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Brock Turner Judge Loses Job Coaching High School Girls Tennis After Backlash
Brock Turner's story made headlines after Judge Aaron Perksy sentenced him to only six months in prison for sexual assault.
Aaron Persky, the former Superior Court judge who was recalled from the bench after the controversial Brock Turner case, has lost his recently-acquired job as a high school girl’s tennis coach.
The Fremont Union High School District confirmed just this week that Persky, who they called a “highly qualified applicant,” applied over the summer for a position coaching junior varsity girls tennis at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, California and had since completed all of his hiring requirements, the Huffington Post reports.
However, the district confirmed in a statement issued Wednesday that Persky had been let go, according to ABC 7.
“Effective September 11, 2019, Mr. Persky’s employment with the District as the Junior Varsity Girls Tennis coach has ended. We believe this outcome is in the best interest of our students and school community,” the district said.
Persky’s termination comes just one day after a Change.org petition appeared calling for his firing, the outlet reports.
The former judge confirmed the news in a statement also issued to ABC 7, commenting, “Although I am disappointed with the District's decision, it was a privilege to coach the team, if only for a short time. I wish all of the players the best in their future academic and athletic endeavors.”
Rachel Zlotziver, a spokesperson for the Fremont Union High School District, previously claimed that Persky was a good fit for the job because he’d “attended several tennis coaching clinics for youth, and holds a high rating from the United States Tennis Association.”
However, the district reportedly held a meeting on Monday with parents in response to concerns about his involvement with the team.
“Our focus remains on ensuring that our students have the best possible educational experience ― both academically and athletically,” Zlotziver said in a previous statement.
Persky came under fire after he sentenced Turner, then a student at Stanford University and member of the swim team, to six months in jail after he sexually assaulted an unconscious woman. Turner ultimately served only half of that sentence, having been released early for good behavior.
Despite the monumental backlash, Persky defended the sentence and said during a television interview last year that he’d make the same decision if faced with the same case.
Persky, who now uses his full name of Michael Aaron Persky, was removed from the bench last June after nearly 60 percent of Santa Clara County residents voted in favor of his recall.
