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More bullying alleged against fired cheerleading coach; Coral Glades High did nothing

By Buddy Nevins, BrowardBulldog.org 

Coral Glades High School

Three years before cheerleading coach Melissa Prochilo was fired for ignoring bullying in her program at a Parkland high school, faculty members and parents at a nearby Coral Springs high school where she used to work leveled the same complaint against her.

And just like at Parkland’s Stoneman Douglas High School, the principal and his staff at Coral Glades High were accused of doing nothing.

Coral Glades Principal Michael Ramirez “overlooked all of the complaints” against Prochilo in 2009, according to an October 2 letter sent to Broward School Board members by one of Prochilo’s former co-workers and obtained by Browardbulldog.org.

The School Board fired Prochilo, the head cheerleading coach at Stoneman Douglas, earlier this month.  She continues to work at the school as a substitute teacher.

The author of the letter is Carmela Ferreira, a former cheerleading coach with Prochilo at Coral Glades. She stated that she wrote to support Prochilo’s firing “100 percent.”

Her story from 2009 is almost identical to what got Prochilo in hot water at Stoneman Douglas, where parents complained that school staff did nothing about their 2011 complaints.

Ferreira’s letter says that shortly after Prochilo arrived at Coral Glades “many parent complaints started to arise…the JV (junior varsity) coach at the time also had many complaints.” The allegations included “many valid complaints such as bullying being allowed at practice, varsity girls making fun of JV girls, girls quitting because of the constant bullying.”

“Rules were not being followed properly; girls had to run their own practice because she (Prochilo) was not showing up to them.  I recall having to bench a Varsity girl because she was making fun of the entire JV team at practice in front of both teams.  Melissa did not agree with the benching because she liked the girl and her mother,” the letter stated.

Ferreira’s letter was similar to one received by Browardbulldog.org earlier this year after it first reported about problems in the Stoneman Douglas cheerleading program. That e-mail, whose author did not want to be publicly named, stated:

“You may want to investigate when this coach Melissa Prochilo was at Coral Glades.  The same accusations were presented to the principal Ramirez and the school board. It was all pushed under the rug. We had girls that were bullied so bad they quit the team…”

The email is bolstered by a second email sent by another Coral Glades staff member, who asked not to be named, and others to Principal Ramirez on Oct. 27, 2009 when the incidents at the school were occurring.

That e-mail contains 40 different complaints against Prochilo, compiled from parents and staff. They include:

·     Prochilo “allowed a girl to stunt with glasses—then injury occurred.”

·     “Shows favoritism—and at this level it causes nothing more than animosity amongst girls and bullying.”

·      “Practice out of control – JV and Varsity fighting, parents complaining.”

·      “Girls allowed to curse and disrupt practices.”

·      “Other coach witness their practice and its just crazy…way out of control with everything (playing around, language, laziness, etc).”

Ferreira told the School Board that Principal Ramirez simply brushed off the complaints “because he really did not want to deal with it.”

Ramirez was later promoted and today serves as one of the School Board’s 11 directors of School Performance and Accountability.

Ramirez and Porchilo did not respond to requests for comment.

Porchilo was fired after a parade of tearful moms who complained to the School Board that their daughters were being bullied in cheerleading and that neither Prochilo nor the school administration did anything to stop it. The mothers also accused Porchilo’s program of widespread violations of School Board policies, including requiring parents to pay more than a thousand dollars to participate.

Porchilo had her supporters. Before the Board meeting, fliers were circulated in the community calling the coach “fair, knowledgeable and kindhearted.” And during the meeting, cheerleaders dressed in the Stoneman Douglas school colors of burgundy and black, chanted outside the meeting room, “L-O-V-E. We love Coach Melissa, can’t you see.”

“It’s sad what’s being presented about this coach,” Cindy Beach, former vice president of the cheerleading booster club, told The Miami Herald. “I’ve never seen her yell at a kid.”

The Board, however, decided to follow Superintendent Robert Runcie’s recommendation and not have Porchilo continue cheerleading at the school.

“It’s a travesty,” Prochilo told the Sun-Sentinel. “I love all these children. I’m really disappointed for the girls.”

Prochilo also had supporters at Coral Glades who fought back with her, according to former cheerleading coach Ferreria’s letter earlier this month to the Board.

