EVHS cheer coach pleads guilty to DUI
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Nicholas Andrew Hanzivasilis, an Eastern View High School math teacher and varsity cheerleading coach pleaded guilty in Culpeper County General District Court last week to driving under the influence of alcohol.
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By Rhonda Simmons
Published: July 23, 2008
An Eastern View High School math teacher and varsity cheerleading coach pleaded guilty in Culpeper County General District Court last week to driving under the influence of alcohol.
Nicholas Andrew Hanzivasilis, 23, of the 11200 block of Torrie Way in Bealeton, was arrested on the Class 1 misdemeanor charge May 2 on Madison Road at 11:29 p.m., according to court records.
It was his first offense.
The judge sentenced Hanzivasilis to 30 days in jail but suspended the entire jail term. His driver’s license was also suspended for a year with restrictions.
According to court documents, Deputy G.K. Wyant of the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office said she observed Hanzivasilis northbound on Madison Road May 2 as he swerved from the white fog line and twice crossed the double yellow solid lines.
During the traffic stop, Wyant said she smelled a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle.”
When Hanzivasilis exited, Wyant said, “He used the driver’s side of the vehicle door for balance.”
The deputy said she administered four sobriety tests, and Hanzivasilis “was unable to walk heel to toe. On the fourth step, he lost his balance and stumbled.”
Hanzivasilis’ blood alcohol content was .19, according to court documents. The legal limit in Virginia is .08.
Hanzivasilis did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Under the court-appointed rules, Hanzivasilis is allowed to drive to and from work, court-ordered facilities and meetings, and can only use his vehicle during working hours.
His 2007 Hyundai four-door vehicle is also equipped with interlock restriction, a device that prevents a car from starting if alcohol is detected on the driver’s breath.
Hanzivasilis’ restricted license period started July 16 — the day he pleaded guilty in court — and concludes on July 15, 2009. He paid a $250 fine and $191 in court fees.
This fall, Hanzivasilis transfers from CCHS to the county’s second high school, Eastern View as a math teacher and varsity cheerleading coach. According to CCPS Spokeswoman Marla McKenna, he is still employed.
Eastern View Athletic Director Mark Settle — reached on his cell phone while on vacation — declined to comment.
Hanzivasilis, who earns $40,280 annually, began his career in Culpeper teaching math and coaching junior varsity cheerleaders at Culpeper County High School August 2007. He is also an assistant manager at the Culpeper Recreation Club and teaches classes at Zamora’s Boxing Gym.
This is not the first time a Culpeper County Public School teacher has faced a drug- or alcohol-related charge within the past year.
A Warrenton judge sentenced former CCPS teacher Frank “Chip” Rea to a three-month jail term in January for felony drug charges stemming from his arrest June 2007.
Rea was a physical education and football coach at CCHS for one year.
Michele Auville, a former first-grade teacher at Emerald Hill Elementary School, will face a grand jury in August for a felony charge of a controlled substance.
On May 31, Auville was riding on the passenger side of her Toyota when a deputy stopped the vehicle for “going very slowly and swinging from side to side,” on Madison Road around 5:15 a.m.
Auville submitted her resignation to the School Board the next day.
Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( copper ) on July 28, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Gilligan, get your facts straight before shooting off your mouth! Scott Found is not a chronic drunk and Law Breaker! It was his first DUI moron. You are the very hate monger you speak of in your first comment, look real hard in that mirror, then if you are man enough, apologize to Scott Found.
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Posted by ( gilligan ) on July 24, 2008 at 11:25 am
Amen AquaLung. You are spot on!!!
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Posted by ( aqualung ) on July 24, 2008 at 8:56 am
I’m really glad that you feel you can pass judgment on Nick using “well it’s happened before” as your reasoning. The fact that Coach Rea and Ms. Auville are even mentioned in the article is a stereotype. This guy had nothing to do with drugs. He probably just had a little bit too much to drink at a friends house and then left before he sobered up.
I personally think that he would be a better role model when it comes to drinking and driving. The children he teaches can see first hand what happened to him. Since he’s been through this, it would be more effective because he can tell them what happens.
And I still don’t understand how his age is relevant to his cheerleading coach job. He is the best qualified. That would be why he has the job. It’s not like he was a football player and all of a sudden decided he wanted to coach cheerleading. He was a cheerleader. No one would have said anything about it if this article hadn’t printed. And, of course, it would have been totally different if it was a female coach.
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Posted by ( gilligan ) on July 24, 2008 at 12:11 am
It’s a shame that people can be so quick to judge another person for ONE mistake and forget about his background, his strengths as a teacher and his commitment to his job. Yeah, he made a BIG mistake, and instead of applauding this young man for standing up and taking responsibility for his actions, we attack his motives for teaching the “poor young girls of Eastern View.” One thing has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Wake up people.
