Recalled judge from Brock Turner case loses job as the JV tennis coach at a Bay Area high school
Judge Aaron Persky looks on during a news conference in Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. Persky was recalled in a vote on June 5, 2018, the first judge to be recalled since 1932. Judge Aaron Persky looks on during a news conference in Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. Persky was recalled in a vote on June 5, 2018, the first judge to be recalled since 1932. Photo: ANDA CHU / TNS Photo: ANDA CHU / TNS Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Recalled judge from Brock Turner case loses job as the JV tennis coach at a Bay Area high school 1 / 5 Back to Gallery
This story was updated at 5 p.m. on Sept. 11.
Former judge Aaron Persky has already lost his job as a tennis coach at Lynbrook High School in San Jose.
School officials released a statement Wednesday at 4 p.m. saying, "We believe this outcome is in the best interest of our students and school community. The District will begin the search for a new coach immediately with the goal of ensuring that the athletes on the JV tennis team are able to have a successful season. Both the Lynbrook and District staff will be supporting the team and their families throughout this transition."
The Santa Clara County Superior Court judge who oversaw the Brock Turner rape case was hired at the start of the school year to coach Lynbrook's girls junior varsity team.
Rachel Zlotziver, coordinator of communications at the Fremont Union High School District, said the high school was initially unaware of Perksy's role in the controversial Brock Turner case when they hired him.
"He applied for the open coaching position over the summer and successfully completed all of the District's hiring requirements before starting as a coach, including a fingerprint background check," Zlotziver said. "He was a qualified applicant for this position, having attended several tennis coaching clinics for youth and holds a high rating from the United States Tennis Association."
ALSO: 'Emily Doe' in Brock Turner case steps forward, identifies herself as Chanel Miller
Persky came under fire for sentencing Turner, a former Stanford University swimmer, to six months in county jail for sexually assaulting Chanel Miller in January 2015 at a fraternity party. Persky said he considered the "severe impact" a long prison sentence would have on Turner's life.
Many considered the sentencing too lenient and public outrage ensued. Santa Clara County voters recalled him in 2018, the first California judge to be recalled in 80 years.
Amy Graff is a Digital Editor at SFGATE. Email: [email protected]
hearty_soup on September 12nd, 2019 at 04:44 UTC »
I went to this high school. Apparently, he applied as "Michael" Persky.
After conducting a thorough background check on "Michael" Persky, they found nothing wrong with his application.
filthy_flamingo on September 12nd, 2019 at 03:04 UTC »
In case anyone's interested why he might've been applying for a job:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/12/11/brock-turner-judge-persky-debt-payoff/
tl;dr: He raised $1.5 million to fight the recall and blew it all on the lawsuits. Afterwards, he put out a public request asking for more donations to pay the attorney fees totaling $135,000. It doesn't say if he successfully raised that money.
Also, had he not been recalled he would have eventually been able to retire with a pension of $150,000/year for life. Instead he received a lump sum of all the money he and his employer put in his pension fund, plus interest. He still gets health benefits, but not until age 65.
Tato7069 on September 12nd, 2019 at 02:32 UTC »
From the article:
"He applied for the open coaching position over the summer and successfully completed all of the District's hiring requirements before starting as a coach, including a fingerprint background check," Zlotziver said. "He was a qualified applicant for this position, having attended several tennis coaching clinics for youth and holds a high rating from the United States Tennis Association."
So, what new information led to his firing?