By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon
March 27, 2008 04:38 am
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CONNEAUT — A judge dismissed the case against a former Conneaut High School wrestling coach accused of touching four players inappropriately.
The charges against Sali “Sal” Jafarace, 39, 589 Furnace Road, were dismissed Wednesday at the request of the prosecutor after a teenage witness changed his story and another witness couldn’t make it to the trial, which was heard by acting Judge William Kobelak. The announcement came after a short recess.
Jafarace seemed a bit stunned, while friends and family embraced and wiped away tears of happiness. His supporters filled the front row of the courtroom.
Jafarace was charged with four counts of assault, first-degree misdemeanors that each carry maximum penalties of six months in jail and $1,000 fines.
In his opening statement, Conneaut assistant prosecuting attorney Luke Gallagher said Jafarace “used, taught and performed” inappropriate maneuvers on the high school wrestlers. If any of these techniques were used in a match, it would cause an automatic disqualification of the wrestler, Gallagher said.
“It constitutes assault,” he said.
Jafarace’s attorney, Malcom Stewart Douglas, said in his opening statement the case was very simple.
“Either it happened, or it didn’t,” he said. “It’s either a case of coach gone wild or parents gone wild.”
At the end, after he officially dismissed the charges, Kobelak said it was clear wrestling is a sport in which lots of mischief is possible.
“The idea that these techniques can be practiced … — that’s a scary thing to me,” he said. “Hopefully, (Jafarace) can become a voice of reason to keep wrestling proper and keep it clean.”
About two hours earlier, testimony for the prosecution began when a 17-year-old high school wrestler who said Jafarace interjected himself into the practice sessions and touched the student’s private parts, and a teammate’s private parts, last year while demonstrating wrestling moves. Two of the techniques were painful, he said. The wrestler’s name is being withheld because he is a minor.
He testified the move was not accidental, and he objected to it by saying, “Can you not do that?” but Jafarace told him to “keep wrestling.”
The 17-year-old said Jafarace taught the team if the referee doesn’t see an illegal maneuver, he’s not going to call it.
Upon cross-examination, Douglas asked the teen whether the alleged touching happened quickly or slowly. The teen said quickly.
Douglas also asked how many times the teen had been touched inappropriately by another high school wrestler during a match. The teen said fewer than five times and it hurt.
When asked about to whom he reported Jafarace’s behavior, the teen said he talked first to his teammates and assistant coaches. He told his parents, and they called the police about two to four weeks later, he said.
Early on in the trial, Kobelak said he had not seen a scholastic wrestling match since 1963, so he asked the teenager some questions, too. He wanted to know what the boys were wearing when the inappropriate touching allegedly occurred (silky shorts and standard underwear) and what an official does during a match if he sees such behavior (give a warning or penalty).
For clarification, Kobelak wanted to know if all high school wrestlers realize they run the risk of such inappropriate touching during wrestling maneuvers.
“It happens,” the teen said.
The second CHS wrestler testified Jafarace put his hand on the teen’s “butt” during practice. As for improper painful squeezing, the teen said Jafarace did this to him and to about a half-dozen other wrestlers. The remainder of the wrestler’s testimony seemed vague, and he couldn’t remember other instances about which Gallagher prodded him.
When Gallagher mentioned the teen’s statement to police, Douglas objected. That was the beginning of the end of the case.
In 2006, Conneaut’s Board of Education gave Jafarace a one-year supplemental contract as the Spartans’ head wrestling coach. Jafarace was hired when no one employed with the district showed interest in the job. The contract was not renewed, school officials said.
Kobelak was a visiting judge, sitting in for Conneaut Municipal Judge Thomas Harris, who recused himself.
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