A Long Island high school baseball coach is under fire by school administrators for starting an online fundraising campaign for the team without their permission, but students and parents are fighting to keep his job.
Anthony Sparacio, longtime baseball coach at Babylon High School, used a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the team without the school board's authorization, parents say.
"Because of that, he's not going to be allowed to coach this season, which is absurd," said Cindy Chiacchere, parent of a student on the team .
That's just a rumor parents have been hearing for weeks, but the school district won't comment on Sparacio's job status. Officials said only "no appointments have been made for any coaching position."
Sparacio has coached at the school for more than two decades. The fight to keep him on has special significance for seniors like Hunter Chiacchere, who fears that losing his coach and supporter may cost him a college scholarship.
"If this falls apart and he's no longer the coach, college coaches are going to be like, 'How much credibility can this guy have?'" he said.
Sparacio declined to speak to NBC 4 New York Monday but a friend said the coach refunded the $2,700 he collected online.
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"He's been such a great coach and I don't want him to lose his job," said former player Kyle Dowling.
"He has all of us behind him, backing him. We just want him as our coach," said player Kenneth Gordon.
The coach's supporters will present their message to the school board Monday night, just a week before the spring season.
