"coach422002" - Bully & Blackmailer

Are all alleged rape victims telling the truth? No. Are all teenage girls who charge their PhysEd teacher with fondling them speaking the truth? We'll venture a guess no. How do we know who's truthful? Each of us has to go with our gut instinct based on known facts.

As we wrote yesterday, the teaching license of Brian Keith McGuire now lies in the hands of the Alabama Superintendent of Education after a special judge ruled that the State had not proved McGuire morally unfit to teach. Here are the reactions of three women who claim to have been sexually abused by this former coach.

Former Clements Student One: "It appears that once again money has bought freedom. The State of Alabama has given Coach McGuire the pass he needs to continue harming innocent children. Sad."

Former Clements Student Two: "I can only hope the State Superintendent will see that Coach McGuire is still capable of harming young ladies. He admitted he had a problem and that should echo in the heart of the Superintendent as he makes the final decision."

Alleged Rape Victim: " I am disappointed in the Alabama Law Judge's recommendation that Keith McGuire be allowed to continue to teach. I do however find comfort in the fact that parents and our Alabama Educational System will at least be aware of what Mr. McGuire is capable of. With that being said I have taken a stand for what is right and in the end justice always prevails."

And what might our personal statement be concerning all this? It's four simple words: We don't like bullies. Or perhaps we should delete the word "bullies" and insert the word "blackmailers." The legal definition of blackmail usually refers to demands involving monetary gain, but according to common law "Neither extortion nor blackmail require a threat of a criminal act, such as violence, merely a threat used to elicit actions, money, or property from the object of the extortion."

Below are two e-mails we received over a year ago from the account of "coach422002." The address line states that the account belongs to "Brian McGuire." The e-mails themselves state that they come from a cousin "Wade." Was Cousin Wade using Keith McGuire's e-mail account? Possibly. If he wasn't, we're sure Wade will now have some words for his cousin.

After receiving the e-mails, we sent copies to the State Superintendent's office. For the record, we have never met Brian Keith McGuire or any of his alleged victims, but we sincerely hope "coach422002" will be held accountable for his actions.

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Brian Keith McGuire's Fight for Teaching License Heads to State Superintendent

For those who came in late, Brian Keith McGuire is a teacher and former coach who grew up in the small Lauderdale County town of Lexington. After working several years as a barber, McGuire returned to school and graduated from Athens State University with a degree in education; he then taught at Clements High School in western Limestone County.

After accusations that he initiated unwanted sexual contact with two female students, McGuire resigned from Clements in 2002 and taught at three other Alabama schools before being indicted on a rape charge in 2008. At that time two other Clements students came forward with stories of improper conduct by McGuire, and the Alabama Board of Education sought the revocation of McGuire's teaching license. An initial hearing was continued until after McGuire's 2009 trial, at which he was found not guilty of assaulting a teenage babysitter.

It was not until December 14th and 15th of 2010 that the revocation hearing was concluded, with authorities promising a verdict within 30 days. Due to requests for various rebuttals and other delays, the verdict was not announced until last Friday. On September 30th, nine and one-half months after the hearing, a judge pronounced that the State Board of Education had not sufficiently proved McGuire was morally unfit to teach in the state.

Unlike a trial, this hearing does not produce an actual verdict, but only a recommendation to the state superintendent. Now, Interim Superintendent Larry E. Craven will decide the fate of McGuire's licensure...or he could postpone the decision until his replacement is announced.

Those who claim to have been the victims of sexual abuse by McGuire have made their unhappiness with the decision known. Two former Clements students and the alleged rape victim are among those who have offered their opinions on the special judge's decision. We'll bring them to you tomorrow.

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Sources with the Muscle Shoals Police Department have stated that former UNA student Corey Langley Griffin, currently accused of rape and awaiting indictment, has two similar previous charges for violence against women. Both a former high school girlfriend from Talladega and a former UNA girlfriend have restraining orders against the one-time high school tennis star. Griffin's response to the charges: "The criminal complaint filed in district court says that Griffin told investigators that he only used the victim for sex, and that she understood her place with him."

It should be an interesting trial...

Related post: Corey Griffin



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