HS BASE: Saugus coach cleared of wrongdoing following anonymous letter of complaint

Allegations of hazing and abuse within the Saugus High baseball program have been investigated but proved unsubstantiated, according to school officials, and no disciplinary measures will be taken, said school athletic director Kevin Miner.

Miner confirmed Friday he was aware of a widely-circulated anonymous letter detailing alleged misdeeds by head coach John Maggiora and assistants Doug Maggiora and George Lopata.

Several players quit before the season opener, another quit recently, and another recently was declared academically ineligible. But it’s not the coaches’ fault, Miner said.

“John Maggiora has a clean disciplinary record,” Miner said. “This is just a case of a disgruntled parent trying to stir things up but without the (nerves) to put his name on the letter. How credible is that? We talked to most of the kids on the team, and that was the end of it.”

Maggiora said: “I’d rather not comment on it because I haven’t seen the letter, but I’ve been told everything is OK. I’ve seen enough of these kinds of things through the years, and it’s almost always about playing-time issues. “I mean, I could see if we were 2-10 how a lot of people could be unhappy, but we’re 8-4 and we’ve won (four) in a row.”

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com