departures. "Over the last 25 years, I have proudly taught and coached thousands upon thousands of students and athletes, from the youth to the high school level, with respect and professionalism," he said. Duxbury High School. The alleged sexual abuse pushed Parker to a life of drug abuse to escape the mental pain and anguish that followed, the lawsuit claims. While multiple colleagues said Blake had a sexual relationship with another teacher, who also confirmed it, he denied it. Team Roster. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. TROY, N.Y. >> RPI announced that it has terminated the employment John Burke after 14 seasons as women's ice hockey coach. Hes a decent guy, hes taught thousands of students over decades. Blake had a career in football few can replicate, which included a four-year career at OU under Barry Switzer, becoming the first Black head coach in any OU sport and multiple assistant coaching roles in the NFL. The high schools athletic director, Thom Holdgate, didnt have his contract renewed at the end of the current school year amid this and another scandal at the high school involving the football team using anti-Semitic language. Blake was placed on leave from his teaching and coaching positions in November 2020, several weeks after Parker Foleys death, according to a statement from Antonucci and school committee Chair Kellie Bresnehan. April 6, 2021 / 5:50 PM Investigator found ex-Duxbury hockey coach accused of sexual assault lied about relationship with another teacher, interactions with students By Elizabeth Koh and Hanna Krueger Globe Staff,. Aug. 14, 2020. Blake is accused of raping a middle schooler, which led that student to a fatal drug addiction, the lawsuit states. }Customer Service. Click here to sign up for our weekly coronavirus newsletter. But Parker said nothing for years. Joseph and Melissa Foley accused Blake of sexually assaulting their son, Parker, on multiple occasions between 2005 and 2007, and said the abuse only stopped when Parker threatened Blake with a knife, according to the newspaper. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. 2002-2020. All rights reserved, FIRST ALERT: Storm Hitting Greater Boston Live Radar, Updates, Duxbury Fires Football Coach, Cancels Game Amid Probe Into Team's Anti-Semitic Remarks, Lawmaker Writes Open Letter to Duxbury Football Team Following Anti-Semitic Play Calls. The ensuing controversy unearthed other complaints in recent years that had also been made against Blake, Duxbury parents say officials downplayed misconduct claims against now-fired hockey coach, Our little town has a serious problem: Duxbury reels as school scandals raise questions of transparency, Duxbury High football team used antisemitic audibles since 2010 in practice, investigator reports. Jason Morgan, an attorney representing the Foley family, said the alleged sex assaults happened multiple times. John Blake, a longtime gym teacher and hockey coach at Duxbury Middle School, was placed on leave in the fall. "It broke my heart Parker couldn't come forward with this, but in no way do I judge him," said his father, Joe Foley. Blake also denied having any recollection of Parker Foley as a student, the report said, despite Foley being one of only three boys in the class and another student recalling that he was often barred from participating because he regularly forgot his gym clothes. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He is currently a member of the USA Hockey's coaching education program and acts as a coaching director/adviser to many youth programs. Metro Elite Hockey League. The victim's father says he wrote an anonymous letter to the district in 2018 identifying Blake as an alleged sexual predator. Blake was fired in April. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff In firing longtime hockey coach John Blake this spring, Duxbury school officials. He saidthe departmentcould not bring charges against Blake because the alleged victim is dead. The Duxbury Public School Administration office on Chandler Street. Antonucci said in the letter that nothing came of the district'sinvestigations. "Over the last 25 years, I have proudly taught and coached thousands upon. Elizabeth Koh can be reached at elizabeth.koh@globe.com. Foley's mental torment from the assaults pushed him into a life of drug abuse, the lawsuit alleges. The lawyer said others have told him they reported Blake for inappropriate comments and behavior that went unpunished. Morgan says the alleged sex assaults happened multiple times. Blake and a co-teacher for the gym class took turns teaching the students while another stayed in an office alone, the report said. Its become so ugly, addedRabbi Howard Cohen, who recently talked to the football captains about the use of Auschwitz and other anti-Semitic terms for the teams audibles. Mistakes will happen, and when possible, we have the opportunity to turn mistakes into important learning moments.. The alleged sexual abuse happened in the mid-2000s. In February 2018, Prew was arrested after he was accused of sexually abusing eight boys between the ages of 7 and 13 whom he worked with as a hockey coach. "The focus is really about Parker. Police said criminal charges couldn't be filed because Parker was dead. Even though there was not enough evidence to warrant criminal charges be filed against Blake, the Districts independent investigation concluded that Blake had violated the Districts sexual harassment policy and code of conduct, the officials said. . Blake has been on leave from the school district since November pending the completion of a comprehensive external investigation and termination proceedings. The Duxbury Police Department was contacted in November by Parkers parents about the alleged sexual abuse, according to Chief Stephen McDonald. "It is absolutely untrue that the district failed to take reasonable steps and/or implement reasonable safeguards to avoid such acts from occurring in our schools, as is alleged in the lawsuit," Antonucci wrote. The parents of 27-year-old Joseph Parker Foley, who died from a drug overdose last year, are accusing his Duxbury Middle School gym teacher of raping him, the lawsuit alleges. