Plea bargain may be in the offing in Wilson sports sex-abuse case
Attorney criticizes district response
An attorney for two victims in the Wilson High School sexual abuse case says he would not be surprised if a plea bargain is offered to the three players and two coaches who stand accused.
Terrence M. Connors also told The Buffalo News on Wednesday he believes school district officials have not gone far enough to address the underlying conditions that led to the alleged hazing incident.
His research into similar cases suggests the teens could end up with youthful offender status, Connors said.
Not only that, he said, but when families of the victims were called in for a meeting at the Niagara County district attorney’s office, the discussion turned toward the desire for a “speedy resolution” to the case, he said.
District Attorney Michael J. Violante said his office is still in the decision- making process regarding the case. While it may not be possible, he said he’d like to see a resolution by the start of the new school year in September.
“I think it would be fair for everyone if we could do that,” Violante said.
Connors’ comments follow an ESPN television crew’s recent visit to the area in which the cable television sports network conducted interviews for a story that appeared focused on “misplaced sentiment,” Connors said.
The story, expected to air next month, is likely to tell of a community’s eagerness to defend the coaches involved rather than protect the victims, he said.
Connors also criticized the school district’s reaction.
“There was a lot of talk initially about programs and about policies and procedures,” he said. “And the silence has been deafening since then.”
Wilson began to get unwelcome publicity after three varsity baseball players were accused of sexually abusing two junior varsity players on a team bus ride following games April 17 in Niagara Falls.
The accused players — an 18-year-old and two 16-year-olds — face multiple charges, including felony third-degree aggravated sexual abuse. They allegedly forced a foreign object into a private body opening of at least two JV players.
The coaches, William M. Atlas and Thomas J. Baia, remain suspended with pay from their teaching positions. Meanwhile, two others have been appointed to take over the fall sports Atlas and Baia coached last year, a school district spokesman said.
About 650 people attended a public forum in the Wilson High School auditorium a few days after the coaches were arrested.
An ESPN.com reporter, who was in Western New York at the time working on a story about the Buffalo Bills, attended the forum and was struck by the community’s reaction, which sparked further coverage, said Connors, who was among those interviewed by the network.
Meanwhile, the case against the three teens heads back to Wilson Town Court tonight.
The News is not publishing the names of the accused players because in the future they may be granted youthful offender status by the courts.
“Our clients desire a fair and just resolution,” said Connors, who represents two families who have filed a notice of claim, the precursor of a possible lawsuit, against the Wilson School District.
In May, The News reported that a player on the Wilson high school baseball team was sexually harassed during the 2007 season by older teammates during a bus ride for an away game. After a coach received a complaint from the boy and his parent, the coaches sat separately on the front and back of the bus for some time to keep an eye on the players involved in unruly behavior, law enforcement sources told The News.
But the coaches eventually went back to both sitting in the front of the bus, and this year’s alleged attack occurred, the sources said.
Each coach has been charged with three counts of misdemeanor child endangerment. They are scheduled to appear in Wilson Town Court late next month.
Atlas, 35, is an elementary school physical education teacher. Baia, 40, is a middle school math teacher. Their attorneys did not return several messages.
School Board President Timothy F. Kropp said the official appointment of spring coaches will not happen until sometime into the upcoming school year.
Atlas and Baia, however, are listed on the district’s Web site as coaches of the spring 2009 junior varsity and varsity baseball teams, respectively.
P. Andrew Vona, a Lockport lawyer who represents one of the accused 16-year-olds, said he has had preliminary discussions with the district attorney’s office. The two sides are expected to speak again after prosecutors talk with families of the alleged victims, he said.
Each teen in this case faces the felony count, as well as a misdemeanor count of child endangerment. The 18-year-old also has been charged with a second count of felony third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and one count of attempted sexual abuse.
Wilson Superintendent Michael Wendt, who served as president-elect of the Section VI Athletic Council last year, established a task force of school and community representatives in the wake of the incident.
When reached Wednesday, he said he could not speak in detail because the case is ongoing.
