Bucks County High School Coach Fired For Confronting Ref Pleads Guilty To Harassment
LANGHORNE, Pa. (CBS) -- The former Bucks County high school basketball coach relieved of his duties and sent back to teaching for an on-court confrontation with a referee in the final seconds of a basketball game has mailed in a harassment citation.
The Bucks County District Attorney's office says former Neshaminy boys varsity basketball coach Jerry Devine has pleaded guilty to a summary harassment charge.
Last month, in the closing seconds of a game against rival Pennsbury High (15 seconds left, trailing by 5), one of his players drove to the basket and was called for an offensive foul. The coach leaped from the bench to the court and confronted one of the refs. He made physical contact - some people called it a head-butt - and the ref fell to the court.
Neshaminy school board administrators dismissed Devine as coach, a job he had for 10-years, but allowed him to continue as a special ed teacher.
Prosecutors eventually recommended that the Middletown Township Police file a non-traffic citation charging Devine with the summary offense of harassment.
The violation was paid like a traffic ticket.
