Anacostia’s decades-long boy’s and girls’ basketball coach, Frank Briscoe, turned himself in to authorities after he learned a warrant was issued for his arrest for allegedly enticing a 17-year-old female basketball player for sex.

Continue reading

Many couldn’t believe the charges against Briscoe. One woman who played on one of Briscoe’s teams 25 years ago said the charges seemed unbelievable.

“I don't believe it,” said Tawanda Gladden, a former student. “I never had any problems with him."

According to the charging document, a lesbian basketball player said Briscoe, in lewd language, asked her for sex. The document stated: “The defendant would make comments about her sexuality and the defendant gave her a hug in the hallway of the school, squeezed her tightly and ... ran his hand down her back."

The school system suspended Briscoe on Feb. 28.

A parent volunteer coach said it’s a tragedy for both the accuser and the accused.

“We got to remember there's two sides,” said Marvin Tucker. “We can’t proclaim anybody guilty until the process of law has taken place, until he's proven either or."