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Blake has been on leave from the school district since November, pending the completion of a comprehensive external investigation and termination proceedings.. The family received a summary report that omitted all the names, including their own, and other information they provided to the investigators. What Happened to the Money?' The superintendent said police have received over a dozen anonymous tips in relation to this case, and have followed up on every one of them. - Premium Design on your profile page (optional) Unfortunately, it is not that simple, as I have serious concerns regarding Mr. Blakes credibility.. 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"Repeatedly, Parker was not allowed to attend gym class, presumably because he didn't have the appropriate attire to participate that day," said Jason Morgan, an attorney representing the Foley family. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Joe Foley says he wants justice for his son. However, with no identifying information about the victim, the 2018 investigation went cold, the superintendent noted. The victim's father says he wrote an anonymous letter to the district in 2018 identifying Blake as an alleged sexual predator. He was most recently a reporter at The Lowell Sun. At that time and since then, the district worked closely with police, the district attorneys office and the state Department of Children and Families, according to Antonucci. 763.381.8219 - Athletics Main 763.381.8200 - Admissions. "We're going to let what's out there stand," he said. "He had a wonderful personality.". A lawsuit was filed last week against the school district and Duxbury Middle School physical education teacher John Blake by the parents of Parker Foley, who attended Duxbury Public Schools until he left the district in 9th grade. "This says it all," said Reddington, pointing at the report. JOHN BLAKE WAS A GYM TEACHER AT DUXBURY MIDDLE SCHOOL HE ALSO COACHED HOCKEY FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL. As a result, the 2018 investigation went cold. GM, Alt. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Related Content: Parents allege Duxbury middle school gym teacher raped their now-deceased son. Prew, however, was taken back into custody on Nov. 15, 2019, after he missed a deadline to surrender to a Vermont court the day before in connection with the charges he is facing in that state. Guy Carbonneau was the head coach of the Canadiens from 2006 to 2009. The school says it investigated then and placed Blake on temporary leave. School Superintendent John Antonucci said in a letter Wednesday that the school district investigated complaints over several years against gym teacher and former hockey coach John Blake. "Both in the locker room, as well as an empty classroom that was just down the hall from the locker room itself," Morgan said. More:Parents of deceased former Duxbury Middle School student accuse gym teacher of rape. We are understandably disturbed by what has been alleged, but need to make clear that this District took the proper actions once we were notified of a complaint, School Committee Chair Kellie Bresnehan and Superintendent of Schools John Antonucci said in a joint statement. Joseph and Melissa Foley's attorney, Jason Morgan, said in a phone interview Wednesday that Antonucci's statement was the first time the family heard that any allegations against Blake had been sustained. UNLV 77, Duke 79, Kentucky 103, Duke 104, Notre Dame 91, UConn 89, Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62. Antonucci said officials are understandably disturbed by what has been alleged but claimed the district took the proper actions once notified of the complaint against Blake. Team USA finished eighth in the tournament. According to Foleys parents, the abuse only ended after their son brought a knife to school and threatened to kill Blake. And as the school looks for new leaders, you also have to address all the weaknesses in the system that allowed this to happen so that it never happens again regardless of who is in charge.. On Nov. 7, 2019, Prew was released on $15,000 bail after spending more than 18 months in custody. Find contact's direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. 1:38. "It broke my heart Parker couldn't come forward with this, but in no way do I judge him," said his father, Joe Foley. She said attempts to revive him at home failed and he died at Baylor University Medical Center. Brian Poile. