A Baltimore City Department of Public Works supervisor who is accused of sexually assaulting a female subordinate is also the head coach of the girl’s varsity basketball team at Loch Raven High School, The Baltimore Banner has learned.
The supervisor, Jerome Odell Ragsdale, is charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree sexual contact. He is accused of propositioning the employee for sex on multiple occasions, and later offering to pay her $1,000 to recant a statement she made to human resources, according to charging documents.
Online records indicate Ragsdale is a superintendent of DPW’s Bureau of Solid Waste, which oversees trash and recycling collection.
Ragsdale has also been the head coach of the Loch Raven girls’ varsity basketball team since the 2016-17 season. Prior to that, he spent two seasons coaching the Raiders junior varsity squad.
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When contacted by The Banner on Friday, Loch Raven athletic director Michael McEwan acknowledged that he became aware of the reports earlier in the day but stated that he could not comment on a personnel matter.
When asked if Ragsdale had been or would be removed from his post as Loch Raven’s girls’ varsity basketball coach, McEwan stated that all “coaching contracts are year-to-year.” In the season-ending 1A South title game, Loch Raven was led by assistant coach Dale Fairfield. A Banner freelance reporter asked about Ragsdale’s absence and was informed the head coach was attending to a “family emergency.”
The female DPW employee alleges that on March 31, 2022, Ragsdale drove her to a hotel after asking her to get into his car. She said she asked him to stop the car and let her out, but he did not, according to charging documents. Later, the documents said, he pulled out cash to attempt to entice her.
When she refused, and said she was on her period and “No means no,” he groped her and touched her underwear, according to charging documents.
Another time, Ragsdale showed up to the employee’s house and propositioned her for sex, charging documents say.
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After the woman reported the incident to human resources, she was told by another supervisor that Ragsdale “would pay her $1,000 to recant her statement,” charging documents said.
Ragsdale’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
DPW named Ragsdale as its employee of the year for 2020-21, recognizing his “invaluable services” as a city employee and “commitment to excellence in the workplace.”
A warrant was issued for Ragsdale on Feb. 18., over a month after the police department was contacted.
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