St. Margaret’s assistant coach fired after additional drug charge surfaces

December 30th, 2011, 3:53 pm · · posted by DAN ALBANO, ocvarsity.com

St. Margaret’s fired assistant football coach Charles Spann shortly after the season after being informed of his second drug-related case, the school said in a statement Friday.

Spann, 25, of Orange, was charged with possession of a controlled substance — vicodin — and for having a fake driver’s license from an Aug. 22 incident in San Juan Capistrano, according to court records.

St. Margaret’s said Friday that it was informed Dec. 2 of Spann’s arrest from the district attorney’s office and fired the coach Dec. 5.

The school said it was notified in late September about Spann’s first drug-related case, which involved two Santa Margarita assistant coaches who were fired Thursday.

In that case, Spann pleaded guilty to marijuana possession from an incident in December 2010, but St. Margaret’s stated it allowed him to keep his coaching position after “careful thought and consideration.”

The Tartans (9-3) won the Academy League and reached the second round of the CIF-SS East Valley playoffs.

Spann, a second-year assistant offensive and defensive line coach at St. Margaret’s, said Thursday he had not dismissed by the school.

Spann confirmed his involvement in the marijuana case with Santa Margarita assistants Sean Coen, 26, and Robert Hendricks, 27, but in the interview didn’t reveal the felonies he faces for vicodin possession and forgery.

Spann pleaded not guilty to the felonies Oct. 26 and faces a pre-trial hearing in Jan. 5, according to court records.

Spann was found with five vicodin tablets along with two grams of marijuana in the Aug. 22 incident, according to court records. He told law enforcement that his friend gave him the vicodin and that he had doctor’s recommendation for the marijuana, court records show.

Here’s the complete statement from St. Margaret’s:

“St. Margaret’s pursues a rigorous and thorough employment process. All potential employees including all part-time, temporary coaches, etc. are screened through reference checks, the California Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Mr. Charles Spann was first offered a position at St. Margaret’s as a part-time, temporary, assistant football coach on March 11, 2010 with the understanding that he had to be cleared with the Department of Justice. We received DOJ clearance on March 12, 2010 and Mr. Spann was extended a temporary contract from May 17 to December 11, 2010. Based on his performance as a coach, Mr. Spann was then rehired as a part-time, temporary, assistant football coach in the spring of 2011. Importantly, at that time we had not received any notice of concern from the DOJ or the FBI.

On September 26, 2011, we received notice from the California Department of Justice that Mr. Spann had been arrested on December 14, 2010 and that he eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana. We immediately confronted Mr. Spann who was open in his explanation of his involvement. After careful thought and consideration, we decided to allow Mr. Spann to continue in our employ with the clear understanding that any future transgression on his part would result in his immediate dismissal.

On Friday, December 2, 2011 we were informed by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office that Mr. Spann had been arrested on additional drug related charges. Mr. Spann was immediately confronted and on Monday, December 5 he was informed that his employment with the school was terminated effective immediately, that he was not to participate in any end-of-season football team activities, that he was not to contact any of our football players, and that he would not be rehired for the 2012 football season.”

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