CityNews Exclusive: No refunds issued yet for families claiming basketball robbery
Posted February 23, 2016 2:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Parents who claim they were ripped off by a volunteer coach with the Scarborough Basketball Association say they are getting the runaround when it comes to refunds.
As we reported on Friday, a volunteer coach with the Scarborough Basketball Association (SBA) was dismissed after 10 families came forward claiming he had ripped them off.
It’s alleged that the 29-year-old man from Markham accepted almost $6,000 in fees, but parents say the children were never registered to teams.
Later on Friday, the president of Association confirmed that the volunteer coach returned the missing money. The association said that parents seeking refunds would receive details within 48 hours.
However, parents were not directly contacted and have not received a penny.
“We are being treated like garbage,” Cheryl tells CityNews.
She said she’s made several attempts to contact the SBA’s President to get her money back.
Cheryl is one of two parents being told $250 is being held as a non-refundable deposit, despite the fact their sons were never registered and never played games.
Over the last week CityNews has been in contact with five parents. All are raising concerns about the volunteer coach and question and whether a proper background check was conducted before he began working with children.
During City’s investigation, we learned the Markham man’s resume is full of bogus credentials, including claims he is a motivational youth speaker with York Regional Police.
CityNews has confirmed this man is not an employee or volunteer with the police.
The coach admitted his resume was embellished and apologized in a text message to CityNews.
On Monday he did come clean about his resume, sending this in a text message: “I have misrepresented myself and my work and volunteer experience. I am deeply sorry.”
The Association has severed all ties with the volunteer coach.
The Association’s president will no longer take CityNews’ calls. He hangs up when he knows CityNews is recording.
Meanwhile, the only families that appear to be getting full refunds later are those who did not talk to CityNews.
