Los Angeles Times, 23 September 1981

Basketball Coach Quits Amid Spanking Charges

By Chris Baker
Times Staff Writer

Donovan Green, basketball coach at St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey the last three years, resigned his coaching and teaching positions Monday amid charges that he spanked his players both at school and at his Baldwin Hills apartment.

Said the parent of a St. Bernard player who asked not to be identified: "He gave them some swats and I understand that some of them took place at his home.

"He hit them with his hand and a belt, but to my knowledge they weren't forced to strip. It wasn't a beating. But some of the kids felt they were humiliated. He overextended himself and the kids just rebelled. I look at it as a Frank Kush-type of thing.

"I know some people may read this into it, but it wasn't a sexual thing. That's an unfounded innuendo."

The matter came to light last week after Green suspended three senior players from the team for disciplinary reasons.

In an interview at his apartment Tuesday night, Green denied the allegations.

"No, I didn't beat my players," Green said. "But maybe I pushed too hard to have a first-class program."

St. Bernard was the No. 1 team in the CIF 3-A division last year with a 25-4 record and was expected to be among the top teams in 1981-82.