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Local Today has reported that additional charges have been brought against the former McKeesport Area middle school teacher and coach.
Two more victims, bringing the victim count to eleven, came forwarding with abuse claims relating to when 26-year-old Eric Vincent Fairman was a basketball coach. Fairman was arrested and charged back on September 1, 2022. Initial charges stemmed from alleged abuse involving four boys between 10 and 12 years old. Less than a week later, on September 6, three other victims came forward with similar stories.
The new cases, victims number 10 and 11, involve two basketball players he used to coach. Victim #10 claimed he was assaulted multiple times, including once at Fairman's home, another at a house that was unoccupied, and even during a basketball tournament. In addition to requesting and sending inappropriate pictures to the boy, Fairman is being accused of performing sexual acts on the minor. Victim #11 was 13 at the time he allegedly had inappropriate physical contact with Fairman. The incident took place in the school parking lot. Fairman was also accused of providing edible marijuana candies to the boy and offering him $200 to engage in a sexual act with him. The former coach also sent the victim several pictures of his own genitals.
Fairman former taught at Founders Hall Middle School, which he resigned from just days before the first charges were made. He coached varsity baseball within the Keystone Oaks School District and was the assistant coach for the girl's basketball team at Thomas Jefferson High School. He has been known to coach various local youth league sports across the greater area.
Fairman was most recently charged with two counts each of sexual assault and statutory sexual assault, four counts of indecent assault and involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, in addition to unlawful contact with a minor, bribing a minor, and criminally using a communications facility. These new charges are added to the previous charges that include two counts of indecent assault and promotion of prostitution, among others. The Allegheny County judge has denied all requests for bail.
Read more about the previous victims and charges:
Attorney contributor Brian Kent represents sex abuse victims and their families in private civil suits within Pennsylvania. During a recent discussion, Brian highlighted when victims sexually abused by a coach can sue.
"In recent news, we have seen an uptick in cases involving coaches and teachers abusing children. Middle schools and other educational institutions have a legal duty to focus on school safety. In order to reduce the risk of sexual abuse, schools are required to have adequate security protocols in place. These measures can include security cameras and proper reporting systems. However, it is important that all school employees undergo a background check. These precautions can lower the risk of school sexual assault. A school that fails to provide proper security could be held liable in a lawsuit. "
"If a coach is arrested on allegations of sexual abuse against a student, the school safety protocols should be reviewed. It is important to determine if the abuse could have been prevented or if the school's safety negligence facilitated it. If the coach had previous reports of misconduct that were ignored, the school could be deemed negligent. Any time school safety negligence is a component, the victim and their family should get legal guidance from an experienced school sexual abuse attorney. The attorney will be familiar with the statute of limitations in the state and also whether any exclusions may prevent the victim from suing for compensation."
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