The following is the result of a more than 18-month long investigation by Talk Williamsport into the Williamsport Area High School Baseball Team trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the spring of 2018.
This story is graphic and contains details related to multiple indecent sexual assaults.
The author and editor of this story have made the editorial decision to not publish the names of the individuals under the age of 18 at the time of the incident who have been clearly identified as committing these acts in this case since they have not been formally charged with a crime.
A Baseball Story In The Birthplace Of Little League Baseball
IF NOTHING HAPPENED IN MYRTLE BEACH
WHY WON’T THE WASD TELL US THE STORY?
PART V
By Todd Bartley, Talk Williamsport
News@talkwilliamsport.com
Part V recaps the questions raised in PARTS I, II, III & IV of this series of articles; in light of what are confirmed instances of illegal drugs being obtained by a player and players being captured on video engaging in indecent sexual assaults of teammates.
Part V also includes a number of additional questions raised during the publication of PARTS I, II, III & IV of this series of articles.
MYRTLE BEACH INCIDENTS WERE COMMON KNOWLEDGE IN THE WASD
After PART II was published, Cindy T. Schuyler, principal at Cochran Primary School, shared on the Talk Williamsport Facebook page, “I was aware of most of this. Some of what is said isn’t correct, but in my opinion something bad happened in Myrtle Beach.”
Schuyler was contacted for this story and has yet to respond.
She also deleted the above referenced comment from the aforementioned page.
The WASD school board in November 2019 approved the resignation of Cindy T. Schuyler, principal at Cochran Primary School for the purpose of retirement. The resignation and retirement take effect June 30, 2020.
Schuyler has been a WASD administrator for 13 years.
How does a WASD Primary School principal offer, I was aware of most of this (the events in Myrtle Beach)”?
Further adding, “Some of what is said isn’t correct”, how does she know, was she there, did she conduct interviews?
Then Schuyler offers a stunning admission as a 13 year veteran WASD administrator, “but in my opinion something bad happened in Myrtle Beach.”
So a WASD Primary School principal and administrator for 13 years offers a distinctly different assessment of the events of what Lycoming County Chief Detective Willie Weber described as a “prank”.
If Schuyler had knowledge as she outlined in her publicly stated comments why the need to delete them?
As a mandatory reporter did she ever call anyone or Child Line to relay what she claims in her statement, “I was aware of most of this?”
Were the events of Myrtle Beach that well known they became common knowledge in the WASD community?
PART I – QUESTIONS
How could the WASD allow a group of nearly 40 students to go out of state for the better part of a week with with no adult chaperones?
Instead allowing only the WASD district employees, coaches, or volunteer coaches to have supervision.
Not to mention two administrators who did not stay at the same location as the students.
Why was there no room assignment list outlining where each student athlete and coach was staying at the Atlantica Resort?
If there was no room assignment list, how did the WASD safeguard and monitor every floor a student was on?
Where is WASD Athletic Director Sean McCann during the trip to Myrtle Beach?
Why did WASD not compel coaches and staff members to provide records that were requested through the RTKL?
If nothing happened in Myrtle Beach why does Talk Williamsport need to obtain a court order for the phone provider to produce records?
Why did WASD produce records for the same period for Sean McCann and Randy Zangara and not Brandon Pardoe?
As mandatory reporters, was the allure of a romantic getaway more important than protecting minors in your charge given the shortage of adult supervision and chaperones?
Why did Nick Caringi not just call the Myrtle Beach Police?
Are taxpayers who fund the largest school district by size of student population and operating budget entitled to a definition of indecent and inappropriate behavior on the part of a baseball player during the team’s 2018 spring trip?
Why did no member of the WASD travel party or administrators on the trip call the Myrtle Beach Police Department?
PART II – QUESTIONS
Was a recusal in order for Weber and Pardoe with all of the connective tissue to the WAHS Baseball program and the nephew of the principal in the room during at least one of the indecent assaults?
Why would WBP officers accompany Weber on interviews with fact witnesses if nothing happened in Myrtle Beach?
Is this case not in the jurisdiction of Myrtle Beach authorities?
When Weber makes the statement, “we’re not going to do that” who is “we’re” referring to?
Is it the official position of the Office of the Lycoming County District Attorney?
Or, the Williamsport Area School District?
Or, the Williamsport Bureau of Police?
Did Weber subpoena phone records of those on the Myrtle Beach trip as fact evidence to ensure justice for the victim?
Or by not, was it a baseball courtesy?
PART III- QUESTIONS
In the identical time period, the WASD owns cell phones and pays those bills, how is it possible the Pardoe records were not produced when the McCann and Zangara records were?
