FORMER PLAYERS WHO ARE COMING FORWARD. YEAH, KEVIN, THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CASE OUT OF RINGLING INVOLVING FORMER HEAD COACH IN HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL PHILIP. HE'S CURRENTLY ON LEAVE. THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES ABUSE UNDER HIM HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN THE LOCKER ROOM SINCE 2018. >> AND NOW 9 FORMER PLAYERS ARE GOING AFTER HIM IN FEDERAL COURT. >> IT'S FOR THESE VICTIMS. IT'S A HUGE A NEW LAWSUIT FILED THIS WEEK ALLEGES FORMER RINGLING HIGH HEAD FOOTBALL COACH PHILLIP IN THE OTHER DEFENDANTS, INCLUDING 2 OF HIS SONS WHO ARE CURRENT ASSISTANT COACHES, WERE COMPLICIT IN VERBAL PHYSICAL AND ABUSE.
ALSO ACCUSING OF PULLING OUT AS JANET TO A PREVIOUS TEAM SAYING, QUOTE, YOU GOT TO HAVE ONE OF THESE TO PLAY FOOTBALL COURT RECORDS ALSO POINT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHO REPORTEDLY HAD KNOWLEDGE OF KOONS'S MISCONDUCT AND OTHER DISTRICTS SUCH AS CLINTON IN TOTAL, THE FORMER PLAYERS SAYING RINGLING FAILED TO PROTECT STUDENTS BY HIRING HIM AS THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND HEAD COACH. THEY WERE RIGHT THERE WITH IT. UNFORTUNATELY. MANY OF THE BOYS HAVE STORIES TO TELL. AS OF NOW, THERE ARE 9 ALLEGED VICTIMS NAMED IN THE LAWSUIT, 3 OF WHICH ARE STILL MINORS. THE ACCUSATIONS STARTED LAST FEBRUARY. THE STATE'S INVESTIGATING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE HE WAS CHARGED WITH A MISDEMEANOR OF OUTRAGING PUBLIC DECENCY, WHICH HOLDS A MAX DEAL SENTENCE OF A YEAR. HAS NEVER BEEN FORMALLY ARRESTED, NOR HAS HE HAD TO APPEAR IN COURT UNTIL LAST WEEK. HE PLED NO CONTEST AND WAS OFFERED A PLEA BARGAIN OF 7 YEARS DEFERRED. NO TEACHING, NO COACHING, NO SPORTS CONSULTING AND NO CONTACT WITH THE RINGLING SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE JUDGE EXEMPTING HIS PLEA BUT REJECTING THE BARGAIN AFTER HEARING SEVERAL VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS AND THE STATE CLAIMED COULD HAVE FACED A FELONY CHILD ABUSE CHARGE, BUT WON'T FOR NOW.
WE'VE TRIED TALKING TO KOONTZ. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE VICTIMS? >> I MEAN, >> BUT THAT'S ALL HE WOULD SAY. THE VICTIM'S ATTORNEY SAYING ALL THEY WANT IS JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. PART OF THE JUSTICE IS GETTING THEIR STORIES OUT THERE. >> AND AND GETTING. AND HAVING PEOPLE BELIEVE THEM. >> WELL, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO KOONS'S ATTORNEY SEVERAL TIMES SINCE YESTERDAY. WE HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK THOUGH. MEANWHILE, PHILIP WILL BE BACK IN COURT MARCH 12 FOR A BLIND PLEA REGARDLESS OF THE DECISION MADE IN THAT .