Former Wrestling Coach Calls Carrier Trial “Witch Hunt”

A former wrestling coach at Horace Mann Middle School testified Friday that he felt the child molestation case against Joshua Carrier is, to some degree, a “witch hunt.”

John Popovich, who no longer coaches, was being cross-examined by Carrier’s attorney who asked him if it was true that “his opinion is this case is a witch hunt.” Popovich agreed that, to some degree, it was. He also stated that part of the reason he stopped coaching is he felt, “this kind of thing can happen to anybody.”

While Popovich said he’s not happy that Carrier is being prosecuted, when Prosecutor Amy Fitch asked him if he wanted to do everything he could to help Carrier, he replied that Carrier had “made his bed.”

Popovich became angry at Fitch after he took the stand and she asked him multiple times if he had ever touched students’ genitals or witnessed another coach or Carrier do that. He replied, “no” each time. Finally Popovich raised his voice and said, “Not to sound mean, but how many times are you going to ask me? This is the 20th time.”

The judge told Popovich he needed to continue to answer Fitch’s questions.

Popovich explained how normal wrestling weigh-ins worked, giving a similar explanation as the seven alleged victims who have testified so far in the trial. Popovich said wrestlers had to wear “tighty whitey” underwear for weigh-ins, and if they forgot, they had to weigh in the nude. He said parents were notified of the procedure both at a parents’ meeting and in literature that they had to sign.

Popovich clarified that kids weighing in the nude was rare and not something that happened every day. He said that’s “Something everybody needs to understand here.”

Popovich said that there were times when he heard Carrier tell wrestlers he would have to check them after a normal morning weigh-in, on days when they were “pressed for time.” He testified he also told Carrier he wasn’t to be alone with students.

On Thursday, the father of a former wrestler testified that, seven months before Carrier’s child pornography arrest, he had contacted the Mann Middle School principal about his son’s concerns about private, nude weigh-ins with Carrier. The dad said the principal told him there was a “misunderstanding” and the issue would be taken care of.

Popovich testified that he wasn’t notified about the parent’s concern at the time and it wasn’t until after Carrier was arrested.

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