mygreensburg
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? PA
My wife is a volunteer coach for a local recreation soccer program. We are experiencing problems with the parents of a former player. For clarity sake we can call the parents “Fred” and “Wilma.” Everything began on 2/11/2006 while my wife was coaching an indoor soccer team at our local YMCA. On that date, we took our children to see an event at a local arena and the coaching duties were left up to another parent on the team. Let’s call this interim coach, “Betty.” I feel that the issue started when “Wilma” was not chosen to be the interim coach. After returning home from out family event, my wife received numerous calls from “Fred” and “Wilma” about how thing were run during the soccer game. They felt as if “Betty” vindictively refused to allow their son to play equal time and at the position he wanted to play. Granted this was something out of my wife’s control, but they blamed her for the actions of another. “Fred” and “Wilma” then did not allow their child to play the remainder of the season.
This resentment led to an incident in October or November 2006 (It was during the mall’s annual light up night so the exact date can be obtained) at a local shopping mall between “Wilma” and my wife. At the time, my wife was pregnant and “Wilma” threatened that she would “punch her in the face” if she wasn’t pregnant at the time.
Another incident occurred on May 12, 2007. This may have been the most explosive incident and luckily, it was the most witnessed as well. My recollection of the events of this day is as follows:
During a soccer game coached by my wife and sponsored by the local recreation department. I was sitting on the sidelines holding my 5 month old son. I happened to be sitting there before “Fred” and “Wilma” arrived at the game. Their son was playing on the opposing team. I do not feel as if these individuals knew I was seated close enough to them to hear all of their conversations however I was. Perhaps they did not notice me sitting there as well. Throughout the game the individuals were making insulting remarks about my wife as well as the children playing on her team. During the play of any game, my wife will call out an opposing player number and have her players defend against that player as any coach does. When she called out the number for “Fred” and “Wilma’s” son to have him defended against, “Wilma’s” insulting comments were more than I could sit and bear. At the next stop in play, I asked the referee to remove “Fred” and “Wilma” from the premises as I am sure he heard the insulting remarks. As soon as I did this, “Wilma” exploded. She began screaming and cursing at my wife and making threats to have her husband “get” me. This carried on for a few minutes and everyone at the field was witness to this outburst. When she was finished, “Fred” told her to go to their car and he would take care of this. There was no further public outburst during the remainder of the game.
I truly wish I would have thought to use the video option of my camera phone to record this outburst as I would not be in the situation I am now if that were the case. “Wilma” has taken it upon herself to now contact the local recreation department (and local city government officials) and make slanderous comments about my wife and myself. These were relayed to us via the recreation department. Her slander includes that my wife abuses children and that I have been threatening her. This is causing issues for my wife and myself with the recreation department, and is jeopardizing her ability to coach as well as our daughter’s capability to play soccer.
With the large amount of witnesses available form the incident at the soccer field, would we be able to pursue a slander case against the individuals or at least get a cease and desist order so that future incidents do not occur?What is the name of your state?
My wife is a volunteer coach for a local recreation soccer program. We are experiencing problems with the parents of a former player. For clarity sake we can call the parents “Fred” and “Wilma.” Everything began on 2/11/2006 while my wife was coaching an indoor soccer team at our local YMCA. On that date, we took our children to see an event at a local arena and the coaching duties were left up to another parent on the team. Let’s call this interim coach, “Betty.” I feel that the issue started when “Wilma” was not chosen to be the interim coach. After returning home from out family event, my wife received numerous calls from “Fred” and “Wilma” about how thing were run during the soccer game. They felt as if “Betty” vindictively refused to allow their son to play equal time and at the position he wanted to play. Granted this was something out of my wife’s control, but they blamed her for the actions of another. “Fred” and “Wilma” then did not allow their child to play the remainder of the season.
This resentment led to an incident in October or November 2006 (It was during the mall’s annual light up night so the exact date can be obtained) at a local shopping mall between “Wilma” and my wife. At the time, my wife was pregnant and “Wilma” threatened that she would “punch her in the face” if she wasn’t pregnant at the time.
Another incident occurred on May 12, 2007. This may have been the most explosive incident and luckily, it was the most witnessed as well. My recollection of the events of this day is as follows:
During a soccer game coached by my wife and sponsored by the local recreation department. I was sitting on the sidelines holding my 5 month old son. I happened to be sitting there before “Fred” and “Wilma” arrived at the game. Their son was playing on the opposing team. I do not feel as if these individuals knew I was seated close enough to them to hear all of their conversations however I was. Perhaps they did not notice me sitting there as well. Throughout the game the individuals were making insulting remarks about my wife as well as the children playing on her team. During the play of any game, my wife will call out an opposing player number and have her players defend against that player as any coach does. When she called out the number for “Fred” and “Wilma’s” son to have him defended against, “Wilma’s” insulting comments were more than I could sit and bear. At the next stop in play, I asked the referee to remove “Fred” and “Wilma” from the premises as I am sure he heard the insulting remarks. As soon as I did this, “Wilma” exploded. She began screaming and cursing at my wife and making threats to have her husband “get” me. This carried on for a few minutes and everyone at the field was witness to this outburst. When she was finished, “Fred” told her to go to their car and he would take care of this. There was no further public outburst during the remainder of the game.
I truly wish I would have thought to use the video option of my camera phone to record this outburst as I would not be in the situation I am now if that were the case. “Wilma” has taken it upon herself to now contact the local recreation department (and local city government officials) and make slanderous comments about my wife and myself. These were relayed to us via the recreation department. Her slander includes that my wife abuses children and that I have been threatening her. This is causing issues for my wife and myself with the recreation department, and is jeopardizing her ability to coach as well as our daughter’s capability to play soccer.
With the large amount of witnesses available form the incident at the soccer field, would we be able to pursue a slander case against the individuals or at least get a cease and desist order so that future incidents do not occur?What is the name of your state?