Lawsuit against St. John Bosco alleges football coach Jason Negro embezzled money, had coaches pay players’ tuition ...Middle East

Three former employees of St. John Bosco High School have filed a lawsuit against the Catholic school and Braves football coach Jason Negro, who they allege embezzled funds from the school and had his assistant coaches present “anonymous donations” in cash to pay the tuition of standout players.

The wide-ranging lawsuit, filed Dec. 30 in Los Angeles County court, also alleges harassment, discrimination and retaliation by the school, which annually fields a national powerhouse football program. The court filing also names the Salesian Society, which helps operate the school, as a defendant.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of former St. John Bosco president and CEO Brian Wickstrom, former chief financial officer Melanie Marcaurel and former vice president of technology Derek Barraza. All three were terminated last year, the lawsuit claims. They seek reinstatement plus unspecified damages. The Los Angeles Times first reported on the lawsuit Tuesday afternoon.

Marcaurel, who the suit states worked at the school from Feb. 15, 2023, until July 31, 2024, was “astonished” that Negro didn’t have accurate accounting for cash receipts, according to court documents.

The Braves’ program, the lawsuit states, lacked records of “how much money was being generated by the football program or its ancillary programs – most of it in cash.”

“Negro actively obstructed Marcaurel’s efforts to rein in the football program and what appeared to be a lack of any controls or accounting procedures,” the lawsuit reads. “Several times when there was a past due tuition bill for a prized football player, Jake Negro, Jason Negro’s brother and an assistant football coach, or another assistant coach would come to the front counter and say an ‘anonymous donor’ had given cash to pay that player’s tuition.  A cash payment would then be made to pay that player’s account balance.”

“These anonymous cash ‘donations’ would only appear for football players that were actively playing during games – never for inactive players or players who were transferring.”

CIF bylaw 516 states: “Financial aid, grants or scholarships given to students based on athletic prowess is prohibited.”

Negro, an alumnus of St. John Bosco, issued a statement on Tuesday night.

“St. John Bosco High School is aware of claims made against the Salesian Society and myself by former employees of St. John Bosco. An independent investigation has already been conducted and all the facts will come to light in court. The claim has been in the hands of our legal team and our school will defer all questions to them,” the statement read.

Negro added that he will be represented by the school’s legal counsel and “personally” by attorney Brian Panish.

Negro has guided the Braves to three national titles since he took over the program in 2010. The Braves have also captured four CIF-SS titles — beating Trinity League rival Mater Dei in the finals each year — and four state crowns.

The lawsuit accuses Negro of embezzlement of funds.

“Negro, on information and belief, failed to report the cash wages he earned to either the IRS or to the Franchise Tax Board resulting in tax fraud,” the suit alleges. “Negro, in pocketing and using for his personal use much of the cash obtained for the Football program engaged in embezzlement and fraud.”

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