With his coaching and teaching career apparently in jeopardy, Jim Cantafio is fighting back, according to his attorney.


Cantafio was suspended May 23 from his jobs as head football coach and physical education teacher at Wilson High School.


Cantafio’s attorney, Kevin A. Moore, said Tuesday they are considering legal action against the district for breach of his coaching contract and unfair labor practice.


“We’re asking that he be reinstated immediately as a teacher and coach,’’ Moore said.


Cantafio was escorted off the Wilson campus on the day of his suspension and told not to return, pending a school district investigation of alleged financial issues with Cantafio’s football camps.


At the time, Cantafio expected to return.


“I’m still preparing to coach next year,’’ he told the Reading Eagle. “I’m still doing what I have to do. I don’t see why I wouldn’t be the coach.’’


Things have changed since. Doug Dahms, a longtime Wilson assistant coach and recently defensive coordinator, has been named interim head coach.


The Wilson teacher’s union has filed a grievance on Cantafio’s behalf, but the grievance does not apply to the coaching job, for which Cantafio has a separate contract.


“Officially, the school district has replaced Jim Cantafio for the 2006-07 school years as a teacher and coach,’’ Moore said Tuesday.


“We believe they have breached his separate coaching contract, which is outside the collective bargaining agreement.


“We intend to file suit in state court. Our contention is that the school district took action against Jim Cantafio in retaliation for his exercising his free-speech rights in connection with the current collective bargaining.’’


The Wilson School District is currently negotiating a new contract with its teachers. The negotiations have been contentious, and those close to the situation say a teachers’ strike is possible.


Cantafio has been an outspoken union advocate. Moore said that in mid-May, Cantafio sent an e-mail to parents of his players “to describe the potential strike and to build support in the football community.’’


Moore says that soon after the e-mail was sent it was seen by Jason B. Hopp, president of the Wilson board of education.


“A few days later, Jim was suspended,’’ Moore said. “In terms of the circumstantial evidence, this case is pretty simple.’’


Hopp declined comment Wednesday, saying that “the school board is a potential judge and jury on this thing.’’


Hopp was referring to the possibility that the board will eventually rule on the union grievance.


It might not come to that. Moore said Tuesday he is working with Wilson School District solicitor John Miravich, hoping to come to an agreement without formal action.


“We’ve sort of gone underground with this case,’’ Moore said. “It’s tough to make what we do official now, though, with it being summer, people being on vacation and so forth.’’


Wilson School Distirct superintendent Lawrence Mussoline was on vacation last week and could not be reached for comment.


Cantafio’s company, Susquehanna Valley Sports, Inc., runs a variety of football camps throughout Pennsylvania each summer. An SVS quarterback camp ended Saturday at Lanco Fieldhouse in East Petersburg


Cantafio is 69-19 in eight seasons at Wilson. That winning percentage, .784, is the highest in Berks County history and among the best in Lancaster-Lebanon League history.


Before that he was at Wyoming Valley West, where he took over a team that had gone 1-8-1 the previous year and went 27-9 over three seasons.


Cantafio spent the 15 prior seasons at Conestoga Valley High School, where he went 125-40, won two District Three championships and got to the 1991 Class AAA state championship game.


He left Conestoga Valley in 1994 rather than contesting a sexual harassment complaint.


Cantafio declined comment Wednesday, saying that, “I’m letting [Moore] take care of all of this for me.’’



Contact Mike Gross at mgross@lnpnews.com.