This happened:

Jeremy Dale, a former football coach at Bardstown High, pleaded guilty on June 4 to six counts — two counts of unlawful transaction with a minor and four counts of harassment regarding his conduct with four former Bardstown students.

That case was originally set for trial this month in Judge Joe Ballard’s court.

Instead, Dale was sentenced to 60 days for the six counts. Ballard also granted Dale work release to a job outside the county Monday through Friday, which he will leave jail to attend from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then return to jail after. Dale also has felony diversion, but he must maintain a clean record for the next five years. …

A grand jury indicted Dale in March 2023 on six charges in Nelson Circuit Court: two sexual abuse and four harassment, involving four minor females.

According to the indictment:

• Dale engaged in sexual contact “by the use of forcible compulsion” between Oct. 1, 2022 and Nov. 30, 2022, with the first student and sometime before Jan. 14, 2023, he also blew “raspberries” on her stomach while wrestling and making inappropriate comments about her body.
• On Jan. 14, 2023, Dale held the second student’s hands across her chest “while wrestling alone with her on school property.” He held her down “until she yelled for help.”
• Between Nov. 1, 2022, and Jan. 7, 2023, Dale also grabbed the strings of the sweatpants of the third student, “tugging on them in a downward motion and stating inappropriate comments.”
• And between Dec. 1, 2022, and Jan. 7, 2023, the fourth student was picked up and thrown over Dale’s shoulder as he smacked her behind.

Because this happened:

The GOP has a supermajority in the Kentucky House and Senate. The blame falls squarely on Republicans. They call it a state emergency when literally one trans athlete wants to compete in a sport, but when it comes to protecting female students from pedophile coaches, they go a runnin’ at the sound of the dinner bell.

Voters in the state can and should do better.