“It got very ugly and I decided to resign as the stress was not worth the fight and I could no longer support a coach that refused to follow the rules that had been in place for years,” Ferreria wrote.

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Latest comments

  • It’s just so frustrating when it has taken so long for people to stand up but the people who have , THANK YOU !
    It has been a very difficult year for some girls and it would be so nice if people could acknowledge them . These Are the girls that will be our leaders in years to come and so proud of them . Look where Ramirez is today and then look at Melissa .
    For those of youwho knew exactly what was going on and did nothing .. Shame on you .

  • NO!! Shame on you for supporting a bunch of BS from a few disgruntled parents who have nothing better to spend their money on than hiring an attorney to ruin the reputation of of such a dedicated and fair coach. The very small minority has accomplished what they set out to do, ruin a great coach’s reputation and even worse, killed a great program for all because their spoiled brats couldn’t get their way. What a fine lesson you have taught your girls, if you don’t get your way just take a bunch of half truths and outright lies and get a hired gun to spread the BS. Great job. I only hope you all get what you have coming to you.

  • Mr. Nevins,
    Did Carmela show you this letter sent May 14, 2012.

    Melissa,

    As a former founder and Assistant Coach for CGHS Cheer for 7 years, I have to say how appalled I was to hear what you have to endure over at Douglas.

    Amber mentioned what is going on over there and I wanted to just say STAY STRONG!!!
    Your passion and love for the kids will overcome this nightmare parent. It’s ridiculous that the school would even entertain her wrongful accusations.

    Amber should have pressed charges on her when she assaulted the coach.

    I find this mom to be a complete bully and her actions are not warranted at all. I thought there was a zero tolerance in Broward schools for Bully’s.

    Your program cannot be successful if parents are allowed to run it, that’s why you vote in a Booster club. We always had parents complain but the Booster club is the Filter for the program. You cannot please everyone and that is the reality! The damage that one crazy mom caused is an embarrassment to the other parents, girls, program and your school.

    I truly hope the school board backs you up and does not allow this ONE parent to crumble the potential Douglas could finally have with you as their Head Coach.

    No one deserves this kind of treatment and added stress, it’s a disgrace.

    I have worked and known you for over 15 years in cheerleading and I for one can contest what a stand up, honest, sincere, caring, sensitive coach you truly are. Douglas HS is VERY lucky to have you!

    Please feel free to forward this to your Athletic Director and/or principle

    I wish you the BEST of Luck!

    Carmela Ferreira
    Former CGHS Coach

  • I’m taking bets on how many comments Ms. Haney will be posting on this blog….anyone in?

  • I believe Meredith was the Prez of the Coral Glades Cheerleading Booster Club last year….

  • We are talking about a substitute teacher who is still on Campus still staring down the girls , lies under oath and has crocodile tears on camera . Walks out of meetings with parents , will not show where money is going when asked and STILL TAKING IN CASH . She may be gone from her position as coach but her car is still at the school after hours .
    This is a community that will not put up with her dishonest ways any more . Please go have fun with your charger girls they may put up with you but not here not in our town .

  • I new this lady had to have a history , she had so many questions from parents . What happened at Penn State ?? It had been going on for years but one person stood up and so many followed , bet more will come forward if they see that banning them from schools and filing false police reports will not shut them up . Do what’s right and goodness will follow . And the ” bad stuff ” runs down hill .

  • Someone stood up to the illegal disgusting acts of a coach at Penn State . This is the same thing but in a different form . It will not be tolerated in our town .if you really love this women take her and have her train your kids . She is not welcome at Stoneman Douglas
    It takes one person to stand up and fight for what is right . Some have been banned, ! Have filed FALSE POLICE RPORTS ! Now there are others willing to make a stand .
    It still amazes me that people and husbands that have no clue what has gone on can stand and speak about things only their wives have told them . You sound rediculous .
    Please find her a job at something she is good at . Some where far far a way from children

  • I hear she is still a substitute teacher at he school and still staring down the girls . How can this be?? Now they see she has done this in the past . What does she do to make people look the other way ??? Is it he cash she collected this year at the first parent meeting . Bring $500 cash no exceptions !! Oh wait it was changed to a ” donation ” CASH ?? Where is the on line payment she said was put in place . Oh that’s right it never appeared . Lie lie lie . Where did the money go this year . Where are the clothes we ordered ? Did Amber forget ?

