Youth basketball coach and her father arrested after attacking opposing team, cops say

A second-grade basketball game in Pennsylvania erupted into a postgame brawl and arrests after an argument between an assistant coach and her father and members of the opposing team escalated.

Brittany Ortiz, 38, of Malvern, and her father, William Stanley, 70, of Paoli, face multiple charges, including assault on a sports official, stemming from the alleged February 1 incident at Holy Child School in Rosemont, according to Lower Merion police.

The alleged altercation left the opposing coach, his wife and the coach’s 3-year-old daughter injured, the victims told authorities.

The dispute allegedly started when Ortiz began shouting and cursing during the game, which involved 7- and 8-year-old players in the Malvern Basketball League, which is not associated with the Catholic school. This sparked a verbal argument with the opposing team’s assistant coach.

Stanley joined his daughter in arguing with the opposing head coach, according to the affidavit of probable cause, NBC 10 Philadelphia reports.

After the game, Ortiz continued her argument with the opposing coach and his wife in the gym hallway. Witnesses told police that she grabbed the coach’s wife by the hair and slammed her to the ground, causing her head to strike the floor. This resulted in a concussion, a scalp contusion and clumps of hair being pulled out, according to the criminal complaint reviewed by the outlet.

As the opposing coach attempted to intervene, Stanley allegedly struck him in the head, while Ortiz kicked him in the inner thigh and attempted to kick him in the groin, according to the report. The coach was holding his 3-year-old daughter during the attack, who became hysterical, urinated on herself and got a bruise on her leg.

The opposing coach sustained bruising to his inner thigh.

Ortiz was charged with assault on a sports official, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and harassment. Her unsecured bail was set at $10,000, with a preliminary hearing set for March 5. Her attorney told NBC10 that he plans to review the evidence and will “vigorously defend” her.

Stanley later turned himself in to authorities, NBC10 reported. His attorney, Nathan J. Schadler, told the outlet that Stanley maintains his innocence and was taken to the hospital with broken bones and a head injury.

“We will be doing our own investigation and speaking to people who were there,” Schadler said. “My client asserts his innocence, and it was my client’s family who called 911 and asked the police to show up in this matter.”

The Independent has contacted Schadler and the Malvern League for comment.