Regina girls' basketball coach arrested for harassment

By Katie Stinson, SourceMedia Group NewsIOWA CITY - The girls' basketball coach at Iowa City Regina was arrested by The Johnson County Sheriff's Department Monday for an alleged incident of harassment that occured over the weekend.Deputies said Brian J. Joens, 36, of Solon harassed a man who testified against Joens in an Aug. 13 traffic trial. Joens was charged with reckless driving on July 17 and found guilty by a jury in Johnson County District Court Aug.  13.Judge Karen D. Egerton warned Joens not to harass the witness or he would be subject to possible criminal charges and a jail sentence, court documents said.According to a Johnson County complaint, deputies said that on Monday the man who testified met with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office and told officers that since he testified against him, Joens had been harassing the man and his family.The man reported the alleged incidents occurred last weekend, from Friday through Sunday. In the complaint, the man said he was concerned for the safety of himself as well as his family, deputies said.Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said he believed the judge had reason to believe Joens would bother the witness and his family.“Well, she was right,” he said. “He did multiple different things to contact the family, none of which individually might be all that bad but since there were multiple contacts we felt it warranted the charges.”Puldrabek said every time the man and his family turned about last weekend Joens was doing something– including using a video camera in the neighborhood, stating the family was out to get him at the neighborhood block party and also telling the man's family his kids couldn't ride their bikes in the street, he said.Joens entered the Johnson County jail on Monday at 3:36 p.m. He posted a $300 bond Tuesday and a no contact order was issued. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon; nor could athletics director Chet Wisniewski or superintendent Carol Trueg.Joens has served as the girls' basketball coach at Regina for four years. The Regals were Cedar Valley Conference champions and finished 18-5 last season.They advanced to the second round of the Class 2A regional tournament before losing to Solon in overtime. In that game, Joens was called for two technical fouls in the final seconds of a tie game.

Jeff Linder contributed to the report