High school softball coach, 60, charged with having sexual relationship with student

A former softball head coach in Baldwin County, Alabama was arrested and charged with being a school employee engaging in a sex act or deviant sex with a student.

According to officials and jail records, 60-year-old Leonard Anthony Rizzuto of Daphne was arrested on Nov. 6 and released the following day from Baldwin County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

Rizzuto was released from his position at St. Michael Catholic High School after the 2021 softball season, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.

The BCSO reports that it began investigating Rizzuto in April this year due to allegations of a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student at St. Michael during the 2020-21 school year.

According to BCSO’s news release, the alleged acts occurred at an off-campus practice facility and his private residence in Daphne.

‘The allegation was from an ex-student that they had been involved in a sexual relationship during her time there during the 2020-2021 season while she was also playing softball and he was her coach,’ Lieutenant Andrew Ashton explained.

Ashton also shared that one of the student’s family members urged her to speak up to law enforcement.

‘It was actually brought to a family member by the victim who in turn urged her to contact law enforcement and I think they actually reached out to Daphne Police Department first,’ Ashton said.

‘And when they realized that majority of this had happened within the county’s jurisdiction it was brought to the sheriff’s department.’

BCSO said that no other victims were identified. The news release also stated that the case was presented to a Baldwin County Grand Jury which indicted Rizzuto before his arrest.

While authorities continue to investigate, St Michaels offered their full cooperation, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Mobile on their behalf.

‘St. Michael Catholic High School is aware of the recent charge involving Leonard Rizzuto, a former part-time softball coach at the school,’ the statement read.

‘We will continue to offer our full cooperation to law enforcement. Because this is a pending legal matter, we are unable to provide additional details or offer further comment.”