A former middle school teacher and well-known sports announcer for Westchester county high schools admitted to receiving child porn last week — but he’s still listed on the county’s sports hall of fame.
Richard Leaf, 75, pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge last Thursday, according to a spokesperson for the US Attorney Office for the Southern District of New York.
Westchester County officials are now calling for the convicted sex offender to be axed from the highly-regarded hall of fame.
Leaf — a retired Harrison middle school teacher who served as the public address announcer for high school basketball championships in Westchester and for Iona College basketball for years — posed as a teenager in online chat rooms and convinced a 15-year-old boy to send him nude images of himself under the guise.
The former educator and soccer referee was well-regarded in the community before the disturbing allegations came to light in early 2021.
He was inducted into the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, an honor reserved for sportspeople “of integrity and good character” who have gained prominence in the sports arena.
On Wednesday, Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Board of Legislators Vedat Gashi called on the committee that oversees the hall of fame to boot Leaf from the prestigious list of roughly 200 awardees.
“We have respectfully requested that the Hall of Fame committee take immediate action to remove Rich Leaf from the Sports Hall of Fame,” Gashi said during the county’s weekly updates.
“And by doing so I believe that we send a clear message that our organization is committed to the safety and well being of the community, and that we won’t tolerate any actions that compromise the trust and respect that we’ve earned over the years.”
Latimer added that the recognition was reserved for people who have had a positive impact on the community and have served as role models, particularly to young people.
He also said that it was important to note that Leaf has not just been accused of child pornography charges but has not pled guilty to the crime.
“A crime is a crime of various sorts, but some are particularly heinous,” Latimer said. “And whenever we’re dealing with an individual in a position of trust and faith that has committed a crime in that general direction we feel the need to act quickly.”
The county officials penned a letter to the Hall of Fame’s board of directors asking them to rescind Leaf’s 2017 induction.
Leaf and his attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.
