Eugene “Gino” Vallante’s involvement with Keene State College grew in the years after KSC Men’s Basketball Head Coach Robert Colbert’s 2011 email exchange with former New England College players.
Fast Break Broadcasting, Vallante’s privately owned broadcasting company, covered a plethora of KSC sports since it’s 2004 conception. The only KSC employee listed on Fast Break’s first invoice to KSC is Rob Colbert. Documents show that Fast Break broadcasted for nine different KSC sports teams, and steadily expanded its role — and payroll — with KSC athletics in the following years. In the 2013 fiscal year, two years after Colbert’s email exchange with NEC players and three years after a KSC player reportedly complained to Colbert about Vallante’s actions, KSC paid Fast Break $36,125, more than twice the amount of the previous fiscal year.
The increase in payment coincided with Fast Break’s expanded services: 2013 marked the year the company began making recruitment videos for the KSC men’s and women’s swimming and diving, basketball, women’s lacrosse and softball teams.
According to its website, Fast Break employed or provided internships to a number of current and former KSC students. KSC alumnus, Brian Schnee, who worked for Fast Break Broadcasting, said every student had to personally pick up their checks from Vallante’s office. Senior Stephen Aruilio, who worked for Fast Break, said Vallante would use his work with students to try to develop a closer relationship. “He would always try to get me to go out with him after broadcasting games over the winter or fall,” Aruilio said. “I always politely declined.” At least one KSC student interning for Fast Break reported Vallante made repeated phone calls at night inquiring about his social life and made sexual comments as recently as early spring 2014 before Vallante’s ouster.
Zach Winn can be contacted at zwinn@keene-equinox.com