Saint Viator High School has been hit with a lawsuit from a hockey coach who claims the northwest suburban high school and its hockey club broke a "handshake deal" to hire him as the school's next varsity high school coach.
On June 7, plaintiff Ralph Menotti filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court against the Arlington Heights-based Catholic school and the Saint Viator Lions Hockey Club.
According to the complaint, Menotti claims he was offered and accepted the position of head varsity hockey coach at Saint Viator in December 2023.
According to the complaint, Menotti had served as head junior varsity hockey coach at Stevenson High School in suburban Lincolnshire for eight years.
However, in late 2023, he claims he was informed by Saint Viator's hockey director and then-head varsity coach, identified as Tim Benz, that the school would soon have a vacancy to fill for head varsity coach and allegedly sought to set up a meeting with Menotti.
He then allegedly met with Benz and another hockey club official, identified in the complaint as John Sclafini, where they discussed the head coaching position.
A week later, Menotti allegedly was offered and accepted the position, which would pay $30,000 per year for two years, with an option for a third year.
Menotti claims that "handshake deal" was attested in a text message from Sclafini on Dec. 24, 2023, in which Sclafini allegedly asserted he had "talked with the board" and the deal was "approved" for 12 months.
The text message allegedly indicated the school and hockey club would return with a written contract in January 2024.
According to the complaint, Menotti then worked with Benz "in setting up the spring and summer of 2024 hockey programs," including scouting players and other coaching duties.
According to the complaint, Menotti also resigned his position at Stevenson High School in January, allegedly at the direction of Benz and Sclafini.
Following his resignation, the two Saint Viator hockey administrators allegedly told Menotti they "would not be communicating (Menotti's hiring) with board members and parents until after the current season. They indicated they had received "text messages about (Menotti's) hiring" but "despite it being true," were publicly denying Menotti had been hired "to avoid disruption before the playoffs."
According to the complaint, in February, Sclafini allegedly sent an email to the Saint Viator hockey club board treasurer, asking the board to create a contract for Menotti .
However, according to the complaint, the treasurer rebuffed the request, asserting Sclafini had allegedly "overstepped his authority" and the coaching job offer was not authentic, as it allegedly came outside of the process outlined in the club's bylaws.
According to the complaint, Menotti later met with others about the coaching position, including Saint Viator's athletic director. On March 14, the athletic director, identified as Jason Kuffel, emailed Menotti to inform him he would not get the job.
According to the complaint, Kuffel reportedly claimed the decision to pass on Menotti was based, in part, on "rumors" Saint Viator officials had heard from "numerous individuals about inconsistent attendance at your previous coaching position."
The complaint also indicated the rejection of Menotti for the position was based, in part, on other "untrue" assertions concerning his plans to build and advance the program, as well as assertions concerning his expected work hours and salary. Menotti's lawsuit asserts those assertions contradicted assurances received from Benz and Sclafini, and actions they had allegedly already taken to ensure Menotti would fit with the program.
In his lawsuit, Menotti has accused Saint Viator and its hockey club of breach of contract and fraud.
He is seeking at least $90,000 in damages, but potentially more, as he claims he was misled into resigning his position at Stevenson, at which he had most recently earned a salary of $30,000.
Menotti is represented by attorney Jordan Greenberg, of Vernon Hills.
In response to questions from The Cook County Record, Ryan Aiello, president of Saint Viator High School emailed a statement, saying:
"Since we have not yet been served with the lawsuit, we have not had the chance to examine the allegations made against us. The allegations appear to involve a contractual dispute between the Hockey Club and an individual who has never been associated with St. Viator High School. Given that there is pending litigation, we are unable to comment further."