Berlin High School’s football coach, John Capodice, has now hired an attorney in response to allegations that he let ineligible players onto his team.
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), which oversees high school sports, is investigating the allegations.
Attorney Viral Keshwala is now representing Coach Capodice. He said the coach is currently not facing any consequences from the school district or the CIAC.
"Coach came to me stressed out with the situation, being attacked from all sides. He wasn't really being given due process and he's allowed to have outside counsel in the CIAC investigation," Said Keshwala.
The allegations against some members of the Berlin High School football team involve residency issues.
“The allegation is that they’re somehow claiming to be residents and playing on the football team so that’s what we hope to resolve its either true or untrue in the course of this investigation,” said William Connon, attorney for the Berlin Board of Education.
Keshwala said he and Coach Capodice plan to meet with the CIAC next week.
Sources close to the team tell NBC Connecticut some of the football players moved from the New Britain school system.
"The allegations have been coming from New Britain and there was an internal investigation from the Berlin school," Said Keshwala.
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New Britain Superintendent, Kelt Cooper, tells NBC Connecticut the school district is ”cooperating with Berlin and the CIAC.”
"We have not received anything, we do not know what the exact issues are," Said Keshwala. "The only fact that we do know is that every Berlin athlete on the Berlin football team is a legal resident on the that roster."
NBC Connecticut asked if Coach Capodice has been helping with any illegal recruiting. Keshwala said, "I cant make any comment to that. my client is a by the rules guy."
Berlin superintendent, David Erwin, said students can be ineligible to play if they have poor grades, play while suspended or don’t live in a residence in the same area where they play sports.
"We really want to put this behind us. This thing has been blown out of proportion. The kids are suffering we want the kids on the team, the kids in the school, the students, we want everything to go back to normal," Said Keshwala.
"I hope nothing happens I mean he’s a pretty good coach. I'd like to see him stay," Said student, Mike Patterson.
"I know that some of the kids do live in Berlin so some of it is just speculation," Said another student Mike Calafiore.
Berlin will play Tolland High School at 6:30 PM in Sage Park.
NBC Connecticut spoke with Tolland High School’s Athletic Director Patrick Cox, who said he was aware of the controversy, but that the team plans for a normal game tonight.
