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	Nazareth Regional High School Looks into Allegations Vs. Coach By Michael O'keeffe New York Daily News December 4, 2008 http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/12/03/2008-12-03_nazareth_regional_high_school_looks_into.html The baseball coach sexually abused him just once, Philip Repaci said, an incident that took place more than 20 years ago. But the scars left that night at a summer home on the Jersey Shore by the Nazareth Regional High School coach have lasted a lifetime, Repaci said. The former cop blames the incident for the alcoholism and hair-trigger temper that ended his career with the NYPD. He says he became distant and distrustful with his parents, and he has been unable to establish meaningful relationships with women. Repaci said he will talk about the scars he said were inflicted by his former coach, Robert Mistretta, at a news conference this afternoon outside the Brooklyn Catholic high school, where Mistretta still works. "I don't want to see anybody else go through this," Repaci told the Daily News Wednesday. "This was a very difficult decision to make, but it is not about destroying people. It is about protecting people." A woman who answered the phone at Mistretta's home declined comment. Nazareth principal Barbara Gil said the school will conduct "a full review of these allegations and take all necessary and appropriate actions for the protection and well-being of our students." Repaci and the other alleged victim say they have no plans to file a lawsuit, although Repaci said he has not ruled litigation out. Repaci remembers Mistretta, who is also a science teacher at the school, as a friendly adult who organized an after-school floor hockey program, invited students to his home near the East Flatbush school and took boys to Islander games. But there were signs of problems, too. Mistretta would encourage boys to gang up and strip each other during weekend "live-ins" at the school, Repaci said. He also allegedly asked the boys to remove his clothes, too. In the mid-1980s, he invited Repaci, then 15 years old, and another boy to a summer home in Manahawkin, N.J. According to a police report Repaci filed in October with Stafford Township police, Mistretta and the two boys were hanging out in a bedroom at night when the coach steered the conversation to sexual topics. He asked both boys to undress him, and then told them it would be OK to touch his genitals. Eventually, Repaci and the other boy became uncomfortable and left the room. Repaci said the teacher apologized profusely for the incident, saying he just wanted the boys to be comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality. Repaci did not tell anybody about the incident because of fear: He was afraid his father would hurt Mistretta, he was afraid his masculinity would be questioned and he was afraid he would be ridiculed. "I went into the role of 'I'm a tough guy,'" Repaci said. "I told myself it didn't happen." The other student at the summer home confirmed Repaci's story in an interview Wednesday. The News agreed not to publish his name or other identifying information. At 15, Repaci started to drink regularly; he said he was a full-blown alcoholic until three years ago. He had numerous problems because of alcohol during the 16 years he spent with the NYPD. He also said he had problems with authority figures because of his experience with Mistretta. Repaci eventually assumed a job with the police union and in 2005 he was accused of illegally cashing $1,000 in union checks at a Nassau County bar and indicted on grand larceny charges. He eventually pleaded guilty to misdemeanor forgery. Repaci opted for early retirement after NYPD officials told him he would be fired. He said he is now unemployed and spends much of his time helping cops with substance-abuse problems.
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