TEMPE, Ariz. - The Deer Valley Unified School District confirmed Sunday that Mountain Ridge High School football coach and teacher Vincent Ciliberti was arrested by Tempe Police.
The charge listed by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, where Ciliberti was booked into jail, is one charge of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.
The school district said Ciliberti has worked there for one and a half years and passed all background checks prior to his hiring. The district is cooperating with investigators.
Ciliberti went 0-10 last year. He's been coaching football since 2003 and has been a math teacher sine 2009 according to his own bio.
"I'm honestly shocked." a former player said through facebook. "I never saw him as a man that would do such a thing."
The former player did not want to be identified,but described coach Ciliberti as "a very cool coach."
The full letter sent to Mountain Ridge High School parents is below:
Dear Mountain Ridge Parents and Guardians,
There is some information that we feel is important to share with you to maintain transparent communication as we work together to ensure a safe and secure school community.
The Deer Valley Unified School District was notified by the Tempe Police Department that MRHS teacher Vincent Ciliberti has been arrested. He has worked and coached football at MRHS for one and a half years. Pending further information, Mountain Ridge Administration and DVUSD Human Resources staff will ensure that all teaching and coaching duties are covered by properly certified staff.
The Police investigation is ongoing, and we are cooperating fully with investigators. DVUSD Human Resources is following all legal procedures during this investigation. This staff member passed all of the required background checks during the hiring process including the fingerprint clearance check. We do not have any additional information at this time.
If you have any information that would be important for police to know, please contact the Tempe Police Department directly. If we learn of information that will further impact our school or your student’s education, we will send out another letter.