Front Page  »  

Paso Robles coach supporters picket district office

November 3, 2016

About 10 supporters of football coach Rich Schimke picketed outside the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District offices Wednesday calling for the coach’s reinstatement. Schimke is currently on administrative leave as district officials investigate a locker room incident in which the coach was filmed licking or pretending to lick syrup out of a player’s belly button.

Both supporters and critics of Schimke are turning to social media to express their opinions on whether or not the coach should get his job back. Schimke supporters are using “#IstandwithSchimke” to defend the coach and spread their endorsements of his character. Social media posts show some Paso robles residents have painted, “I stand with Schimke” on their cars.

Some social media users have called Schimke a “creep” and a “pervy licker.” One woman who say she is former student of Schimke’s wrote on Facebook that people should not be defending Schimke just because he is a successful coach and teacher.

“A 50+-year-old man stuck his tongue in a 17-year-old’s belly button,” the woman wrote. “That is freaken weird, people. It’s gross.”

Schimke is a longtime math teacher at Paso Robles High School, in addition to being the school’s head football coach. He has been praised for introducing innovative statistics and calculus programs. Schimke has served head football coach since 1999.

The locker room incident took place on Oct. 14 following a football game against San Luis Obispo High School. About a week later, Heather Moscato, the mother of 17-year-old player Joe Moscato, reported it to Paso Robles police.

syrup coach

A police investigation resulted in the determination that nothing criminal occurred. School district officials have been conducting their own investigation for about two weeks. Superintendent Chris Williams has released a statement saying the district is concerned about what occurred.

More picketing in support of Schimke is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. The Paso Robles team’s regular season finale is Friday night at Atascadero High School. Assistant coach Matt Carroll is serving as interim head coach during Schimke’s absence.


Loading...
Subjects:                 
Related:


12 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

What’s that pic? A Rothko?


0

Ladies & Gentlemen,


Shame on political correctness and the losers as they try to damage Coach Schimke’s reputation.


Despite their best attempt to defame him, the fact remains that he was involved in an over-the-top display of exuberance after a football victory. It is also true that teacher, coach, and mentor Rich Schimke has made a huge contribution to our community, and, literally, thousands of young people have been impacted positively through association with this man.


It has been shared with me that the Bearcat football player involved, and his mother who grossly overreacted to this celebration, are relatives of Arroy Grande High School Football Coach Tom Goossen. This association explains a lot, as getting Schimke fired would significantly help AG dominate the Pac 8 Conference.


Shame on political correctness and the losers as they try to damage Coach Schimke’s reputation.


Let’s have a parade for this great teacher and coach.


Just saying,


Josey


-1

Great idea…lets have a parade to celebrate inappropriate adult behavior. Lets call it the “Pancake Parade” We could have the marching belly button boys, the synchronized syrup supporters, testosterone twirlers, the creepy coaches review, and of course the Grand Marshall himself….”the great teacher and coach”


1

Can a concept, like political correctness, really be shamed? I don’t think so.


The mother took issue with the behavior and addressed it, as she is entitled to. Reaching for a conspiracy theory to hang this on, and needing to comment on it, says so much about you.


It could be innocent behavior, or he could be a Denny Hastert in the making, using his position improperly. Both would be equally unfounded positions for anyone to speculate on.


But you got it figured out it is all about the football division and don’t question the coach who teasingly licks boys.


I’ve done a little coaching in my day and that is the kind of fun I go out of my way to avoid :-(


So keep your powder dry and leave it up to the professionals to investigate and save us all the needless speculation.


0

The SLO offense was “pancaked” (really no big deal). You did your Texas Friday Night Lights celebration (Paso’d get killed by the smallest high school in Texas). The coach loved it and acted out in a not-so-well-thought-out way as a part of an unofficial team ritual (all impromptu sports rituals will heretofore require approval by the School Board) . Get over it. Is this woman alleging immoral intent demonstrated in front of the whole team? Sounds like she has her own demons to deal with.


0

“I stand with Schimke” lol


Shouldn’t that be: “I lie with Schimke, while he licks syrup from my navel?”


0

That was such a disgusting and unnecessary comment unless you know something the Police don’t! Bad judgment in today’s environment, yes, but so is your comment…


0

“That was such a disgusting and unnecessary”..As was the coaches behavior.

Give your head a shake. Had this been in the girls locker room, or the classroom or anywhere else involving adults in positions of so called leadership and trust, there would be widespread outrage….but because it took -place in a boys locker room it appears to be acceptable. The redneck hypocrisy is alive and well in Paso.


0

This may be nothing more than a mother building a case for a big $ prize, she may as well have added a 50+ year old man in the locker room full of naked young boys is weird too. Unless things have changed, men of all ages are in the men’s locker room. In this case, I would be more concerned about a camera being on in the locker room and I would want to know what history supports the disgrace this instructor is being subjected to? Although this may have been just a case of a dare resulting in the coach pretending to be one of the boys, I would have chosen to loose the dare. In my youth I had a coach kick my ass so hard that I went air bourn, yes I was screwing around during exercise and I didn’t know he was behind me. Welcome the weirdness of sports and, oh yes, I marched like a soldier after my training / bonding experience of another kind.


0

I hear that. I remember a coach eating live worms before a game to get us fired up. Pouring syrup after the teammate ‘pan caked’ the opposition? On Par for locker room stunts. Lick by Head Coach? Bogie…maybe double bogie.


After 8 years of being in a testosterone filled locker room with speech that would make Andrew Dice Clay blush or stunts rivaling ‘Jack Ass’, I’m left with just fond memories of a brotherhood which impacted my life for the better.


Suspend the coach from the team. Put him on Probation and move on. Talk of anything more is ludicrous to me.


0

When I was a kid I was told the belly button was for salt, I guess something sweet would also work. I’m sure this will make some administrator feel like they deserve their bloated salary.


0

The district probably won’t make a decision until after the football season is over. Gives the impression that they did a thorough investigation and calculated their decision after learning ALL the facts. What it looks like had happened and what actually occurred will be taken into consideration. In the end… this will leave a stain on everybody.


0