  • I can not believe Coral Glades HS covered-up what Douglas covered-up!!! Mitch Kaufman and Collado should be ashamed of themselves. They knew she bullied girls in Coral Glades, yet shipped her to another High School. She should NOT be allowed anywhere near children or working in schools. I think it is amazing moms know better than the administration

    Does it go back to Mitch Kaufmans wife working at BCSB? Or Collado’s lack of leadership? Maybe the BSCB should clean-up MSD top-to-bottom and put the kids first. I think the community is done with the poor-light Melissa Prochilo has put on MSD. She and her Coral Glades friends are so upsetting to watch and distasteful.

    I applaud the School Board and Superintendent for listening to what matters, not what inappropriate standards Melissa Prochilo represents.

    Ernestine rocked the School Board Meeting……Clean house!! There should not be double standards when Principals break rules.

  • Why is she still a substitute teacher at the school ? I hear she is there almost everyday , the stare downs continue . Has she no shame . I think that is called a psychopath or sociopath .

  • Dear History is repeating:

    Your last comment shows exactly how you and your cronies have become so irrational with your claims and analogies now getting even more crazy and disgusting to prove your crazy allegations. Now we are comparing this to the appalling happenings at Penn State with abuse and rape of children? This is the same thing in different form? You have clearly lost it. Please get help. You cannot even come close to recognizing a good person who truly cares about kids, because the only child you care about is clearly your own.

  • The abuse a child gets from bullying can lead to years of depression and as horrific as suicide . Please read up on it .
    The comparison to Penn State is that they are coaches and put in a position as a leader and either one of these are that . Abuse of power , abuse of children .

  • It only takes ONE abuse to show what needs to be done!! Melissa Prochilo should be removed from MSD……..Coral Glades…who or where is next victim.

  • You guys truly have no life I mean clearly. Comparing this to Penn State? Really? That was a victimizing situation your false claims of bullying and lies just get so much better after each article comes out. This is a cheerleading coach, which some mothers don’t like and made it their life goal to get her fired.. To even stoop to that level just shows how pathetic you all really are. You won! The money is all run by the school no coaches have anything to do with money. Coral Glades has nothing to do with Douglas either. I cheered there for 4 years and know what the coaching is like and what we got out of it. I cheered for every coach. ALICIA CARMELA MELISSA AND AMBER. We are a successful program run by Coach Amber now so LEAVE Glades out of it. You must be jealous your kid doesn’t know what it feels like to win any titles at her school, I understand. My mom would have been upset to if we had to pay money to be a part of a losing team. Oh wait, you are on Cheer Florida never mind. GET A LIFE ALREADY. This is getting old.

  • Melissa,

    As a former founder and Assistant Coach for CGHS Cheer for 7 years, I have to say how appalled I was to hear what you have to endure over at Douglas.

    Amber mentioned what is going on over there and I wanted to just say STAY STRONG!!!
    Your passion and love for the kids will overcome this nightmare parent. It’s ridiculous that the school would even entertain her wrongful accusations.

    Amber should have pressed charges on her when she assaulted the coach.

    I find this mom to be a complete bully and her actions are not warranted at all. I thought there was a zero tolerance in Broward schools for Bully’s.

    Your program cannot be successful if parents are allowed to run it, that’s why you vote in a Booster club. We always had parents complain but the Booster club is the Filter for the program. You cannot please everyone and that is the reality! The damage that one crazy mom caused is an embarrassment to the other parents, girls, program and your school.

    I truly hope the school board backs you up and does not allow this ONE parent to crumble the potential Douglas could finally have with you as their Head Coach.

    No one deserves this kind of treatment and added stress, it’s a disgrace.

    I have worked and known you for over 15 years in cheerleading and I for one can contest what a stand up, honest, sincere, caring, sensitive coach you truly are. Douglas HS is VERY lucky to have you!

    Please feel free to forward this to your Athletic Director and/or principle

    I wish you the BEST of Luck!

