Community divided over lawsuit against Mascoutah girls volleyball coach and school district
A civil-rights lawsuit filed last week by a recent Mascoutah High School graduate against her former volleyball coach and the school district has created sharp divisions in the community.
Some residents took to social media to express outrage that girls volleyball players were allegedly forced to spank teammates, bark like seals and participate in other activities that plaintiff Brooke Junker found “demoralizing and degrading,” according to her U.S. District Court complaint.
Other residents are standing behind head girls volleyball coach Todd Gober and defending Scott Battas, athletic director for Mascoutah Community Unit School District 19, against online attacks that have turned ugly at times.
Still others are imploring people to remember that defendants in court are “innocent until proven guilty.”
“(It’s a) very sad situation, but there are three sides to every story,” Mascoutah resident Aimee French wrote on Facebook and reiterated in a phone call with the BND. “Maybe we should wait for ALL of the facts before we start destroying people?”
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Brooke Junker’s father, Jeff Junker, retired this summer as assistant high school principal after 32 years with the district.
Retirement well-wishers at the time included Battas, who posted a tribute on Facebook, noting that Jeff Junker was his baseball coach in high school and calling him a “mentor” and “great friend.”
“He’s one of the best human beings I have met in education,” Battas wrote. “And one thing is for certain: Nobody cared more than Jeff Junker. Jeff, thanks for being there for me, being an incredible team player, and just being true to who you are. There are tons of people who are better because of you sir!”
Two months later, the Junker family and Battas are on opposite sides of a federal lawsuit.
Jeff and Brooke Junker and Battas declined to comment this week on pending litigation. Mascoutah School Superintendent Craig Fiegel also declined to comment, except to say that the district has insurance to cover such cases, and the insurance company will arrange for legal counsel.
Gober is beginning his 12th season at MHS with 37 girls in the volleyball program. He has a record of 200-115 and led the Indians to the Class 3A State Tournament quarterfinals in 2015 and 2016.
Gober formerly coached five years at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville and 10 years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He also works as president and CEO of First Federal Savings Bank of Mascoutah.
Gober was served with court papers on Monday.
“I’m surprised and disappointed and disheartened, and I look forward to all the facts coming out,” he said Tuesday. “Some of the allegations (in the lawsuit) were taken out of context. I stand by my program and my coaching, and I’m proud of my staff and my teams.”
Serving at McKendree
Brooke Junker played with the girls volleyball team at Mascoutah High School for four years before graduating last spring. She signed up in May to join the inaugural beach volleyball team at McKendree University in Lebanon.
Junker helped coach the swim team at King’s Point in Belleville until last year, when the fitness center closed. This summer, she became affiliated with the new swim team at Westhaven Pool & Tennis Club.
Junker filed the lawsuit Aug. 24 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in East St. Louis. She’s asking for unspecified compensatory damages and in excess of $500,000 in punitive damages on 10 counts related to discrimination, retaliation and free speech.
“Defendants’ actions have detrimentally affected Plaintiff’s education and health, and Plaintiff has suffered from mental and emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, anxiety, and depression,” the complaint states.
The complaint alleges that Gober violated federal and state laws against gender-based discrimination by forcing members of the girls volleyball team to participate in certain activities and that district officials failed to reprimand him when notified by her parents, Jeff and Beth Junker.
Some of the activities are described as “punishments” for the losers of scrimmage games at volleyball practices:
- A “spanking machine,” which involves girls on the winning team standing in a line with legs spread apart and girls on the losing team crawling through their legs and getting slapped on the buttocks.
- “Kill the squirrel,” which involves girls on the losing team lining up against a wall and girls on the winning team serving volleyballs at them until they hit them.
- “Seal barks,” which involve girls on the losing team lying on their stomachs and barking like seals.
- “Donkey kicks,” which involve girls on the losing team crawling around like donkeys, kicking their feet to hit their own buttocks and making “hee-haw” sounds.
The complaint also describes an obstacle course where one of two girls on each team has to lead her blindfolded partner through a maze of set mouse traps without giving directions such as “right” or “left.” Poor performers are fed sardines, radishes and other “disfavored” food.
“Participants in boys’ sports at Mascoutah High School can expect an entirely different experience than participants on the girls’ volleyball team, and are not subjected to the same degrading and demeaning activities as girls’ volleyball players,” the complaint states.
Brooke Junker is being represented by attorneys Natalie Lorenz and Montana Sinn of the Mathis, Marifan & Richter law firm in Belleville.
Charges of retaliation
Brooke Junker’s complaint refers to a specific volleyball game in August 2021, when Gober allegedly required players to stand in front of spectators while he “screamed” at them for “letting down their fans.”
According to a lawsuit, this set off a chain of events:
- Junker went to MHS counselor Ty Smith and told her that Gober’s actions made her feel “uncomfortable.”
- Three other senior girls volleyball players talked to the same counselor on Junker’s urging.
- The counselor passed on their concerns to Battas, the athletic director, and Battas spoke with Gober about them.
- Gober allegedly scolded the seniors for going outside chain of command and stripped them of their captain titles.
- The girls weren’t allowed to lead stretches, participate in coin tosses or organize meetings and functions.
- The girls were tasked with setting up and taking down nets, a chore normally done by lowerclassmen, and were prohibited from telling people why.
- Gober ruled that injured players, including Junker, couldn’t travel with the team or sit on the bench during games.
“Plaintiff’s parents complained to Gober, the high school principal, the athletic director, and members of the District’s Board of Directors, who failed to take any action to protect the Plaintiff or her teammates from Gober’s abuse and retaliation,” the complaint states.
Reactions in the community to the lawsuit have been wide-ranging, judging by posts on social media.
Some people identifying as former and current members of the girls volleyball team have described the activities in question as “fun” and good for team-building. Others condemned them as “inappropriate,” “humiliating,” “abusive” and the equivalent of “hazing.”
Several commenters have praised Gober as a respected coach who is devoted to his family, the community and the success of the volleyball program and players at Mascoutah High School.
“(Todd has) has a strong personality and a desire to pull the best out of everyone,” one person wrote in an online comment section following a lawsuit story by The Herald newspaper.
“Some people handle that just fine and come out better for it. But more and more people nowadays can’t handle any kind of pressure and get their feelings hurt easily. What a shame. If you can’t handle the pressure, then join a recreational league, not a competitive one.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 6:30 AM.
