Ousted coach sues Collingswood schools

A former Collingswood High School basketball coach has sued the Collingswood Board of Education and three administrators, claiming he lost the job because he defended black players against "racist practices and acts."

Joseph McLoughlin, who was coach from 1998 through 2012 and is the school's all-time leader in boys' basketball victories, alleged that principal Edward Hill and athletic director Ronald Hamrick made derogatory comments about black players on the Collingswood team.

Hill and Hamrick, along with Superintendent Scott Oswald and the board, are named as defendants in the civil lawsuit, filed Aug. 1 in Superior Court in Camden County.

Joseph Betley, the school board's lawyer, said Monday that the lawsuit was without merit and that the school district "looks forward to these allegations being looked at and decided on their merits."

Oswald would not comment. Hill and Hamrick were on vacation, according to administrative assistants, and unavailable for comment.

McLoughlin, a special-education teacher in the Collingswood school system, and Oswald, Hill, and Hamrick are white.

McLoughlin was not rehired as coach after the 2011-12 season. He won 235 games in 14 seasons and led the program to South Jersey Group 2 titles in 2008 and 2010.

His attorney at the time, Dennis Young, said in June 2012 that McLoughlin was not rehired "because he wouldn't play more white players." McLoughlin's current attorney, Charles Nugent, confirmed the suit but declined further comment.

McLoughlin is seeking punitive and compensatory damages.

The lawsuit says he has suffered "emotional distress with physical manifestation of that distress, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders . . . diagnostic tests for heart conditions, embarrassment, lost wages, and humiliation. Plaintiff further incurred medical expenses, suffered loss of income and other benefits."

McLoughlin contends that Hill, then Collingswood's athletic director, told him in 1999 that McLoughlin "catered" to black athletes, that white players were reluctant to try out for the team, and that Collingswood was a "white town."

The suit says that during the 2006-07 season, Hill twice referred to a Collingswood player by the n-word.

It also says Hamrick said a black Collingswood player who had transferred from Camden for the 2010-11 season was not a good fit and said he did not like "his kind."

The lawsuit claims that Hamrick referred to a black player in September 2010 by a vulgar, derogatory name.

"As a direct result of his objection to racist practices and acts, McLoughlin was discriminated against," the suit contends.

Further, the suit contends, "the retaliation of the plaintiff would not have occurred but for the fact that the plaintiff spoke against the discrimination against the African American students."

Betley denied that McLoughlin lost his coaching job for defending black players.

"The decision [by Oswald] not to recommend him had nothing to do with that," Betley said. "I don't know if Hill said things. I don't know if Hamrick said things. There's no proof and they've been denied.

"But I do know that whatever was said 14 years ago had nothing to do with the decision not to rehire Joe McLoughlin as the basketball coach."

In a Jan. 20, 2012, e-mail exchange with McLoughlin that The Inquirer has obtained, Oswald said the coach needed to "check this Hamrick/Hill paranoia at the door."

Oswald also mentioned concerns that McLoughlin had expressed about Hill and Hamrick.

"As I told you a dozen times last year, neither Ed nor Ron has ever not supported you in discussions with me," Oswald wrote.

Oswald also wrote that he was considering asking McLoughlin to leave coaching for a year.

"At this point, I, your No. 1 supporter," he wrote, "am considering asking you to take a year off next year. . . . I just can't keep dealing with this 'Everybody is out to get me' mentality."

When McLoughlin was not rehired in spring 2012, the Collingswood board hired former Camden County Prosecutor Edward Borden to investigate allegations that the coach had been pressured by administrators to play more white athletes.

Borden said Monday his investigation was complete and had been presented to Collingswood officials.

Borden would not comment on his findings, citing personnel matters not made public by the school board.

Betley also declined to comment on Borden's investigation.