MCPS faces criticism for employing 2 former principals involved in 2018 assault cases

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — At a February 8 Montgomery County Council meeting about the Inspector General report on MCPS' complaint processing, a councilmember referred to the 2018 Damascus High School sexual assault case.

Laurie-Anne Sayles asked MCPS Chief of Human Resources April Key a pointed question about the school's former principal and head football coach.

"Is the coach and principal still employed by MCPS?" she queried.

"Yes, they are," answered Key regarding former Damascus High Principal Casey Crouse and former coach Eric Wallich...

https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-faces-criticism-for-employing-former-principals-involved-in-2018-assault-cases-damascus-gaithersburg-high-school-councilmember

Damascus High ‘brooming’ sex assault lawsuit can go to trial, judge rules. [...school officials knew of at least three, earlier sexual assaults inside Montgomery County high school locker rooms...]

The federal litigation stemmed from locker-room sex assaults by junior varsity football players in Maryland

...“Plaintiffs have put forward evidence that a reasonable jury could conclude that reckless or callous indifference occurred here,” U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte said from the bench.

Attorneys for the families say that school officials knew of at least three, earlier sexual assaults inside Montgomery County high school locker rooms, including an alleged 2017 incident among Damascus football players involving a broomstick that has emerged as perhaps the most critical and contentious part of the litigation. The families also say school officials, partly motivated to protect the powerhouse football program, allowed a player to remain on the JV squad despite his history of violence and sexual harassment, and that they left the JV locker room unchecked for an hour every day between the end of classes and the start of practice...

 https://wapo.st/3o1DMCT

Eric Wallich's statement did not address the 2018 rape case involving the JV football team

Eric Wallich's statement did not address the 2018 rape case involving the JV football team https://t.co/QHKt9VBJAd

— Bethesda Beat (@BethesdaBeat) January 17, 2020

ABC7: Damascus HS head football coach resigns 15 months after alleged locker room sexual assault

DAMASCUS, Md. (WJLA) — Eric Wallich, the Head Varsity Football Coach at Damascus High School, has resigned from his post.

Wallich made the surprise announcement in a lengthy, written letter, which surfaced Friday afternoon. Wallich, who spent the last 12 years at Damascus, explained he was making the change for personal reasons.

https://wjla.com/news/local/damascus-high-school-varsity-football-coach-eric-wallich-resigns-cites-family-reasons