(10/23/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Tommy Rogers, 55, a former girls’ softball coach at East Central High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma has been arrested on allegations that he fondled a teenage player and made sexual comments to her.
Rogers is charged with lewd molestation.
Reportedly the 14-year-old girl told detectives that Rogers gave her a ride home after a September 10th practice session and that during the trip, he asked her if she had sex with male friends and if she had performed specific sex acts.
It is further alleged that the girl told police that four days later that Rogers tried to access her cell phone and grabbed her buttocks when she tried to retrieve it.
Reportedly the initial allegations against Rogers came to the school district police who referred the allegation to the Tulsa Police department on the belief that the alleged incident did not occur on school grounds.
Rogers voluntarily went to the Tulsa Jail Thursday afternoon and turned himself in. He is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Rogers, who worked for the school system as a part-time coaching assistant is no longer working for the school.
Kevin Adams, said the girl made up the claims and that Rogers has no criminal history. Adams also indicated that Rogers also coached softball for an independent league and had been involved in the sport for about 27 years.
Adams has filed for a bond reduction on Rogers’ behalf, citing his reputation, extensive family ties and length of residency in Oklahoma.
Rogers voluntarily went to the Tulsa Jail about 1:45 p.m. Thursday. He is held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
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I am sick about what has happened. I have known Tommy for 16 years and just like everyone else, he has been very influential in my life. He was my softball coach for 4 of those years and he has always been like a 2nd father to me. Not once, did I feel threatened around him. To accuse him of molesting this player is beyond my comprehension.
If it wasn’t for this man, I would not be where I am today and I am grateful for his influence. He is man of good character and for any of you who want to disagree, then you clearly do not know him. I am appalled by these accusations and I will be behind him 100%.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Tommy and his family.
I do not know the laws or the differences between them. I guess there is lewd molestation and just plain ole molestation. I am assuming.
In my opinion what this man did was wrong and he should be fired and not allowed to coach girls. If you look past the medias “molestation…Molestation….Molestation…” You will find that he did grab her ass. try to get her cell, and ask Very sexual comments about haw she behaved.
Predators are everywhere and maybe he underestimated the relationship her and her mother share.
I know what happened and what led up to the ride home. I know this family and their love for each other. I dont want to sat to much, but he was wrong in the way he conducted himself.
Kayla I have heard how you and other team mates treat her. You do not know what happened. You are only siding with the other girls. I do not know this man, nor do I wish to. He may very well have done good things in his life, but what he said to this girl was out of line.
Yes, you keep me in your prayers, I am angry, but with good reasons.
I am one of tommy’s players and Ill tell you jennifer that you shouldnt applaud her strengeth, I go to school with this girl and she has done nothing but made fun of this whole situation she has taken away the only coach that has really cared and knew what he was doing in softball he got me recruited to college to play and i now have a way to collge. You dont know Tommy but I hope you know the justice system and he will be free, just expect him in more pictures, not ones that are mug shots, but pictures of him sending more and more teams to championships….. Im glad i read this ill be praying for you because i can sense some anger and its really none of your buisness to get rilled up anyhow.
Keshia,
How can you sit and correct my grammer when your post is full of foul language? You call a 14 year old girl a punk ass. Is this the kind of language and hostility you used while coaching?
Not that it is any of my business how you handle a situation, but you can express yourself (is that a word..lol) with out all the %^*^%^%*.
I do fell stupid knowing I not only posted hisself once but twice, but dont act like you are so much smarter than I am when you express yourself with a bunch of ^&*^(*&^^.
You just had to put black coach in there somewhere didnt you? Maybe you are so hung up on what happeened to you that you are letting it judge the way you feel right now.
Maybe you are passing judgement on a girl you do not know? You are assuming things about her. If she is lying, why wouldnt she have told a bigger lie? You think her imagination isnt big enough to create a better story than what she said?
Fell free to correct any grammer mistakes I have made and dont forget to check my spellin. Lol, sorry I couldnt resist that…
She did right? Right of what.. making false allegations about a couch just because she has problems of her own, so she finds it easier to take it out on a couch and I’ve seen this happen alot. A girl doesn’t get her way or doesn’t get to play as much and instead of trying harder they bitch out and say stupid (Expletive deleted by site moderator) like this. Yes, he is a very professional person when he gets on tha field he means business and he can handle himself (NOT HISSELF) thats not even a word. And when he is proven innocent he will still have this on his record because some punk ass girl doesn’t know how do deal with her problems at home. Instead of pointing fingers at the black coach, ya’ll should just look and see that this girl has told 3 different stories, not because she is scared.. because she is straight up lying. I was sexually assualted by student at the school where I coached and what happens to me? I get fired and have this on my record because thats the easy way out and he filed FAULTY charges on me. Yeah Jennifer, I hope your kids do… but lets hope its actually the truth or someone elses life is (Expletive deleted by site moderator) because your kids lied about something. People file false charges all the time wether or not they are true. Maybe you should meet te man before you pass judgement on his character.
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The media picks and chooses what it puts on the air. If the D.A didnt have evidence to support the girls claims they would not have filed charges. Maybe everyone should go and pick up a copy of the police report. From what I have heard he admits to talking to her out of line, however he cant remember what he said.
I do know Tommy Rogers and he is
innocent of these charges. I won’t speak
much about the girl because bless her
heart she does have some problems none
of which were caused by Tommy.