    Carmela Ferreira
    Former CGHS Coach

  • Mmmmm, You resigned on your own Carmela? If anyone does not follow rules, shows favoritism, and bullies, IT IS YOU. You have hated Melissa long before she went to MSD, as she is everything you are not. You hated the fact that Melissa was coaching there, you said it to many. And you were right to worry – she out coached you and took your “spot”. It was not hard to do, as she is not only a skilled coach, but a decent person. You are vile. What happened with the Coral Springs Chargers Carmela?? Did you “resign” there as well? LOL, we all know what happened and why. Those that watched you act like God’s gift, putting down coaches, cheerleaders, and parents know how demeaning, rude, and vile you are, and have always been. No one wanted you around there kids. You wish you were a quarter of who Melissa is.

    Flyers were handed out – BY KIDS WHO SUPPORT HER! Melissa has supporters because she is an amazing person, and talented coach. She has not asked for anyone to do anything for her, we are because we know the truth about her. Chargers kicked you out, Glades allowed you to save face and resign, amid the allegations (truth) of what you allowed those kids to do. I cannot say I am shocked about you trying to grab your chance and put down someone who proved to be better than you – now watch the truth come out about you.

  • YOU ALL SUCK!

  • CRAZY MOM bandwagon? LOL! I guess if she can’t fit in with Coral Glades or Chargers anymore she has to be in with some cheer crowd. They can share their pills and their stories. Buddy can be their counselor. It will all work out.

  • It’s sick that the room assignments had parents in them along with Melissa’s family members . Remember her daughter went up on the bus with no bus roaster .. Amazing that the girls that were bullied had no room and one was threatened to be placed In a room with the girls that was the bully .
    If these were your daughters you would have been doing the same thing .
    YES THER ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY AND YOURS IS JUST SICK IF YOU DON’T GET IT BY NOW .
    You people only know what Melissa has told you , you have never , never heard the other side in full. If you did you would shut up and say .. “I’m sorry we didn’t know !”

  • Such sore losers! Christine Palumbo wrote a lot of checks in that GMA story!?…..$$

  • Kudos to Joann Gavin!!

  • Now that Mellissa is FIRED! When do they FIRE her as stick-in-the-mud at MSD, amazing she is still there soaking her wounds…..and getting paid by the BCSB to do so.

  • Blogs are for cowards!!!!! Truth is truth and no amount of blogging will ever change it!!!

  • Now that Melissa is available…..why don’t Coral Glades take her back?? I hear she subs every day at MSD. Take her……she is wonderful!!!

  • God I just read the SI report about the forging. It clearly shows that the girls were told to forge their parents signature. The girls that lied under oath , really at such a young age . I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night .

    The SI PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO , if this is the report they came out with then there is a PROBLEM .

  • Glades has BEGGED her to come back. Trust me, we all want Melissa back! Melissa is awesome and so is CORAL GLADES so HATE all you want. 🙂

  • Why do people talk when they or their daughter were not even there . Then when the tough get going they run . It amazes me by all the people who speak up are not even from Douglas or they speak when they only know half the story . Ask us , I swear we will tell the truth .. Under oath . To some that means nothing . I even have a report of past friend that states that she was a Middle school cheer coach .. Under oath . They never thought people would see it . I did
    SAD

