Mitchell baseball coach, board member charged in connection to Legion rape case
Oct. 10—MITCHELL, S.D. — Two Mitchell baseball officials are facing newly filed charges in connection to rape allegations with the city's Legion baseball team.
Legion coach Luke Norden, 43, and Mitchell Baseball Association board member Jeremy Borgan, 48, were each charged with various misdemeanors on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
The Pennington County State's Attorney announced Norden was charged with two counts of failure to report the abuse or neglect of a child and two counts of misprision of a felony. Borgan was charged with one count of failure to report the abuse or neglect of a child.
The charges against Norden and Borgan were all filed in Davison County, and each is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and fines of up to $2,000 per count.
According to a news release from the Pennington County State's Attorney's Office, Norden's charges stem from actions on June 27, 2022, and June 22, 2023. Borgan's charge stems from June 19, 2023.
The Pennington County State's Attorney's Office did not provide any additional information regarding the details of the charges.
Warrants for the arrests of both men were issued on Tuesday.
Norden and Borgan are both teachers in the Mitchell School District.
When asked Tuesday night by the Mitchell Republic whether Norden and Borgan would be put on administrative leave, Mitchell Superintendent Joe Childs said it was the first he had heard of the charges, which were announced by the Pennington County States Attorney's Office during Tuesday night's School Board meeting.
"I can't comment on that. I'd have to know exactly what we're dealing with. We have our own policies and procedures in place (that the district would look at), but without knowing the facts, I can't really comment on that," Childs said.
The Mitchell School District has a policy in which any teacher or other School District employee who suspects that a child under 18 years of age has been abused "will report orally or in writing this information to the building principal or building counselor."
"Anyone who participates in making a report in accordance with the law and in good faith is immune from any civil or criminal liability that may otherwise arise from the reporting, or from any resulting judicial proceeding, even if the suspicion is proved to be unfounded," the policy says.
Because the alleged abuse occurred outside of the school year and because baseball is a non-school-sanctioned sport, it is unclear whether the new charges will have any repercussions on Norden's and Borgan's teaching statuses.
"Once I'm apprised of the information, I'll make the decision that follows the policies and procedures that we have in place," Childs said.
The new charges are in addition to the
six Mitchell Legion baseball players accused of second-degree rape
while at a tournament in Rapid City in June.
All six players — 19-year-old Landon Waddell, 18-year-old Hudson Haley, 17-year-old Karter Sibson, 17-year-old Carter Miller, 18-year-old Lincoln Bates and 17-year-old Peyton Mandel — have
pleaded not guilty to their charges.
Mitchell Baseball Association President Jason Christensen declined to comment Tuesday night on the matter.