Let’s play a little what if. What if no
family members picked this child up
after a night time game. No family could
be reached by phone. What if the only
option was to leave the child in an
inner city neighborhood to walk home
at 10:00 pm or drive her home
do you know 3 other team members
said they never heard or saw Tommy say
or do anything inappropriate at all.
Do you know he has coached thousands
of young ladies and gotten them scholarships
to college? Do you know he only took
this position to help kids whose parents
often don’t even know where they are or
bother to be involved? Do you know
he bought them gloves, cleats, uniforms
because the school wouldn’t?
You know nothing about the situation yet
the three players interviewed all said
this young lady had a “beef” with Tommy
and was “getting even”.
I know that I know Tommy Rogers is
innocent of this offense and will never
stop saying so for the rest of my life
because he is one of the most caring,
kindhearted individuals I know. He has
done such kind things for my own
daughters when he did not have to and
thousands of other peoples daughters also.
Your organization try as they might
will never equal the good things Tommy
has already done quietly and humbly
without fanfare or self serving
this accusation is one of the worst crimes I
have ever seen committed.
How can yo say a 14 year olds brain is not developed enough in the area of decision/ consequences? That sentence makes me believe a child wrote this. Or maybe the coaches brain isnt fully developed….Or maybe it is and that is why he waited until he had her alone in his car before he questioned her sexual habits. Maybe that is why he denies the claims because his brain is capable of knowing there are consequences to go with his decisions.
Common sense tells me that had the coach kept his questions about her to hisself then this could have been prevented. Had he put his hand in his pockets and not on her ass this could have been prevented.
Or maybe we can take it to an even higher level and say had he never become a coach this would have never happened.
You went way off key when you started talking about unplugging the television. Where did that come from. How does unplugging the television keep our children from predators? Or maybe you meant to say had she not joined the softball team and had been at home watching television all of this could have been prevented.
As far as the parents responsibilities go in this case. I think they have took action and responsibilty. They are protecting their daughter.
The girls are becoming independent and venturing out on there own. Parents are giving their children chances to make their own decisions. Had one of the other high school boys approached her and asked her about what she has or has not done, well that would have been a different story. This is a 55 year old man. Who has no reason to ever talk to any of the girls in this manner.
As for pushing the boundaries when talking to their players, well thats hogwash. He knows better. You put your children in activities to keep them busy and out of trouble, make them feel apart of a team. You take them to church and let them go on outings. You expect them to be safe, untouched, and returned happy and proud of their day. Not confused.
I think she acted quickly before it went any further.
To blame the parents is absurd. You are assuming he is innocent just as you are assuming the parents in this case are at fault. You are judging them when you do not know them.
We can not shelter our children from all the dangers in the world but we can expect that the paid professionals can restrain themselves from our children. They do not need the televisions taken away or escorted from point a to b.
The only person to blame is the coach. Not the teenager, not the parent, only the coach who should have used better judgements before he opened his mouth to talk to a teenage girl.
Tommy did not do this….do you know the banter and “talk” that goes on with high school aged athlete/students/players? In the words of one of my own softball lesson students dads…”It sounds like a men’s locker room.” “It” refering to the girls dugout.
Coaches these days push the line in the way they speak to there players but these allegations are lies. As a former player I agree and think the talking and topic of conversation that goes on with young americans is out of control…going on with the trends of society.
What about the parents of this girl? Who runs there house hold? Did they get all the facts before persuing this? Did they have a conversation with Tommy first? Was there a problem during High School Softball season? Did this girl not get the position she wanted, the playing time the parents felt she diserved? Is there another motivation behind this?
The consequences of this reckless accusation will be with Tommy the rest of his life. Again…what about the 14 yr old, whose brain is not even developed in the area of decision/consequence…what will her punishment be if/when Tommy is proven innocent?
If you don’t want your child to hear…be around…or have the opportunity to be around adults that are “ify” or has the potential to approach your child in an obscene. way…make a plan and A. pick your child up from practice YOURSELF…B. Have a family member do it if you can’t…C. be the “resposible, good” parents you claim to be and don’t allow your female athlete/student the opportunity to be alone with a male coach ever!
Some common sense on the parents part could have prevented all of this. Maybe the problem is the parents don’t have any control of there daughter…what if that is reality?
Try unplugging the TV or just get rid of it, there is sex all over it…and consider home schooling or are you to busy for that? Spending time and having time for your own child and not handing them of to another adult could change things like this. The parents of this child has a responsibility in this too…
Tommy is innocent and yes I have my own children.
I do not know this man. But I strongly disagree with the way it is being handled. I think this girl should be appaluded for her strength to come forward before the situation escaladed into more. The media keeps saying she was molested…..I did not get that from a grab on the ass. They are turning this into a “witch hunt” as they put it. If he is a professional he should be able to handle hisself better then to get involved in the habits of the players. He shouldnt have their phone numbers.
She is a strong girl and I hate that she has to deal with all this confusio in her life right now, Some one need to stand behind her and tell her she did right!!!! She is a child and he is susposed to be the profesional grown up. I hope my children have the courage to come to me if any thing ever happens to them.
This is not of Tommy’s character, If he did these things, he will have to deal with the punishment, if he did not do these things he will still have to deal with a life of allegations…. What about the girl? if he did these things she has to deal with it as well, but what if she is making it all up? what is her punishment we all know what his will be… Hard to beleive..