Controversy over football coach splits town

Father sues, alleging mistreatment of son

The way the Morris family tells it, their 17-year-old son, Tim, was cornered near a school stairwell in November by the Marblehead High football coach, who berated the teen and threatened to spread rumors that he had a drug and drinking problem.

Coach Doug Chernovetz remembers the encounter differently: He had an unplanned chat with his former tight end, who had recently quit the team because he apparently wasn't getting enough playing time.

In the months since, Chernovetz has been disciplined, Tim Morris left school, and his parents filed a lawsuit. A judge is now being asked to unravel the matter.

"I'm trying to do the right thing as a parent," said Michael Morris, Tim's father, who has filed a lawsuit alleging Chernovetz assaulted his son, violated the teen's civil rights, and caused him emotional distress. "I want my son to be safe in a school that is, above all things, supposed to be a safe place."

The case has divided this seaside town of about 20,000. Several of Tim Morris's former teammates have sided with their coach - showing up in court earlier this week to support him during a hearing on Chernovetz's motion to dismiss the case and filing affidavits in his defense - while a few close friends are standing by Tim Morris. And following news reports in April, football fans and parents flooded Internet comment boards on both sides of the issue. School Committee members have been getting calls for months.

The Morrises complained about Chernovetz in November, prompting a lengthy investigation into nine allegations against him. The 39-year-old coach eventually was disciplined by the school district for having his dogs on school property, using improper language in front of students, making racially and ethnically insensitive remarks to players, and chewing tobacco during practice or at games, according to a February report from Superintendent G. Paul Dulac.

In addition, Chernovetz, who is also a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Wilmington Middle School, has been suspended for two games next season by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for the last infraction.

The superintendent's February report concluded that "the confrontation between Mr. Chernovetz and the student of the complaint . . . was also improper."

The Morrises were not satisfied. In April, they pulled their son out of school, filed suit, and are now seeking a restraining order against Chernovetz. If granted, the order would bar Chernovetz from having contact with Tim Morris and could cost the coach his job at Marblehead High.

Marblehead's football team was 4-7 overall last year under Chernovetz, who has coached the Marblehead team since 2005. His coaching contract is up for renewal and will be decided in the next couple of weeks, said the athletic director, Michael Plansky. Plansky declined to specify Chernovetz's punishment and said he felt the district's investigation was "thorough, fair, consistent."

The elder Morris said he first became concerned about Chernovetz last fall when his son came home from numerous football practices frustrated and demoralized. The teen quit the team with two games left in the 2007 season.

Worried about Tim's reputation as an athlete, the Morris family met with Plansky. The Morrises say they wanted to make it clear that their son still wanted to play on the basketball team, even though he had quit the football team.

The encounter with Chernovetz occurred a day later.

In a phone interview with the Globe, Michael Morris said he reacted like any worried father would: "I called the athletic director and said, 'Get that man away from my son' . . . [then] I had a sit down with my son and said, 'Tell me more about this guy.' "

It was then that the younger Morris went into detail about problems with his old coach, Michael Morris said. According to court documents, Tim Morris said Chernovetz often berated players using sexually explicit language, made disparaging remarks based on a student's race or ethnicity, and would make injured team members pick up his dogs' feces or stand by the spot the animals had soiled until someone could clean up the mess.

The Morrises took their concerns to district officials, who have decided to stand behind the coach.

"We investigated all the complaints, and we did not, in the investigation, find any reason to remove coach Chernovetz," Plansky said in a phone interview last week. "So, we disciplined him, which is obviously a personnel matter."

In court Monday, one of Chernovetz's lawyers, Sam Perkins, asked Essex Superior Court Judge Kathe Tuttman to dismiss the case, saying it is nothing more than a back-door attempt by disgruntled parents to fire a man whose coaching practices the Morrises dislike. Perkins asked the judge to dismiss the request for a restraining order.

"There is not enough here to make a claim for extreme and outrageous conduct, " Perkins said. "In every sport . . . coaches raise their voices, kids raise their voices. There are heated arguments. . . . Being scared, being intimidated by an older person, being worried that your coach is yelling at you - these are familiar situations for a young person."

Tuttman had not ruled on the matter as of yesterday. Another hearing - this one about a motion to consider the Morrises' request for a preliminary injunction against Chernovetz - has been scheduled for tomorrow. A preliminary injunction would keep Chernovetz away from Morris while the case is being decided in court.

The Morrises' lawyer said he hoped for a quick decision.

"I'm looking to get my client back in school," Gerard Malone told the judge on Monday. After the hearing, Malone added: "We are not in school now because with the initiation of the litigation, the temperature at the school has risen . . . the temperature between factions of students has risen."

About a dozen Marblehead football players attended Monday's session in Lawrence to lend support to Chernovetz. At least 18 players signed a letter in March supporting the coach.

Chernovetz declined to comment about the case. He said he was heartened by the student presence in the courtroom because it is his job to have "a bond with the young men that I coach."

Tim Morris's parents have been talking to school officials about tutors and other options so their son doesn't fall behind in his studies while he is not in class.

"I'm just waiting for this to be over," Tim Morris said this week. "I just want to go back to school."

Erin Ailworth can be reached at eailworth@globe.com.