Once again the people of this town are willing to tear apart a new member of the community or a person that isn’t “well-connected”. If he had been well-connected we would have never heard a thing on this. I’ve lost count of how many times the community at large never hears a word about the “real” goings on in Culpeper. It’s poor saps like this young man that get hammered by people with little common sense and WAY too much time on their hands. Grow up, mind your own business, and look around for the really important things around our community that you never hear about.
Oh, and did I mention, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!
Remember hypocrisy comes in many forms.
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Posted by ( gilligan ) on July 24, 2008 at 12:11 am
It’s a shame that people can be so quick to judge another person for ONE mistake and forget about his background, his strengths as a teacher and his commitment to his job. Yeah, he made a BIG mistake, and instead of applauding this young man for standing up and taking responsibility for his actions, we attack his motives for teaching the “poor young girls of Eastern View.” One thing has absolutely nothing to do with the other. Wake up people.
Once again the people of this town are willing to tear apart a new member of the community or a person that isn’t “well-connected”. If he had been well-connected we would have never heard a thing on this. I’ve lost count of how many times the community at large never hears a word about the “real” goings on in Culpeper. It’s poor saps like this young man that get hammered by people with little common sense and WAY too much time on their hands. Grow up, mind your own business, and look around for the really important things around our community that you never hear about.
Oh, and did I mention, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!
Remember hypocrisy comes in many forms.
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Posted by ( rogersk ) on July 23, 2008 at 6:07 pm
semper fi mom...I am not a resident of Culpeper county now but once was. My children went to Culpepr County Schools their entire lower and high school careers.I absolutely agree with you. My grandson is now a second year teacher in another Virginia county and we have talked about how careful one must be in dealing with teen age girls. They develop crushes, especially on a young, good looking teacher. This can cause all kinds of problems so why create the situation by UNNECCESSARY contact. I do believe this young man deserves a second chance. Perhaps some kids would miss the opportunity to have a great teacher if he were fired, or suspended, at this point. However, he should be made well aware that he is under scrutiny and had better mind his P’s and Q’s.
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Posted by ( Scott Found ) on July 23, 2008 at 5:49 pm
I hope Nicholas uses this opportunity to clean up his act and figure out his priorities. It was also my first DUI, and if not for the support of my new wife, family and true friends, I may have listened to the holier than thou folks that can’t even print their names. Now I enjoy a completely sober life, still contribute to the community, still coach lacrosse and enjoy life. Nicholas, use it for good and don’t listen to the “perfect” people judge because after all it isn’t between you and them. Plus it makes them so angry when you change because then they have nothing to talk about since life seems to be so boring for them and they have never made one or two mistakes in life. But I see they still talk.....
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Posted by ( Carol ) on July 23, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I agree with semper fi mom, he really doesn’t seem to be the best person to be coaching a varsity cheerleading team. There’s no reason to put yourself in a position that may be detrimental in the future. With regard to the DUI, yes, he’s an idiot for drinking and driving. He needs to set his priorities and apparently teaching is not his priority.
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Posted by ( semper fi mom ) on July 23, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Boy, you folks are really hyper sensitive! Not once did I query his legitimacy and ability as a degreed, certified teacher. I merely stated that he’s awfully young to work with teenage girls as a cheerleading coach. Just look at Culpeper’s (community’s) track record this last year and older males with younger girls. He’s too close to their age group and some silly girl could place him in a great deal of jeopardy, or something could be misconstrued. Why set up the situation to begin with? EVeryone is entitled to his or her opinion and mine is that (1) he is not a great role model at the moment when it comes to “don’t drink and drive,” and (2) he’s too close in age to the girls to be a cheerleading coach - assistant coach with another adult - fine. Never said he was evil incarnate. Never accused him of molestation. I do say he’s an idiot and drove drunk. No one is screaming for his termination as a teacher because of this 1st brain-dead decision. Let’s hope he learned something—he’s 23 and a teacher. It’s a career with built-in social responsibilities.
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Posted by ( gilligan ) on July 23, 2008 at 10:55 am
Sure seems a lot of people rushed to judgement on this guy. Sure hope you don’t live in a glass house, it’s really easy to break a window that way. Comparing this guy to Mr. Found is stupid. You are comparing a first time offender with a chronic drunk and law breaker. Comparing him to Mr. Found is obscene, ridiculous and malicious. If he does it again, then by all means go forward with your hate mongering, but until then give the guy a break.
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