SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -– The head coach for the Mitchell Post 18 Legion baseball team and a member of the Mitchell Baseball Association board are facing charges for failing to report alleged crimes, the Pennington County State’s Attorney Office announced Tuesday.
In a news release, Pennington County State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel alleged Luke Norden, 43, and Jeremy Borgan, 48, had “knowledge of crimes and, as mandated reporters, did not immediately report to law enforcement.”
This comes a week after six members of Mitchell Post 18’s varsity baseball team were charged with rape.
Norden is charged with two counts of failure to report abuse or neglect of a child and two counts of misprision of a felony. The charges stem from June 27, 2022, and June 22, 2023. An official with the Pennington County State’s Attorney office confirmed with KELOLAND News the June 2022 charge is correct and it matches court documents filed in the case.
Borgan is charged with one count of failure to report abuse or neglect of a child from June 19, 2023.
An arrest warrant was issued on Tuesday. Norden has served as the program’s director of baseball operations since 2013 and Borgan has been a board member since 2020.
Mitchell Post 18’s varsity Legion baseball program had been suspended in the wake of what officials described in a statement as “possible player misconduct.”
Roetzel said in August the case was not a hazing or some sort of initiation. She characterized the charges as forcible sexual assault
