Parents claim PAL isn't performing background checks on the coaches

One parent tells News 12 that one coach had been previously charged for hiring a prostitute, marijuana possession and burglary.

News 12 Staff

Sep 18, 2019, 11:54 AM

Updated 1,688 days ago

Share:

Parents in Haverstraw say the Police Athletic League (PAL) isn't performing background checks on the coaches for the kids' basketball team.
One parent tells News 12 that one coach had been previously charged for hiring a prostitute, marijuana possession and burglary.
She says he was let go, but now parents worry how many other people the PAL board let slip through the cracks. "They treated myself and the volunteer coaches and players and some of the parents like we were the bad guy for bringing it to their attention...and again like I said, they never brought it to the attention of half the parents that were brought into the program," says  Colleen Johnson, of Stony Point.
Some say nearly a dozen parents pulled their kids out of the program and have not received refunds.
News 12 reached out to the Haverstraw Police Department and the PAL, but has not heard back.
 
 
 


More from News 12
1:47
Ex-Monticello officer who admitted to raping underage teen reinstated to department after arrest

Ex-Monticello officer who admitted to raping underage teen reinstated to department after arrest

2:08
Mix of sun and clouds with highs around 80 today, cooler starting Friday

Mix of sun and clouds with highs around 80 today, cooler starting Friday

0:36
Police: Woman arrested in connection to student brawl outside Yonkers school

Police: Woman arrested in connection to student brawl outside Yonkers school

1:02
Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for completion of New Rochelle affordable housing development

Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for completion of New Rochelle affordable housing development

0:32
Bedford School District to receive more money aid, boost in funding from state

Bedford School District to receive more money aid, boost in funding from state

0:30
Blooming Grove highway worker seriously injured during tree removal

Blooming Grove highway worker seriously injured during tree removal

0:46
New Rochelle business owner pleads guilty to wage violations

New Rochelle business owner pleads guilty to wage violations

0:23
Overnight road work to close Exit 7 on Cross County Parkway in Westchester

Overnight road work to close Exit 7 on Cross County Parkway in Westchester

0:33
Woman faces charges for selling weight loss drugs on TikTok without license

Woman faces charges for selling weight loss drugs on TikTok without license

2:22
I-95 in Norwalk closed until at least Monday following tractor-trailer fire

I-95 in Norwalk closed until at least Monday following tractor-trailer fire

2:17
Home Depot ban on solicitation impacts day laborers in New Rochelle

Home Depot ban on solicitation impacts day laborers in New Rochelle

0:55
Headlines: Child pornography charges, drug dealing guilty plea, cocaine possession sentencing

Headlines: Child pornography charges, drug dealing guilty plea, cocaine possession sentencing

0:26
Rockland residents honor fallen heroes in national weeklong event

Rockland residents honor fallen heroes in national weeklong event

0:19
Cross County Center launches 70th anniversary celebration with expanded summer fest

Cross County Center launches 70th anniversary celebration with expanded summer fest

0:28
SPCA Westchester launches first mobile adoption unit

SPCA Westchester launches first mobile adoption unit

2:00
Greenburgh town officials advocate for safer roads, seek red light cameras

Greenburgh town officials advocate for safer roads, seek red light cameras

News 12 Westchester/Hudson Valley Daily Poll

News 12 Westchester/Hudson Valley Daily Poll

1:44
Exploring the Westchester children's museum: A journey of play and discovery

Exploring the Westchester children's museum: A journey of play and discovery

3:04
Crowds again gathers at Stony Brook University following night of 29 arrests during pro-Palestinian protest

Crowds again gathers at Stony Brook University following night of 29 arrests during pro-Palestinian protest

2:22
I-95 in Norwalk closed until at least Monday following tractor-trailer fire

I-95 in Norwalk closed until at least Monday following tractor-trailer fire