SoCalHoops High School News

Russell Otis Placed On Administrative
Leave; Interim Coach Possible Soon--(Nov. 5, 2000)

Both the LA Times and the Long Beach Press Telegram yesterday carried articles reporting further on the details of the arrest of Compton Dominguez High School coach Russell Otis on Thursday, and both papers have now reported that he has been placed on administrative leave, pending resolution of the situation.

As Louis Johnson at FoxSports.com first reported on Friday night, Otis was arrested on Thursday, and taken into custody on suspicion of having violated California Penal Code Section 286 (b)(1), specifically sodomy with a minor.   Both the Times and the Long Beach Press Telegram have subsequently reported that the investigation also involves possible oral sex and sexual assault charges.  Otis was booked on Thursday at 2:27 p.m. and was released shortly after 8:00 p.m., but not before his bail had been increased from $50,000 to $100,000.  No date for an arraignment has yet been set.

According to both papers, the basketball program is currently being handled by three Dominguez assistant coaches.  The LBPT wrote that "Horace Aubrey, Andre Flowers and Traveon Louis will oversee the basketball program while Otis is on administrative leave" according to what the Press-Telegram was told by Dominguez Principal Kelcey Richardson.  Official practices can begin under CIF rules on November 11,  with the first official game permitted to take place on November 24.  Dominguez is currently scheduled to participate in a three-way scrimmage with Mater Dei and Santa Clara on Friday, Nov. 24 at Santa Clara.

The three assistant coaches have several years of experience with the Dominguez program.  Traveon Louis is currently Otis' top assistant;   Flowers has coached the junior varsity and Louis also coached the freshman team.   None of them has been named as interim head coach according to Richardson.   "We haven't named an interim coach, but I think we will do so soon," Richardson told the Long Beach Press Telegram. "All three of these individuals are very good people and we feel very confident in their ability to lead our basketball program."

According to the LBPT, deputies with the LA Sheriff's Department involved in the case have refused to say if the minor is a male or female and whether or not the minor is a student at Dominguez. However,  LBPT "sources" claim that "it is a Dominguez High student."   The LBPT tried to reach Otis for comment, but he would not speak,  on the advice of his attorney according to the Times. 

According to both Saturday articles, Otis has now been placed on administrative leave by the Compton Unified School District. "Dominguez Principal Kelcey Richardson said that Otis was officially placed on administrative leave Thursday, but Otis was first informed of the decision on Wednesday," according to the story by Ted Kian in the LBPT. "Richardson said Otis did not teach at Dominguez on Thursday, but Otis did make a brief appearance at the school Thursday morning for personal reasons. . . . Richardson said that Otis was not arrested on the Dominguez campus."

Richardson told the Long Beach Press Telegram:   "We have had no knowledge of any previous improprieties by Coach Otis.   The Dominguez basketball program has been well supervised, so this comes as a complete surprise to us."

Another Compton Unified School District spokesperson, Fausto Capobianco, refused comment on any specifics of the allegations, but outlined the procedure followed by the school district when dealing with such allegations:   "The process when we receive accusations like this is that we report it to Child Protective Services of Los Angeles County and they investigate the case.  No action will be taken against anyone until the individual has every right to prove his innocence and then a determination will be made. Our main concern is the health and welfare of the children of the school district."  

The LBPT article also had a quote from Neil Rincover, public information director for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Service, which oversees the Child Protective Services branch:  "We don't conduct criminal investigations," Rincover said. "The purpose of our inquiry is provide for the safety of the minor and to make sure that the minor who has been alleged to be abused has been protected. In a hypothetical situation involving a teacher we could discuss with school and law enforcement officials about what their plans are to protect the minor."

The story from Saturday's LA Times, carried on their website, can be found at this link.  The short article had the following information in it:

Russell Otis, boys' basketball coach at Compton Dominguez High, has been put on paid administrative leave by the Compton Unified School District following his arrest Thursday, a school district spokesman said.   Otis, 38, was arrested Thursday morning by detectives with the Family Crime Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and was booked on suspicion of sexual battery and suspicion of sodomy and oral copulation with a person under age 18. Otis posted bond for bail of $100,000 and was released from the Sheriff's Department's Carson substation Thursday night. On the advice of an attorney, Otis chose not to talk to police Thursday night, said Sgt. Jaime Baltazar of the Family Crime Bureau. Baltazar said the investigation is continuing. Fausto Capobianco, communications director for the Compton school district, said Dominguez assistant coaches are overseeing the nationally recognized basketball program while Otis is on leave. Otis led Dominguez to six consecutive Southern Section titles and four of the last five Division II state championships. Last season, the Dons finished the season with a 35-2 record and were ranked No. 1 in several national polls.

We'd link to the Long Beach Press-Telegram article, but it seems to have been taken off the site, and is also not yet available in the paper's archives.

 
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