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John Blake, who coached college hockey for decades, settled earlier this year with the family of the student he was accused of repeatedly raping.
John Blake, former boys ice hockey coach for Duxbury High School. Gretchen Ertl for The Boston Globe.
Former Duxbury hockey coach and teacher John Blake, who was fired after allegations he repeatedly raped a middle school student, was banned indefinitely from coaching Wednesday by a national watchdog group.
The US Center for SafeSport, an independent organization authorized by Congress, deemed Blake permanently ineligible to practice with USA Hockey due to sexual abuse involving a minor, according to their database.
The decision, which could still be appealed, was announced on Wednesday. Blake’s attorney did not return a request for comment Thursday night.
2021, Joseph and Melissa Foley sued Blake in Plymouth Superior Court for $1 million. Their son died the year before of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 27.
The suit alleged that in the mid-2000s Blake would hold Joseph Parker Foley out of class and sexually abuse him until the child brought a knife to school and threatened to kill Blake.
At the time, police said they were investigating but not charging Blake because the victim had died.
Blake, who was the boys hockey coach at Duxbury High School for nearly two decades, got fired a week after the suit was filed. An independent report contracted by the district not found explicit evidence of sexual abuse but said Blake was not credible.
The lawsuit against Blake was settled earlier this year for a confidential sum of money after the judge ruled in favor of the Foleys and against Blake on all counts.
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