Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, December 11, 1994                   TAG: 9412120065
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: MANASSAS                                 LENGTH: Medium

COACH GETS MONTH IN JAIL, LOSES TEACHING LICENSE IN SEX CASE

Under a plea agreement Friday in Prince William County Circuit Court, Chuck White was ordered to spend a month in jail, perform 500 hours of community service and undergo a mental health evaluation.

Judge Leroy F. Millette Jr. also ordered White, 39, to resign from his jobs as football coach and science teacher at Gar-Field High School and to surrender his teaching license. He is barred for five years from reapplying for his credentials to teach or coach.

``It's a sad case,'' said Prince William Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert. ``The guy had a lot of charisma and he was very successful as a coach, but you can't have children having sex or illicit contact with teachers.''

White was taken into custody after the hearing. His wife, Diane, and his parents were present for the hearing but declined to comment.

White, who has taught and coached at the Woodbridge school since 1989, was indicted on nine counts of taking indecent liberties with three of his female students between 1991 and 1994. Under the plea agreement, six of those felony charges were reduced to misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and the other charges were dropped.

Millette sentenced White to six years in jail, then suspended all but a month of the sentence. White agreed to get any counseling deemed necessary after his mental health evaluation.

One of the students alleged to have been involved with White testified in a preliminary hearing that she had sex with him during her senior year, once in his Dale City home, once in the school's gymnasium and once in his car. She was 16 at the time.

Before the plea agreement, White faced the prospect of three trials. If convicted, he could have been sentenced to up to five years in prison on each charge.

Ebert said he wanted to spare the three former students, who have since graduated from Gar-Field, from having to appear in court. He said none of them wanted to testify against White or see him prosecuted.