Former coach files complaint against East St. Louis football coach

EAST ST. LOUIS A former East St. Louis District 189 coach has filed a complaint against the current head football coach at East St. Louis Senior High School, alleging assault.

Maurice Scott Jr., a former baseball and basketball coach at the high school, said football coach Darren Sunkett took issue with him writing some things about him in an area newspaper for which Scott is a columnist. He said that Sunkett confronted him when Scott was leaving a meeting in October at the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House.

A hearing was postponed Tuesday on the complaint filed with the state’s attorney’s office.

According to a police report, Scott said, “He stopped me from trying to pull off in my vehicle. He stood between the door and the vehicle and he wouldn’t let me pull off. He also tried to snatch my cellphone out of my hand.” Scott said Sunkett allegedly challenged him to a fist fight and threatened him, according to the police report.

Sunkett declined to comment and referred questions to his attorney, Richard Sturgeon.

Sturgeon said, “ I believe that my client is innocent. I anticipate either the case will be dismissed or my client will go to trial and he will be acquitted.”

No formal charges have been filed by the East St. Louis Police Department or the St. Clair County state’s attorney’s office.

Scott filed his complaint on Oct. 9, the same day the alleged incident occurred, and police wrote an incident report. He said Sunkett was verbally abusive and used profanity with him.

Scott, 53, was charged with felony drug possession in July 2014. He pleaded guilty and received probation, according to St. Clair County Circuit Court records.

This is the second complaint filed with police against Sunkett in two months.

William Cobb, a long-term substitute teacher in East St. Louis District 189, filed an incident report with the East St. Louis Police Department alleging that Sunkett threatened him. That report was made on Sept. 3. He has since written a letter to the police department asking that formal assault charges be filed against Sunkett.

Cobb said he was having some difficulty with some of the football players and on the day of the incident, “I put one of the star football players out of the classroom and filled out a disciplinary action report on the student.”

Cobb alleges that Sunkett came to his classroom, “interrupted my class and started in with a barrage of accusations and threats.”

He said, “Sunkett put his fingers in my face and continued to issue threats.”

Cobb said he filed a complaint with the principal at East St. Louis Senior High School. After that, “I was called into a meeting with the school’s leadership and six or seven East St. Louis police officers. I think this meeting was an attempt to cover it up,” Cobb said.

Cobb said he resigned in September from that long-term position as a result of stress and comments from kids and teachers alike.

Kelly Hawkins, a spokeswoman for District 189 said the district is aware of Cobbs’ complaint and resignation and is investigating the incident.

District 189 Superintendent Arthur Culver said that the situation involving Cobb was brought to his attention, and it was his understanding that it was handled appropriately. “We have reopened the case, and Cobb was supposed to meet Friday with the school district’s human resources department.”

Cobb had been teaching science as a substitute teacher for more than two years.

“It was coach Sunkett’s attempt to bully me, but I’m not going to tolerate that, and that is not a good example for our kids, ” Cobb said.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Former coach files complaint against East St. Louis football coach."