Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against St. John Bosco High Coach Jason Negro
A lawsuit involving St. John Bosco High School football coach Jason Negro has been deemed to lack legal foundation by a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court. The suit, initiated over a year ago by Brian Wickstrom, the recently ousted president and CEO of St. John Bosco, along with two other former administrators, seeks damages against Negro, the school, and the Salesian Society, a Catholic organization that oversees the institution. The claims include allegations of retaliation, harassment, and defamation.
“Anyone can file a complaint, but when it gets to court, it has to have a legal basis and facts,” stated Brian Panish, Negro’s attorney and a supporter of the coach.
The plaintiffs—Melanie Marcaurel, the school’s CFO, Derek Barraza, the chief technology officer, and Wickstrom—are also seeking reinstatement to their positions after being dismissed in 2024. Their terminations followed accusations that Negro engaged in embezzlement and directed assistant coaches to pay for student athletes’ tuition in cash, presenting the payments as contributions from “anonymous donors.”
The lawsuit further alleges that Negro managed all financial transactions related to his football program in cash, stored in a safe in his office, without any oversight from the school’s administration.
In a cross-complaint filed in June by Negro, St. John Bosco, and the Salesians, it was revealed that they had uncovered evidence that Wickstrom obtained unauthorized loans, received unapproved compensation, and violated his fiduciary responsibilities.
Following a judge’s ruling on Thursday, Judge Tony L. Richardson indicated that the proper defendant for most claims is St. John Bosco itself, not Negro or the Salesian Society. He allowed the plaintiffs 20 days to amend their lawsuit to focus solely on the school as the defendant. Judge Richardson also rejected claims for punitive damages against Negro, asserting that the plaintiffs had not presented a valid cause of action against him.
Attempts to reach the attorney representing Wickstrom, Marcaurel, and Barraza were unsuccessful.
Negro has been recognized twice as national coach of the year by Max Preps, leading St. John Bosco to an impressive record of 177-30 over 16 seasons, which includes four CIF State championships and two national titles.
