LOWER MERION Twp., Pa. (WPVI) — A second-grade basketball game ended in arrests after an assistant coach and her father were accused of attacking members of an opposing team’s family following a game at a Montgomery County school.
Brittany Ortiz and William Stanley face multiple charges, including assault on a sports official, stemming from an incident on Feb. 1 at Holy Child School at Rosemont, according to Lower Merion police.
Police said Ortiz was serving as an assistant coach during the game as part of the Malvern Basketball League. Investigators allege she was shouting and swearing during the contest, which involved 7- and 8-year-old players.
“Unfortunately, this took place in the hallway of the gym immediately following the game, after some verbal sparring on the court during the game,” Lt. Michael Keenan of the Lower Merion Police Department said.
According to the criminal complaint, the opposing team’s coach confronted Ortiz about her behavior during the game, leading to a heated argument. Police said the dispute continued into the hallway after the game, where it escalated into a physical altercation.
Investigators said Ortiz grabbed the opposing coach’s wife by the hair and threw her to the ground, causing her head to strike the tile floor. When the coach attempted to intervene, witnesses told police that Stanley became involved and struck the man in the head while the coach was holding his 3-year-old daughter.
Police said both victims sustained injuries, and the toddler witnessed the incident.
“It’s incumbent on coaches and adults alike at any children’s sporting event to act like the adults in the room, because we are. We’re there to foster a safe learning and playing environment for the kids. People get heated, it’s understandable. We like to compete. But when your little kids are involved, and you are their stewards, you have to act like it,” Keenan said.
Ortiz and Stanley were arrested following the investigation. They face charges of assault on a sports official, simple assault and related offenses.
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