Sports
St. John Bosco targets ex-CEO, backs coach Jason Negro after lawsuit alleges he embezzled money
St. John Bosco High responded Thursday to a lawsuit filed against the Catholic school, football coach Jason Negro and the Salesian Society religious order with a statement backing Negro and targeting the credibility of one of the three plaintiffs.
The statement from Fr. Mel Trinidad, provincial of the Salesians and interim president of St. John Bosco, said that Brian Wickstrom was fired as the school’s president and chief executive in July because “the school uncovered information that Wickstrom obtained loans without authorization, received excessive compensation and benefits to which he was not entitled, and breached his fiduciary duties.”
Wickstrom’s lawyer, late Thursday, strongly denied the allegations.
The statement is separate from a court filing expected soon from St. John Bosco that will serve as a formal response to the lawsuit. The filing is required within 30 days of the defendants being served with the lawsuit, which occurred the second week of January.
Wickstrom and fellow former administrators Melanie Marcaurel and Derek Barraza allege in the lawsuit first reported by The Times that they were improperly fired last year and seek restitution, reinstatement and unspecified punitive and general damages for emotional distress.
The lawsuit alleges that Negro — a highly regarded coach who led St. John Bosco to the top of national rankings in 2013 and 2022 — embezzled money from the all-boys school for years and had assistant coaches pay the tuition for prized players in cash, saying the payments were from “anonymous donors.”
The filing in Los Angeles County Superior Court also alleges that Negro conducted financial transactions associated with his powerhouse program in cash that he kept in a safe in his office, with no accounting or accountability by the school. The plaintiffs assert that they were impeded by Salesian officials from reining in Negro.
Trinidad did not address those allegations in his statement, other than to stand by Negro by saying that the coach “has, for decades, supported the education, growth and well-being of hundreds of student-athletes in the classroom and on the field. St. John Bosco High School fully intends to vigorously defend this lawsuit and pursue its own legal remedies for the harm caused to the school.”
The statement zeroed in on Wickstrom, who served stints as athletic director at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio and the University of Louisiana Monroe before he was hired by St. John Bosco in July 2020.
“The school gave Plaintiffs’ attorney the opportunity to provide any documents or explanation for the financial improprieties,” the statement said. “No information or explanation was provided. Instead, this lawsuit against the school, the Salesians and Coach Negro was filed.”
Wickstrom responded to Trinidad’s statement through his lawyer, Rob Hennig.
“Father Mel Trinidad fired Brian Wickstrom illegally without any authorization from Bosco’s Board of Directors,” the statement said. “Wickstrom was fired because he dared to try to hold Jason Negro accountable for Negro’s conduct as detailed in a 17-page complaint and with corroborating emails and other evidence.
“At the time of Wickstrom’s termination, Trinidad never raised any claims of financial impropriety or other misconduct by Wickstrom. Indeed, it was only after Wickstrom directly raised his illegal termination with Bosco that Bosco attempted an investigation to come up with a post hoc justification for Wickstrom’s termination.
“Tellingly, Bosco does not refute Wickstrom’s claim that he was fired for trying to hold Negro accountable or that Negro handled large amounts of cash off the books. Wickstrom denies these false allegations and will defend against these smear tactics in Court.”
A financial services company, Itria Ventures, sued St. John Bosco, Wickstrom and the school’s former chief financial officer, Jeff Wacha, in March 2024 for defaulting on a $1 million loan taken out in February 2023. Wacha was replaced by Marcaurel shortly thereafter.
Trinidad said in his statement that the Salesians hired independent financial consultants to investigate but that Wickstrom “threatened to file a lawsuit against the school in an effort to prevent the independent financial consultants from completing their investigation and work.”
Meanwhile, according to the latest lawsuit, Marcaurel and Wickstrom attempted last year to end Negro’s alleged cash-only system and run football revenue and expenses through the school business office, with Marcaurel issuing a “corrective action proposal” that included hiring a certified public accountant.
The Salesian Order instead responded by sending consultants Jay Conner and Cathy Vivian to the school, the lawsuit states, alleging that they “used the audit as a ruse to come and rid the business office of its current staff and squelch the audit that would provide any accountability for the football program.”
Cash payments to Negro and assistant coaches weren’t reported as income to the Internal Revenue Service or the California Franchise Tax Board, the lawsuit states, alleging that “Negro, in pocketing and using for his personal use much of the cash obtained for the football program, engaged in embezzlement and fraud.”
Negro said in a statement Tuesday that “[a]n independent investigation has already been conducted and all the facts will come to light in court.”
“The claim has been in the hands of our legal team,” the coach said, “and our school will defer all questions to them.”
Shortly after Wickstrom and Marcaurel were fired by Trinidad, St. John Bosco issued a statement announcing an increased leadership role by the Salesians.
“Over the last several months, the Salesian Society has engaged in a period of discernment regarding how to best position SJB for future success,” the statement read. “It became clear to Fr. Mel Trinidad, the Salesian Society’s current Provincial, and SJB’s other corporate members that they should play a larger role in guiding the school’s leadership and shaping its future.”
