33-year-old Andrea Knecht had the last name Lightfoot when she allegedly assaulted the then 14-year-old girl in 2013 while working as a part-time coach at the all-girls school.

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ALLEGATIONS. PROSECUTORS SAY THIS FORMER BASKETBALL COACH SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A PLAYER WHILE WORKING AT MARIAN HIGH SCHOOL IN 201 33-YEAR-OLD ANDREA KNECHT HAD THE LAST NAME LIGHTFOOT WHEN SHE ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED THE 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL. >> THE VICTIM’S BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE AS FAR AS WHEN WE’ BEEN INVOLVED IN IT AND SINCE THE POLICE HAVE, BUT THERE OBVIOUSLY WAS SOME FORENSIC WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. CHINH: DOUGLAS COUNTY ATTORNEY DON KLEINE SAYS THE GIRL POSTED ABOUT THE ALLEGED ASSAULT JANUARY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE SCHOOL REPORTED IT TO POLICE, WHICH PROMPTED THE INVESTIGATION. PROSECUTORS BELIEVE KNECHT AND THE GIRL EXCHANGED HUNDREDS OF CALLS AND TEXTS AND THAT THE SEXUAL ASSAULT HAPPENED AT WEST ROADS MALL IN THE PARKING LOT. KNECHT HAS PLED NOT GUILTY. >> WE DENY THE ALLEGATIONS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FIGHTING THE ALLEGATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. CHINH: KLEINE SAYS THERE’S NO STATUTE OF LIMITATION FOR THE SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGE, BUT THERE IS AN 18-MONTH LIMITATION FOR NEBRASKA’S MANDATORY REPORTING LAW. >> I HAVE ALSO ASKED THE OMAHA POLICE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK INTO THIS AS TO WHEN MARIAN, THE HIGH SCHOOL, FIRST BECAME AWARE OF AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY KNEW AND HOW THEY KNEW IT TO SEE IF THEY SHOULD HAVE REPORTED IT OR NOT AT THAT POINT IN TIME. CHINH: THE PRESIDENT OF MARIAN TELLS ME THERE’S NO COVER UP. MARY HIGGINS TOOK ON THE ROLE AFTER THE ALLEGED CRIME. SHE SAYS ACCORDING TO SCHOOL RECORDS, THE VICTIM’S PARENTS TOLD ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE KNECHT AND THE GIR HIGGINS ADDS MARIAN HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED REPORTING, NO MENTION OF ANYTHING SEXUAL HOWEVER, STAFF CONSIDERED KNECHT’S BEHAVIOR UNACCEPTABLE AND FIRED HER IN MAY 201 KNECHT IS SCHEDULED TO BE BACK IN COURT JULY 29. IF FOUND GUILTY, SHE FACES 20 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON. I ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE HEAD OF MARIAN AT THE TIME OF THE ALLEGED CRIME AND DID NOT HEAR BA

Advertisement Ex-basketball coach charged with sexual assault of student at Marian High School 33-year-old Andrea Knecht had the last name Lightfoot when she allegedly assaulted the then 14-year-old girl in 2013 while working as a part-time coach at the all-girls school. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Douglas County prosecutors have charged a former basketball coach with first-degree sexual assault of a Marian High School player.33-year-old Andrea Knecht had the last name Lightfoot when she allegedly assaulted the then 14-year-old girl in 2013 while working as a part-time coach at the all-girls school.Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine told KETV NewsWatch 7 the girl posted about the alleged assault in January on social media and the school reported it to police, which prompted the investigation.“The victim's been very cooperative as far as when we've been involved with it and since the police have, but there obviously, was some forensic work that needed to be done,” said Kleine. Prosecutors believe Knecht and the girl exchanged hundreds of calls and texts and that the sexual assault happened in the parking lot of Westroads Mall.Knecht plead not guilty.“We deny the allegations, and we look forward to fighting the allegations as we move forward,” said Mallory Hughes, Knecht's attorney.Kleine said there's no statute of limitation for a sexual assault charge, but there is an 18-month limitation for Nebraska's mandatory reporting law.“I also asked the Omaha Police Department to look into this, as to when Marian, the high school, first became aware of it and find out what they knew and how they knew to see if they should have reported it or not at that point in time,” said Kleine.The president of Marian High School, Mary Higgins, told KETV NewsWatch 7 any accusation of a cover up is false.Higgins said she took on the role after the alleged crime, so she was not aware of the allegations.She said she called police immediately after her digital staff notified her of the victim’s accusation on social media in January.Higgins said according to school records, the victim's parents told administrators about extensive communication between Knecht and the girl. Higgins added Marian had no knowledge of anything that would have required reporting, no mention of anything sexual. However, staff considered Knecht's behavior unacceptable and fired her in May 2013 after about four months of employment.KETV NewsWatch 7 also reached out to Dr. Susan Toohey, who was the head of Marian at the time of the alleged crime, and did not hear back.Knecht is scheduled to be back in court July 29th.If found guilty, she faces 20 years to life in prison.