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University. Rick is a Massachusetts native and graduated from Boston University. Blake is denying what he calls the baseless allegations. Blake filed a counterclaim against the couple in June. Middle school gym teacher John Blake, who was also the high school varsity boys hockey coach, has been fired after he was accused of repeated sexual assault in a civil lawsuit filed last. The complaint alleges Blake repeatedly molested and raped Foley during gym classes in 2006. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), Duxbury High athletic director is on his way out amid coaching scandals, Duxbury gym teacher accused of rape files counterclaim, What we know about the investigation into Duxbury footballs anti-Semitic play calls, Harvard Law School student arrested in assault on campus, allegedly used homophobic slur, authorities say, Lawsuit accuses a longtime Massachusetts teacher of child sex abuse while working at Maine summer camp, Family of former Stoughton police explorer files wrongful death lawsuit against 3 ex-officers. On Tuesday, John Blake, who is also the Duxbury High School hockey coach, completely denied the accusations. Antonucci said in a letterTuesday that the districttwice investigated allegations of abuse against Blake. I commend the boys for their bravery in coming forward and for their willingness to testify at trial.. A new investigation was launched with an outside firm while the district remained in close contact with the Duxbury Police Department and the Plymouth County District Attorneys Office.. Free Tools . School Superintendent John Antonucci said in a letterWednesdaythat the school district investigatedcomplaints over several years against gym teacher and former hockey coach John Blake for "questionable behavior.". A lawyer hired by Duxbury Public Schools to investigate allegations of sexual assault found that longtime hockey coach John Blake was not credible after he allegedly lied about a sexual relationship with another teacher and said he didnt remember the student he is accused of repeatedly molesting several years ago. Please enter valid email address to continue. But the reports existence and the underlying allegations only became public knowledge after the Foleys sued Blake and the Duxbury schools later that month. When accusations surfaced in 2018 and again in 2020, the district said it launched investigations and placed Blake on leave. John Blake. Prior to his firing last week, Blake had been on leave pending the completion of the comprehensive external investigation and termination proceedings. Coach. Breck Athletics. Varsity BOys Hockey SCores. Facebook (opens in new window/tab) Instagram (opens in new window/tab) "We remain frustrated that we were unable to take legal or personnel action, but multiple investigations conducted by the Duxbury Public Schools, the Duxbury Police Department and the Plymouth County district attorneys office failed to yield any actionable evidence," Antonucci said in the email. A civil lawsuit has been filed against Blake and the school district by the parents of former student Parker Foley, who died of a drug overdose last year. After his son's death, Joe Foley said he went to the Duxbury Police Department. "At the same time, I need to reiterate that the district took all appropriate steps to investigate this matter and obtain relevant facts and then took proper, legal action in this case.". Email CoaCH Maley. Team USA was led by Peter Laviolette, his former coach with the Islanders. His lawyer told the Herald last week they are contemplating a lawsuit of their own against the boys parents. Duties/Physical Demands: Recruit qualified student-athletes Develop and train student-athletes within the guidelines of the program under the direction of the Head Football Coach Conduct the football program in accordance with all NCAA rules, including attendance at compliance meetings, appropriate record keeping for recruiting and . Blake has been on temporary leave from the school district since November pending the completion of a comprehensive external investigation and termination proceedings. Men's Season Points, Women's Career Rebounds, Men's Yearly Assists, Women's Season Wins, Men's Career W-L%. Prew has been ordered to stay away from and have no contact with the victims, stay out of Marblehead, wear a GPS monitoring device, have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16, not to work or volunteer with anyone under the age of 18, complete a mental health evaluation and any treatment deemed necessary, complete sex offender treatment and register with the Sex Offender Registry Board. Get the latest news on COVID-19 delivered to you. The school district says it conducted its own independent investigation in 2020, though, and concluded Blake violated its sexual harassment policy and code of conduct. Head Coach, Boys Varsity Ice Hockey Nicole Uliasz Head Coach, Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Rob Krizek Head Coach, Boys and Girls Varsity Squash Stefanie Harrison Program Head, Boys and Girls Swimming and Diving John Clore H'02 Head Coach, Boys Varsity Wrestling Spring Sports Stephen LaRochelle Head Coach, Boys Varsity Baseball Bernadette Teeley P'24 The move was announced in a two-paragraph statement at 1:45 p. Hamre most recently served as the director of hockey operations at . We have been informed that none of the tips are actionable from a legal standpoint.. He said Tuesday that the department investigated, but ultimately found that charges could not be brought forward because the alleged victim in the case was deceased..