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OSCEOLA, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has uncovered court documents underscoring a Penn Harris Madison School Board Member’s major problem with gambling. The court documents are from PHM School Board Member Matt Chaffee’s custody battle involving his young son. While the documents outline an abusive man who initially denied being the father of his child and ostracized his son’s mother, they also detail Chaffee’s apparent gambling addiction.
According to the documents in support of child support payments, Chaffee made approximately $125,000 in online gambling proceeds in just one year. However, Chaffee refused to provide his gambling losses. This would allegedly be because he didn’t want to provide the court with information showing his irresponsible gambling habit, which could impact the court’s decision on his ability to care for his son. However, due to his losses not being reported, the gambling earnings can then be calculated into Chaffee’s child support payments.
The documents are publicly available on Indiana’s court website, Mycase.in.gov. RNM is providing a redacted version in its entirety below. Chaffee’s gambling earnings can be viewed on page 9. The rest of the document shows unhinged and disgusting behavior directed toward the mother of his child.
The court eventually ruled in the Mother’s favor, awarding her custody of the child. Chaffee is currently appealing the decision. Chaffee is also assisting in the campaign to oust the judge who ruled against him.
ILLEGAL GAMBLING INVESTIGATION
Last month, RNM published a story showing Chaffee is currently under investigation for allegedly selling information and access to an illegal gambling operation while he was the Manager of the Indiana University Basketball Team in the later part of the last decade.
According to multiple sources, while drunk at a party in Bloomington, Chaffee told a group of people that he had been selling or attempting to sell information and access to players to a nefarious gambling operation. During that time, Chaffee explained that he was promised money and a car in exchange for giving information or setting up a meeting with players prior to the IU v Georgia Tech NIT game in March of 2017. Sources also tell RNM, Chaffee has bragged about the illegal gambling incident on multiple occasions over the years.
According to sources, Chaffee was upset because the people running the gambling operation refused to give him the promised car and/or money after Chaffee had already held up his end of the bargain.
THE GAME
While IU was a huge favorite in the opening round of the 2017 NIT Tournament, the Hoosiers ended up losing the game versus Georgia Tech 63-75. Georgia Tech was in charge from the opening tip, starting the game 17-4, with a 15-0 run following a short lived 2-point Indiana lead.
According to a story from crimsonquarry.com from the time, “Indiana is undoubtedly a more talented team than Georgia Tech. With that said, mistakes and effort did the Hoosiers in.” Two of Indiana’s top players combined for only 13 points.
“The Hoosiers had 16 turnovers, gave up 22 points off of turnovers, and they played lackluster defense throughout the affair. Allowing such a poor shooting team to shoot in the manner that they did is an issue.”
The loss to Georgia Tech led to the end of Coach Tom Crean’s tenure as the IU Men’s Basketball Head Coach.
According to Linkedin, Matt Chaffee attended Indiana University from 2014-2019. During that time, he was the manager of the IU Men’s Basketball team. RNM is still working to confirm during what exact years Chaffee was working with the IU Men’s Basketball Team.
RNM has reached out to both IU Athletics and the NCAA regarding Chaffee and the allegations. As of publication, we have not received a response.
Chaffee has recently come under immense fire following a bombshell story from RNM, detailing his proclivity for paying prostitutes for sex and alleged stalking and harassment of multiple women.
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I realize Matt Chaffee is a bit of an asshole, but I’m also aware that in St Joe County, as in most of the country, men do not get a fair shake in family court. Chaffee claims the mother of his child lied to him about birth control and apparently also claims he was raped by the mother. There’s no male equivalent to “believe all women” but this can and does happen. Contraceptive coercion is a thing.
Further, the income disparity between the two parties here is huge and results in the father having to take on a very disproportionate share of financial responsibility. Yet no one looks at the mother and says “get your money up.” I guess the lesson is don’t mess with broke women.
The visitation schedule borders on offensive. Every other weekend and one night a week for the dad. How can a father truly build a good relationship with their child seeing them an average of 8 days a month?
And why are things so ugly? I would argue all the above are contributing factors, along with the mother fleeing the area for a significant period of time, including refusing to relocate after being ordered by the judge to do so and her ability, as well as the father’s, to act as a reasonable adult and work in the best interest of the child.
A child’s best interests are always served by BOTH parents behaving as mature adults and realizing that they have to put their pettiness to the side for the child. They need to cooperate and ensure that BOTH parents are very active and present in the life of the child. Yet this becomes impossible when courts weigh in heavily on one side only. So yes, Matt Chaffee may be an asshole, but you’d have a hard time convincing the mother is any less so. Yet she gains and he loses. Funny how that works time and time again in family court.
This scumbag shall have his balls handed to him soon.
[…] on Chaffee’s denial of being his father’s son and ostracizing his son’s mother, they also detailed Chaffee’s ongoing gambling habits–and potentially illegal […]