Aaron Persky became one of the most hated people in the U.S. for giving Brock Turner, a white Stanford University swimmer, only six months in county jail for violently raping an unconscious girl, Chanel Miller, behind a dumpster on campus in January 2015 at a fraternity party. Turner ended up spending only three months in jail.
Persky gained particular infamy for considering the “severe impact” a long prison sentence would have on Turner’s white privileged life. Santa Clara County voters recalled him in 2018, the first California judge to be recalled in 80 years.
The disgraced former judge’s next great idea was to apply for an open position as the junior varsity girls’ tennis coach at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, California. The school just fired him, only a few weeks after the school year started, as soon as they became aware of who he was. The school claims they did not know he was the judge on the Turner case until recently.
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School officials released a statement on September 11 at 4 p.m. saying: “We believe this outcome is in the best interest of our students and school community. The District will begin the search for a new coach immediately with the goal of ensuring that the athletes on the JV tennis team are able to have a successful season. Both the Lynbrook and District staff will be supporting the team and their families throughout this transition.”
Rachel Zlotziver, coordinator of communications at the Fremont Union High School District, told local news the high school was initially unaware of Perksy’s role in the Brock Turner rape case when they hired him.
“He applied for the open coaching position over the summer and successfully completed all of the District’s hiring requirements before starting as a coach, including a fingerprint background check,” Zlotziver said. “He was a qualified applicant for this position, having attended several tennis coaching clinics for youth and holds a high rating from the United States Tennis Association.”
