Jury acquits former basketball coach of exposure charge

BROOKSVILLE -- A Hernando County jury Monday acquitted a former Hernando High School basketball star and would-be coach of the school's boys basketball team on a misdemeanor charge that he exposed himself to an undercover police office in a park restroom in July.

Antonio "Tony" Vasquez, 48, of Brooksville was arrested by Brooksville police acting on complaints from citizens about inappropriate sexual conduct at Bud McKethan Park. Police set up an undercover operation at the park. According to the arrest affidavit, Vasquez approached a male officer in the men's room and exposed himself.

Vasquez was hired in May 2007 to be the new head coach at Hernando, but he said Monday that he never formally took the position. Vasquez had taught school, but did not coach, at Land O'Lakes High School in Pasco County in 2007 and was still an employee of the Pasco County School District when he was arrested. He said Monday that he had been suspended by Pasco and will ask to be reinstated to his job. Vasquez had been the coach of the girls basketball team at Pasco High until he resigned from the position in 2006.

Times staff writer