For teachers, coaches and others whose work involves children and young people, some criminal charges can cost them more than fines and jail time. Legal problems can cost them their jobs and possibly their careers.
A 28-year-old Connecticut high school wrestling coach was terminated after he was arrested this month for possession of cocaine. The coach, who was in his fourth season at Staples High School in Westport, was stopped by Westport police in the early morning hours of Dec. 5. According to police, he was driving erratically and going across a double line in the road. During the stop, police allegedly found a "small amount" of cocaine in a cigarette pack that was in the car.
This wasn't the first arrest for the Connecticut native, who had been a champion wrestler himself as well as a football player. Back in January, he was arrested for being involved in a fight outside of a bar in Fairfield, where he lives. He was reinstated to his job as coach when prosecutors declined to charge him with a crime.
At the time of this recent arrest, police say that he had an outstanding failure to appear warrant in Bridgeport. It wasn't reported what that warrant involved.
The coach was released on a bond of $3,500. He now has two court dates for mid-December -- one for the narcotics charge and one for the outstanding warrant.
Obviously, the more brushes someone has with the law, the more serious the penalties for each subsequent charge can be. Further, it's never wise to fail to appear in court, no matter how trivial you may think the matter is. An experienced Connecticut criminal defense attorney can provide legal guidance and work to mitigate the consequences of an arrest.
Source: Westport Now, "Staples Coach Fired After Cocaine Possession Arrest," Dec. 05, 2015