John P. Duffy, a former baseball coach at Pope John Paul II High School, is suing the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for $5 million, claiming he can’t find another coaching job after archdiocese officials allegedly insinuated that he engaged in unspecified criminal behavior.
The suit, filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court earlier this year, accuses various archdiocese officials of defamation, civil conspiracy and other wrongdoing.
The high school is located in Royersford, and Duffy served as its head baseball coach from January-November 2014.
Duffy’s suit contends that after his contract wasn’t renewed, archdiocese officials insinuated to numerous parents that he had a criminal past. Duffy doesn’t have a criminal past, yet officials conveyed to parents that he engaged in unspecified “heinous” and “untoward” conduct, according to the suit.
According to the suit, archdiocese officials told Duffy’s supporters: “With all we know about Coach Duffy, I can’t believe any parent would want him to coach their son,” and “If you know what we know, you’d see it our way.”
Duffy cleared state and federal background checks, including a state Department of Public Welfare background check for child abuse, according to the suit.
Duffy, 43, was a popular coach who was dedicated to the betterment of his players, according to the suit. After his contract wasn’t renewed, several protests were held, and more than 300 students signed a petition to get him retained. But a school administrator would only tell Duffy that officials “wanted to take the baseball program in a different direction and it was in the best interest of [the school],” according to the suit.
In defense papers, archdiocese officials denied defaming Duffy and/or engaging in a civil conspiracy. They said Duffy became involved in a dispute with a baseball umpire in May 2014 and “aggressively bumped his chest into the umpire to intimidate him.” Duffy was suspended for the next four games, and attended anger-management classes.
However, defense papers don’t give a specific reason for the non-renewal of Duffy’s contract.
For his part, Duffy denied initiating physical contact with the umpire and said his discipline was unjust and excessive, according to the suit.
Kenneth A. Gavin, an archdiocese spokesperson, had no comment for this story. When Duffy’s departure was announced in 2014, Gavin issued this statement: “Pope John Paul II High School is grateful for [Duffy’s] service and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.”
The case is in the discovery phase. Last week, Duffy’s attorneys received hundreds of documents from the archdiocese. A jury trial tentatively is set for 10 a.m. June 5, 2017, in Courtroom 483 of City Hall, with Common Pleas Judge John M. Younge presiding.