Police: Prosper HS coaches covered up sex assault allegations because alleged abuser was "a good player"
PROSPER, Texas - Two former Prosper High School coaches were arrested and charged with covering up alleged sexual assaults involving students.
Police say the women, who have since been fired from the softball team, shook off a sexual assault allegation made by one student against another student.
According to police documents, one of the coaches claimed the alleged abuser was "a good player" who they didn't want to lose.
The district confirms both coaches have been fired.
The Prosper High School softball program is under fire after two coaches were each arrested on a misdemeanor charge of failing to report child abuse at the beginning of the school year.
Head coach Renna Bersosa was arrested last week and bonded out. She was just announced as the new head softball coach in May.
Assistant coach Kasie Ostrom was booked into the Collin County jail Tuesday and also and bonded out. She joined the softball staff in June.
According to their arrest affidavits, a player and her mother met with the two softball coaches a few days before school started.
District police say the female student revealed to the coaches that three other athletes told her they were sexually abused and raped by another player on the team during sleepovers over the summer.
Bersosa allegedly told the student that "the suspect in the sexual assaults is a good player, and they don’t want to lose her."
The student told investigators that Bersosa said "to handle this with the suspect and to tell the suspect that if she does not stop committing sexual assault, she will report this to the coach."
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The mother of the student was also interviewed by police, telling them she heard her daughter report the sexual abuse and confirmed Coach Ostrom was present for the meeting but didn’t say anything.
Police met with Bersosa on Aug. 23. Court documents say she told investigators she didn’t report the sexual assault claims because "she was not aware she had to report a third-party allegation."
The next day, Ostrom said in an interview that she thought Bersosa was going to investigate the information and never followed up with her.
Prosper ISD sent a letter to parents that says in part, "state law mandates educators file a report within 48 hours when they develop suspicions of potential child abuse or neglect. Prosper ISD requires employees to undergo training to ensure they know the proper steps to report such cases."
It’s still unclear if the student accused of sexual assault has been arrested or interviewed by police. The district hasn’t released that information.
FOX 4 reached out to Bersosa’s attorney, but we have not heard back.