Gulliver Schools baseball coach fired, alleged to have sent sexually explicit videos to team

Former Miami Hurricanes All-American Javier Rodriguez says he mistakenly sent text to players

MIAMI – A former University of Miami baseball player has been fired as head coach at Gulliver Schools after an internal investigation involving a sexually explicit video that he sent to members of his team, the schools' top administrator said in a letter.

Head of Schools Frank Steel announced the departure of head baseball coach Javier Rodriguez in a letter to alumni Thursday.

Steel said school officials began investigating "after learning of a certain inappropriate electronic communication containing or linking to a brief, sexually explicit video that he sent to members of the varsity baseball team during the 2015 season."

"Families of those students affected are being contacted directly," Steel said.

Steel said that "such actions by any employee are not acceptable in our school community and will not be tolerated." He said the schools will seek "outside support to reaffirm all our employees' understanding of our policies and of best practices regarding appropriate communications."

It was not immediately known if Rodriguez faces criminal charges for his alleged actions, but in a statement to the media Steel said the school has referred the matter to law enforcement.

"We are cooperating fully, but as a matter of policy, cannot comment further on this situation," Steel said.

Pinecrest police spokeswoman Michelle Hammontree confirmed that the school recently notified the department about the allegations. She said the incident happened in mid-April.

"It's sad," Rodriguez told Local 10 News reporter Amy Viteri. "I loved Gulliver."

Rodriguez, 36, called the incident "humiliating" but said it was a simple mistake that led him to send the inappropriate text message to his players.

"I went to send it to my friends and I clicked the wrong group chat and then it went to the students," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said he immediately apologized to the players and told them that it wasn't intended for them.

Some parents of Gulliver students supported the decision to fire Rodriguez.

"I wouldn't like any teacher emailing my daughter or sending anything racy," parent Helga Diaz told Local 10.

However, many of the players' parents who spoke to Local 10 said the incident is being mishandled.

"He wasn't sending pornography," parent Sarah Phillips said. "He made a mistake. He hit the wrong button."

Rodriguez graduated from Gulliver in 1998 and went on to have an All-American career with the Hurricanes. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Anaheim Angels in 2002, ascending to the ranks of Triple-A in the minor leagues. Rodriguez returned to his alma mater in 2009 and led the Raiders to four consecutive regional finals.

Gulliver Schools has four campuses in Miami-Dade County.

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