Rockland County school district votes to remove coach's name from field, facilities following allegations of sex abuse coverup
NYACK, N.Y. -- A Rockland County school board voted Tuesday night to remove the name of a once-celebrated baseball coach from the district's field and facilities.
CBS New York was at the meeting, which featured a heated debated between former students and the coach's family.
Former coach Dave Siegriest was once so revered at Nyack High School, a field was named in his honor.
But for some former players, that name now elicits pain.
"He knew one of his players was in danger and he didn't do anything. Turned out, there was a dozen players in danger," alum Steve Wanamaker said.
Wanamaker was one of several alumni urging the school board to remove Siegriest's name from the field and other facilities. They claim he covered up alleged sexual abuse of students by a former assistant coach.
"Credible accounts report his abuse occurred at minimum between 1991 and 2007," former baseball player Matthew Simone said.
"I went to Dave when I was a junior in high school and told him something was up. He told me to get lost. So here we are," Wanamaker said.
The school district has settled a lawsuit from a former student under the 2020 Child Victims Act, in which the alumni claimed the district "concealed the sexual abuse of children" by the assistant coach.
"Either he was totally oblivious to the fact, which makes him negligent, or he went along with it and turned a blind eye," said Gerald Turco, the father of an alumni.
Dozens of Siegriest's loved ones defended him to the board on Tuesday. The former coach passed away 18 years ago.
"Dave was a good man who did good things," said his widow, Margaret Siegriest.
"Coach Siegriest, unfortunately, has no chance to respond or defend himself, so we must be his voice," friend Daniel McNeely said.
After some heated debate, the board voted to remove the coach's name.
"As a father, I'm embarrassed to live in this community," former student Santosh Nair said.
"Maybe some of the victims can start healing at this point," Wanamaker said.
While the statute of limitations for those allegations have passed, the Clarkstown Police Department says there is an active investigation into the former assistant coach, but no victims have come forward to police yet.