  • It really sickens me to hear all this going on in my city where I grew up around all these coaches, been coached by all, I’ve coached & helped girls on the team (who I have even coached with Melissa or Carmella), and was there the night when the outrage of this entire situation started at a local competition with screaming at the coaches infront of peers, the team, parents, and others standing around being happy for the teams that did win. If it wasn’t for both Melissa, Carmella, Nigro, and Amber I would not be as sucessful as I am now with cheerleading as my profession. I do have to dissagree with this though.. and I am sad to even say I know the girls and some of the parents who are doing this. We all know what bullying really is and Melissa would not even know how to do so. I’ve read all comments, articles, taped all the news cast on this.. your letting the girls down and it brings tears to my eyes. When I cheered and my coaches changed all I could think about was losing that feeling of winning first place and working so hard for nothing if the coach doesn’t push us. You parents should know better to not let this get this crazy and out of hand to even let your daughters into this situation and it has come to that extent.. atleast let the adults take care of it and leave them out of the news, and interviews for their own reputations from this point. College, UCA, NCA, Semi-Professional, & Professional look up everything, do you think they will want anything like this being accused of there team and disrupt them? They will slide that paper over as if your daughter did not exist no matter the talent. That’s what this really is about TALENT. Let your daughter show it no matter where she is placed in the routine, you can see everyone! Front, Back, Middle, low jumps high jumps, scorpions to libs.. let your daughter’s shine.. dont put this on them to get someone fired and ruining her life because i know that alot of that has to do with this build up.. The Prochilo family has no issues with money she is not taking the money you pay to cheer but I know one of you mothers starting this has a house in foreclosure and is trying ot hide it.. cheering is extremely pricey, anyone involved knows! So for that acculization of Melissa taking money.. the school takes care of that and I know there are receipts for everything. Melissa is not capable of the bullying nonsense and for the forging.. What coach has not done that? When it come down to whether that girl can be on the matts or not because of something you as a parent will sign anyways you know you would have want her to sign, you would want her to cheer and be happy because she forgot to give you the paper the night before or whatever the case was. If Melissa ever gets the opportunity to coach again after being “bullied” by these parents.. I really hope she does without even second gussing that something like this would come about again. This story will once again pop up under anything typed into google with Broward, Coral Glades, Stoman Douglas, Cheerleading, The last names and first names of whoever involved.. more bad reps none of those subjects need more of I truely hope sleeping is easy for everyone in this because it was blown way out of proportion in everyones sake.

  • I to have been watching this and know parents and children on both sides. There has been a lot that has happened and I’m sure only the people involved know the truth and this is not the place to air out everyone’s lives. Every one that is posting keeps talking about their children and what they have been taught and how to act, take a step back and look at what is posted. I agree with letting the parents from both sides handle this, but not on here or any social web site. For the sake of every ones child and the School. Concerned Parent for our community.

  • Hoping the people who like Melissa Prochilo take her back at Coral Glades with the incredible trashy Coral Springs people who support her. REALLY….take her back, she ruined MSD. She is a horrible Coach. (you all know it) why else would she need Amber so bad. The two years she was with Coral Glades they did horrible. She comes to MSD they were horrible. Coral Glades did better without her…..take her back!!! All the trashy people who write in these BLOGS are just as pathetic as she is. Love the SUI, Cindy Beach is giving a comedy report. (Coach, worked for Principles…haha!!) Getting Fake-ID’s and driving to Ft. Lauderdale is more like it. Any statement saying they were there at any of the things that occurred are lying. It is so obvious there are stories only to be told by the people affected. She is FIRED!! It just took too long……I hear she subs too, why not go back where people actually like you. MSD needs more class, not classless!! Hit-the-road……literally.

  • So happy the truth has come out with all SUI and many articles provided. Melissa Prochilo and people associated with her looked and acted like fools. May the community continue quietly so MSD can move-on without a distraction. It is ashame she ever came.

  • The only bully in this whole debacle is Buddy Nevins
    A mom, teacher, coach has to put up with relentless character assassination
    Before the blogs you were a cranky old man on a park bench
    Quit using your fake credentials and your paid for support and move on to something real
    Each time you try and add you subtract
    You do not live in parkland you have no school age kids
    You are a dinosaur 21 comments amongst 18 million people
    Your the bully you and your screeching yentas
    Go away leave the woman alone –
    You played a part in ruining a women’s life congrats

  • And I used to think that the annual ritual of the shredding of the entrails only happened with the Val/Sal rankings.

    The principal(s) involved let it get out of control. It never should’ve reached the level, or actually, sunk to the level, it did.

    If you want to see where the money goes that should be used for students, look at the audit findings from the Office of the Chief Auditor. That’s even more important that who gets to cheer on which squad.

  • This cheerleading fiasco has an easy solution. Discontinue it as a school program. Period. Let the momagers who want to momanage their daughters find another outlet that they are paying for; not the taxpayers of Broward County. Enough already. Pull the program and shut it down. I don’t know how many female nuclear scientists or female computer scientists got their start on the cheerleading battlefield; probably “zero”.

  • When I was a student there I had some hard times and was basically homeless. Mr Ramirez told me that I needed a permanent address to attend a public school, trying to kick out a student with no home who just wanted an education
    .

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