Former West Scranton baseball coach 'the Skip' sues district over suspension for student awards
Jun. 22—A Scranton teacher contends the school district wrongly suspended him without pay after he presented awards to members of West Scranton High School's baseball team.
George Roskos, who served a one-day suspension from his job as a health and physical education teacher, filed a federal lawsuit against the district this month.
Roskos received a $40,000 settlement from the district in 2019 to never coach in the district again. As part of the agreement, he agreed to withdraw a union grievance and previous federal lawsuit against the district. Administrators suspended Roskos in 2018, amid complaints he bullied players and engaged in other misconduct. Roskos said the district took action without giving him a proper hearing, violating his constitutional rights.
Last month, Roskos presented two baseball players with annual awards, a tradition he began before becoming coach in 2012, as a way to honor friends and mentors in his own life. He gives the awards on his own time, outside of school and with his own money.
The district warned him in 2020 that presenting the awards violated his settlement agreement, and Roskos disagreed. Last month, Roskos again presented the two awards to members of the baseball team.
"Defendants engaged in the unprecedented and unlawful act of disciplining an employee for actions taken as a private citizen," according to the lawsuit. "Defendants' disdain for plaintiff was so great that they would rather deprive their student-athletes of receiving the honor and recognition of these annual awards just because they were presented and paid for by plaintiff."
During a disciplinary hearing earlier this month, district officials did not explain how the awards violated the settlement, according to the lawsuit. Instead, John Castrovinci, director of human resources, discussed the district's concerns that the awards could violate Title IX, a federal education law that prohibits sex-based discrimination. Roskos claims he did not receive satisfactory notice of the alleged violations before the hearing.
Superintendent Melissa McTiernan said she could not comment on personnel matters.
Roskos, who calls himself "the Skip," — short for baseball skipper — seeks compensatory and punitive damages.
"The Skip has been advised not to comment on his record in grievances against the district. ... But it's 19 and 0," he said Tuesday.
Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.
