By Joseph Staszewski
Holy Cross administrators are investigating claims Paul Gilvary, the school’s boy’s basketball coach and director of admissions, watched his players shower, the New York Post is reporting. He is currently on administrative leave at the all-boys Catholic school and has been removed as coach.
The school has yet to give an official reason for Gilvary being placed on leave. Holy Cross President the Rev. Walter Jenkins posted a statement on the school’s website but did not mention Gilvary be name.
It stated that, “Recently, the school was provided with information of potential improprieties that caused us to alert the civil authorities. Civil authorities are investigating the matter, and school officials are fully cooperating with the authorities during this investigation.”
The Post reported that an investigation into Gilvary was launched after a teacher overheard three players talking about the alleged shower spying. Gilvary made it mandatory to shower after practices and games and would sometimes come in and talk to players while they were doing so, according to the Post.
Gilvary is a prominent figure in the Catholic High School Athletic Association. He is chairman of the boy’s soccer and boy’s basketball leagues. He was at St. John’s University Saturday night for the CHSAA boy’s soccer Class AA semifinals doubleheader wearing a Holy Cross jacket.
“I am currently a employee of Holy Cross High School on paid administrative leave,” Gilvary said. “As a currently employee I am not at liberty to make any comments about my employment, but I do look forward in the future to be able to talk to you about it.”
Gilvary declined further comment.
Assistant varsity Coach Lloyd Desvigne said Gilvary, who has coached the Knights varsity team for 16 years, has not been with the squad since Dec. 10. Gilvary is coming off a season in which he helped lead Holy Cross to the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens title for the first time since 2007 and a trip to the CHSAA Class AA city title game, where it fell to St. Raymond. Gilvary, according to Desvigne, has taken the situation hard.
“I spoke to Paul several times,” he said. “He is very frustrated, annoyed, you name it.”
Desvigne said he and fellow assistant Robert Offley were running practices and scrimmages until last Thursday, when Offley told him new freshman Coach Tommy Marchesini was named the varsity coach.
Marchesini, a former JV head coach and varsity assistant at St. Francis Prep and a Holy Cross alumnus, denied this claim.
As of right now, he said, “I am the freshman coach.”