Why is a court order necessary? Are there items on that phone that the WASD and or Brandon Pardoe do not want the public to be aware of?
Which brings up the question, if nothing happened in Myrtle Beach, why won’t the WASD tell us the story?
How can Pardoe run investigations when his son is on the team and his nephew is alleged to have been in both rooms at the time of the indecent assaults?
Why is George Lepley present during interviews when Fred Holland has already admitted the WASD did not hire Lepley?
Instead, Lepley is the attorney of record for ALLEGED PERPETRATOR #1 and his family.
Was it a baseball courtesy?
Why is a criminal defense attorney meeting with WASD officials and their solicitor during an investigation into alleged “indecent and inappropriate behavior on the” on the part of his client?
Was Lepley there as a fact witness since he was on the trip in Myrtle Beach?
With FERPA being cited as the reason the family of JOHN DOE #1 would not be receiving any additional information about the incident; was the same standard applied in the meeting at WAHS with Pardoe, Lepley and Holland documented in the Holland Invoice and confirmed by Lepley’s Office?
Where is the proof in the statement Lepley makes on Facebook?
Speaking of independent, where is the proof any one associated with the WASD and this matter ever contacted Myrtle Beach law enforcement authorities?
What formal statement from a member of the Myrtle Beach law enforcement community has occurred in verifying the Lepley statement?
Did Pardoe file a report of the findings of his investigation with the WASD school board?
Did that report include the number of fact witnesses, victim statements, statements taken from players, coaches, or photos or videos from anyone else on the trip?
Why did a pair of assistant baseball coaches concerned about a parent question and being “hesitant” because said parent “maybe (he) wants something else”, and then referring the matter to the WAHS Head Principal instead of the head baseball coach Kyle Schneider?
What is the toll students have to pay for inaction of WASD, could these be assessed as a result of the inaction of the WASD?
How did Darrick Dixon discover the name of JOHN DOE #1 in the first place?
So why was someone observed in plain sight by the WBP engaging in drug deals, not arrested?
Why is Pardoe referring Myrtle Beach authorities to Weber when he was present for the interview with the family and JOHN DOE #1 as well as VIDEOGRAPHER #1 and any number of other interviews he conducted during the criminal and non-criminal investigations?
Why is Darrick Dixon involved in this case at all?
PART IV – QUESTIONS
Is it possible WASD relied upon parents who made the trip to look after their own children so staff on the trip could enjoy their vacation?
Does this displace or supplant the WASD oversight obligation of children in their care?
What was the punishment handed out by the WASD to the individual who was confirmed on video to have committed this unspeakable act?
What if any punishment did any of them receive?
As mandated reporters and administrators, how did bullying, harassment, hazing and other codified punishable behaviors based on the adopted WAHS student handbook code of conduct get overlooked?
Why will the WASD not release the details of Pardoe investigating himself?
Is Sean McCann, Williamsport Area High School Athletic Director subject to Pardoe?
Did the WASD pay for the room and the expenses of the brother of Ryan Miller, Alicia Carnevale and or her daughter in Myrtle Beach?
Was then head coach Ryan Miller subject to McCann and Pardoe?
How does Lepley who has been coaching WAHS players for years as the long standing West End Babe Ruth Hall of Fame Coach that every summer takes teams to states, regionals and if they qualify the Babe Ruth World Series get access to confidential fact witnesses on the campus of WAHS?
Was it another example of a baseball courtesy?
Is it the same reasoning that allows a previously convicted of a crime of a sexual nature against a child coach access to school grounds with a camera?
WASD by failing to produce phone records for Brandon Pardoe in the same time they provided records for McCann and Zangara instead stating their phone provider needs a court order to produce them flies in the face of reality when Pardoe is noted as conducting the non-criminal and a party to a criminal investigation. Is Pardoe investigating himself an operational breakdown?
What is the human toll of the family of the victims, and the alleged extortion that resulted from these incidents on the rest of the families of the players?
What if concerns were raised by members of the community in writing about how the investigations were handled and they went unanswered?
Have the questions raised in this series of articles given the WASD a second chance at setting the record straight in this case?
The next meeting of the WASD School Board is January 7, 2020 in the Board Room of the District Service Center, 2780 West Fourth Street, Williamsport.
Talk Williamsport is continuing to investigate the questions raised in this 5-part series.
The Child Abuse hotline is available 24 hours a day by calling ChildLine 1-800-932-0313.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools bullying prevention webpage contains resources for parents, educators, and professionals serving children and youth in school and out-of-school settings.
The Bullying Prevention Consultation Line is 1-866-716-0424.
If you are a victim of the WASD and its administration, anonymity will be given to anyone who shares their story by calling Talk Williamsport at 570-327-1300.
