A well-known Maryland high school football coach accused of assaulting his wife is on leave, but his attorney denies the allegations.
According to court documents, Bullis School head coach Patrick Cilento got into an argument with his wife at their home in Potomac, Maryland, Sunday.
The documents say he shoved and pushed her down concrete stairs.
She allegedly suffered a scrape on her right elbow, soreness to her right hip and rib cage, and a bruise on her knee.
Cilento has bonded out of jail. His attorney, Rene Sandler, told News4 he’s innocent.
“My client did not assault his wife and did not engage in any act of domestic violence,” Sandler said.
The attorney also said when Montgomery County police went to the couple’s house, they did not arrest Cilento. His wife later filed charges on her own, and a commissioner issued an arrest warrant.
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“We will defend this case very zealously in court,” Sandler said.
“Bullis is committed to the safety and well-being of our community,” a Bullis spokesperson said in a written statement. “This week we were made aware of a situation involving a staff member. We took immediate action in accordance with our human resource policies, and the staff member is currently on administrative leave.”
Cilento has won four conference championships at Bullis. One of his former players is Washington Redskins top draft pick Dwayne Haskins.