Negro is represented by high-powered trial lawyer Brian Panish, a St. John Bosco alumnus and the lead donor to the school’s $7.2-million Panish Family Stadium. According to his firm’s website, his courtroom victories include a $4.9-billion verdict in a landmark products liability case against General Motors and six verdicts in excess of $50 million.
The 5,000-seat football stadium opened in 2018, and at the time, Panish expressed gratitude for his St. John Bosco education, telling the Long Beach Press-Telegram, “The lessons I learned helped me be a better person and prepared me for life. … I went there at a time in my life when I didn’t have all my values sorted out, and they helped me develop my moral compass spiritually, academically and athletically.”
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Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history on Tuesday night.
Adebayo scored 83 points, all while setting league marks for free throws made and attempted in a game for the Miami Heat in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. It is the second-highest scoring game for a player ever, only to Wilt Chamberlain’s famed 100-point game.
“An absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game.
Adebayo started with a 31-point first quarter. He was up to 43 at halftime, 62 by the end of the third quarter. And then came the fourth, when the milestones kept falling despite facing double-, triple- and what once appeared to be a quadruple-team from a Wizards defense that kept sending him to the foul line.
He finished 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, 7 for 22 from 3-point range.
After the game, he was seen in tears while he hugged his mother, Marilyn Blount, before leaving the floor after the game.
“Welp won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore,” Adebayo’s girlfriend, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, wrote on social media, “but at least it gives me something to go after.”
MAGIC’S ANTHONY BLACK MAKES INCREDIBLE DUNK OVER FOUR DEFENDERS IN HISTORIC NBA GAME
Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrates during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The NBA’s previous best this season was 56, by Nikola Jokic for Denver against Minnesota on Christmas night. The last player to have 62 points through three quarters: one of Adebayo’s basketball heroes, Kobe Bryant, who had exactly that many through three quarters for the Los Angeles Lakers against Dallas on Dec. 20, 2005.
He wound up passing Bryant for single-game scoring as well. Bryant’s career-best was 81 — a game that was the second-best on the NBA scoring list for two decades.
Adebayo scored 31 points in the opening quarter against the Wizards, breaking the Heat record for points in any quarter — and tying the team record for points in a first half before the second quarter even started.
He finished the first half with 43 points, a team record for any half and two points better than his previous career high — for a full game, that is — of 41, set Jan. 23, 2021, against Brooklyn.
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Adebayo’s season high entering Tuesday was 32. He matched that with a free throw with 5:53 left in the second quarter, breaking the Heat first-half scoring record.
Adebayo’s 43-point first half was the NBA’s second-best in at least the last 30 seasons — going back to the start of the digital play-by-play era that began in the 1996-97 season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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BOSTON — Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots on Tuesday night to earn the Boston Bruins their 13th straight victory at home, 2-1 over the Kings.
Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to break a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.
It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.
In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins’ defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.
Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.
Swayman tied his career high with his 25th win of the season. The Bruins haven’t lost at the TD Garden since before Christmas.
After the game, Kings forward and future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar stayed on the ice to shake hands with the Bruins after what is expected to be his last game in Boston.
Sports
Jon Jones requests UFC release after Dana White says legend was ‘never’ considered him for White House card
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Mixed martial arts legend Jon Jones ended his retirement from UFC simply because he wanted a spot on the “Freedom 250” fight card at the White House in June.
But, when UFC CEO Dana White announced the card during UFC 326 this past weekend, Jones wasn’t among the fighters. As a result, he has requested a release from his UFC contract.
White was candid when asked about Jones following the UFC 326 card.
Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City. ((Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images))
“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys a hundred thousands times, was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White explained, per CBS Sports. “Some guy with Meta Glasses filmed him talking about his hips – that his hips are so bad. And I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run. Jon Jones retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, doctors say he should have a hip replacement.”
White added that “the Jon Jones thing is bulls—,” saying that he texted the fighter’s lawyer saying he would never be on the White House card despite Jones saying he was in negotiations for it.
UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT
The Meta Glasses incident White is referring to came from a viral video, where Jones, unaware he was being filmed, discussed issues with his hips to a fan.
On Monday, Jones composed a thorough response to White’s comments about him and the White House Card. He previously posted and deleted social media explanations, but Monday’s appeared to be his final statement on the matter.
UFC President Dana White speaks after UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center on Feb. 21, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
“Yes, I have arthritis in my hip and it’s painful, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Jones, who retired a heavyweight champion in 2025, said. “So let me get this straight, if I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I’d be on the White House card? That doesn’t make sense. I even received stem cell treatment last week to get ready for the White House card, and training camp was scheduled to start today. I was preparing to be ready.
“I understand business deals fall through sometimes, but going out publicly and saying things that aren’t true isn’t right. After everything I’ve given to the UFC, the years, the title defenses, the fights, hearing that I’m ‘done’ is disappointing. Especially when as recently as Friday UFC was calling me trying to get me on that White House card for a much lower number.”
Jones finished his statement by saying he “respectfully” asks to be released from his UFC contract.
Jon Jones enters the ring before facing Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“No more spins, no more games. Thank you to the real fans who know what’s up,” he wrote.
The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Jones is considered one of the best UFC fighters of all time, owning a 28-1-1 record, which includes his last bout with Stipe Miocic, knocking him out to take the heavyweight title belt. He is also a two-time light heavyweight champion.
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