Suspended Neshaminy High School basketball coach charged with harassment
MIDDLETOWN TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- The Neshaminy High School basketball coach placed on administrative leave last week after a physical confrontation with a referee has been charged with a summary harassment offense.
The Bucks County District Attorney's Office said Jerry Devine will receive a court summons in the mail, similar to a traffic ticket.
Devine returned to his job Tuesday as a special education teacher in the Neshaminy School District, but remains suspended as the high school's basketball coach.
"Mr. Devine had been on administrative leave since an incident at a varsity basketball game on January 5, 2016 involving himself and a referee," the district said in a statement. "At that time he was also indefinitely suspended as head coach of the boys' varsity basketball team. His status as coach remains unchanged."
The Jan. 5 incident happened with less than a minute in the game between Neshaminy High School and Pennsbury High School.
Two separate videos provide two angles.
Both show Neshaminy head coach Jerry Devine making physical contact with one of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) officials after an offensive foul call, and the referee falling to the ground.
One video obtained by Action News courtesy of cityofbasketballlove.com shows the incident from a relatively close angle.
Some called it a head butt, others a chest bump.
Action News obtained another video of the game through radio station WBCB 1490 AM.
Devine was ejected from the game after the incident happened. The referee got up off the floor and finished the final moments of the game.
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Videos courtesy of WBCB 1490 AM and cityofbasketballlove.com.
