Dan Dakich says he didn't call a specific kid a 'methhead.' One kid says he did. It's him.

Andrew Slaton was a senior at Scottsburg High in March of 2020. He was a basketball and football player, ready to graduate with a 3.75 GPA, ready to study business at IU Southeast.

Then, in March 2020, Slaton told IndyStar Tuesday, his world blew up.

Indy sports radio host Dan Dakich went on a rant on his show that day in March lambasting the firing of Scottsburg's basketball coach Brent Jameson, calling a player a "methhead," urging listeners to go "take a dump" in Scottsburg and threatening, "I may just drive down there and beat the hell out of every school board member."

His words launched an investigation into Dakich by Emmis Communications, which owns his station 107.5-The Fan. The station deleted any evidence of Dakich's rant from its website and social media. IndyStar had recorded the audio.

Doyel: Dan Dakich is disintegrating 1 tweet, 1 rant, 1 controversy at a time

While Dakich didn't name the player, Slaton, now 20, says he didn't have to. Everyone in Scottsburg knew it was him by the way Dakich described him as a player.

Whichever boy on the team didn't get to play, "Your boy's a methhead. He's a pain in the (expletive)," Dakich said as he lamented the firing of Jameson.

At that moment, Slaton said, everything changed for him. When he went out in the community, people stared. He said he received disparaging, nasty comments from hundreds of people.

"It was just all over social media in my community. The comments were pretty much trashing me," he said. "It's dangerous that he was able to do that.

"Also, the way that people looked at me in my community after that, just the way he defamed me. It was awful."

Dakich told IndyStar via text Tuesday night he was not singling out any one player in his on-air Scottsburg comments, including Slaton.

"Two and a half years ago when I critiqued Scottsburg, I had no idea of the name of any player on Scottsburg's roster," Dakich said, "and never ever used his or any other specific player's name."

What Dakich said

"Scottsburg, (are) you complete idiots? Like are you just that fricking stupid, Scottsburg, Indiana? Can we please not fire a coach who has been great for the community," Dakich said on the air March 18, 2020. "I mean what is wrong with you people in Scottsburg, Indiana? I mean are you that hillbilly?"

Dakich poked fun at the city in Scott County 30 miles north of Louisville, imitating its residents in twangy accents with improper English and calling it a "hilljack world." Then in the same voice, he criticized the school board for firing a coach with a winning record.

"Let me guess, some jack--- of a board member has a kid on the team at Scottsburg that didn't get to play enough," he said. "Shut the living hell up Scottsburg, Indiana. Shut the whole damn town down. Hey jack---, I may just drive down there and beat the hell out of every school board member."

He went on say that whichever boy on the team didn't get to play, "Your boy's a methhead. He's a pain in the (expletive)."

Dakich also started laughing as he came up with a new motto.

"Take a dump in Scottsburg should be our new thing. My god, how stupid. Somebody send me a picture of this school board, these idiots in Scottsburg," he said. "Take a dump in Scottsburg should be the new motto."

'I was the kid Dan called a methhead'

For the past two years, Dakich has periodically criticized the story IndyStar wrote on his Scottsburg comments, saying last week on his show, "I never called a kid a methhead." In response, IndyStar tweeted the audio of his rant. Dakich responded by sending out multiple tweets saying he'd pay $5,000 to anyone who could name the "kid."

Slaton said he was dismayed the situation had been brought up again. But then he decided to turn it into possible good.

On Monday night Dakich tweeted "Offer still stands to any @indystar @indystarsports reporter and whatever the hell @DanaBenbow reports on (other than me) ... $5000 if you can give me the actual name of the Scottsburg basketball player that I called a 'methhead.'"

Slaton came forward Tuesday morning, responding to Dakich.

"The name is Andrew Slaton. The reason I know that is because I was the kid Dan called a methhead. Dan wrongly said that a coach was fired for my lack of playing time when I was a starter on the team. I had a (3.75) GPA and was all conference on the football team. That’s not exactly how I would picture a methhead. The actual truth to the story is @dandakich heard from someone close to the coach and then decided to go on a 6-minute rant absolutely trashing me, my school, and my community without any factual knowledge of the situation."

Slaton asked in his tweet that Dakich donate the $5,000 to The Refuge for Children, a home in Scott County that takes in children whose parents are addicted to opioids, have overdosed or have been arrested. It's a passion of Slaton's to help these children. That's why he came forward, he said.

Dakich indicated to IndyStar, he would not be paying Slaton's charity $5,000.

"Since offering 5k for anyone that could give me a specific name, a number of people have acted as (if) they were the player," Dakich said. "Of course, since I never said a specific player's name, that player simply doesn’t exist."

'Everybody pointed the finger at Andrew'

While Dakich did not say Slaton's name on air, Scottsburg athletic director Jamie Lowry said Dakich didn't have to.

The community is tight. It knew exactly what was going on with the basketball program. It knew Slaton.

"The backlash in the community was terrible," said Lowry. "Everybody pointed the finger at Andrew."

"It would be no different if I said, 'Oh, you know the former IU player with a radio show that goes out and bashes everybody'," Lowry said. "Everybody would know who I was talking about and everybody in the community knew who Dakich was talking about, Andrew."

Slaton said his goal in coming forward is to raise awareness for the children's home, which was started by his Church of God in Austin, Indiana. And to set the record straight on Scottsburg and him.

"To be honest, when everything happened, I was pretty disgusted by it," he said. "I grew up here, my friends are here, I have family here. To hear him say that about our community with no reasoning, it disgusted me."

Jameson took to Twitter and responded to Slaton's tweet, saying he was the coach "fired at the direction of Andrew's dad (Scottsburg superintendent Marc Slaton)." He accused Andrew Slaton and his family Tuesday of "self importance."

"Not quite sure yet how giving up my name and privacy to bring money to a charitable cause is showing my self importance," Slaton responded.

IndyStar reached out to Jameson. He did not immediately respond.

Slaton, in addition to being a college student and volunteer at the children's home, is also a volunteer middle school football coach.

Of course, he could use the money. But he doesn't want it.

"He can just send the $5,000 right to the children's home," Slaton said. "It's even tax deductible for him."

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Dan Dakich methhead rant: Ex-Scottsburg player says he was target