A 22-year-old volleyball coach at an affluent high school in Long Island was found dead Friday night hours after he posted a $75,000 bail following allegations that he raped a 15-year-old student.
Jason Maser ‘intentionally’ stepped in front of a Long Island Rail Road train around 10:30pm Friday night in Syosset, around 30 miles east of New York City. Police said that a suicide note was left behind.
On Friday morning, he was charged with rape, criminal sexual act and endangering the welfare of a minor. The victim is a student at Sacred Heart Academy and was coached by Maser at the B&B Volleyball Club.
Maser was arrested 24 hours earlier at the home he shares with his parents. The attacks occurred on February 7 and March 7 inside of his Jeep Cherokee, police said. After posting bail, he was ordered to stay away from his victim.
He was due in court again in April where he could have faced up to four years in prison.
According to an online profile, Maser was a volleyball star at Syosset High School. Following his arrest, he was immediately suspended by USA Volleyball.
Jason Maser posted bail on Friday morning after being charged with raping a minor, hours before he killed himself as he stepped in front of an LIRR train
His lawyer, John Carman, told Newsday that Maser was a part-time teacher at Sacred Heart.
Carman said that Maser’s family is ‘devastated.’ ‘While they process what has occurred, they are concerned for the young woman involved,’ he added.
According to B&B’s website, the club operates 21 different girls teams. As a result of the allegations against Maser, the club contacted the parents of more than 400 students.
He was fired from his role there on February 9. It’s unclear why it took so long for authorities to arrest him.
On the club’s Facebook page, there are multiple photos of Maser playing for the club in his teenage years.
A spokesperson for the club said that as soon as it learned of ‘an inappropriate sexual relationship between an adult who coached for B & B Volleyball and one of our players,’ it was reported to the relevant authorities.
‘The family of the athlete had confirmed that the incident had already been reported to law enforcement authorities, so B & B Volleyball did not have to take that step … The coach involved was terminated from B & B Volleyball immediately,’ the statement continued.
In addition to working with B&B and Sacred Heart, Maser was also a coach at Manhasset High School.
A January 2023 article on his successes in that role says that he ‘brought a unique knowledge of the game that our old coaches hadn’t, and he began to establish a culture of hard work and communication that would stay with us throughout the season.’
‘It’s horrible, it’s horrible when someone takes advantage of their position. These are kids,’ parent Sheena Falloon told NBC New York.
‘I had a long talk with my daughter this morning and she’s aware, but especially in these times you have to be extra careful and make your children aware because it’s a possibility in the world we live in today,’ another parent, Angelo Marchica, said.
Nassau police are urging any other potential victims to come forward.