. "He made that statement and from that day on, he's been, his family, harassed by letters and threats," says Carol. It would be the adventure of his life five days of intense football in the woods of Pennsylvania. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. According to the nine-page report, the culture of hazing and a lack of supervision and safeguards to protect students led to the sexual assaults that occurred in August while Mepham's varsity and junior varsity teams prepared for the season at a camp in Wayne County, Pa. "We're not suggesting anything about injuries. Thepurported ringleader, according to police, was thelineman. We've received your submission. Dozens of Long Island parents outraged at the handling of broomstick hazing assaults at a Mepham High School football camp are organizing a secret meeting tomorrow to plan action against. Adds Jesse: Mepham kids say,Youre from Kennedy, and punch us.Theyre the bully school, the physical school.Even in middle school, we knew which kids were goingto Mepham and which to Kennedy.. Students should not have to tryout for school sports. The victims didn't tell us. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal. mepham high school football scandal. He used to play in the minor leagues and the team loved him because of his dedication to their lives and his credibility at baseball. Days later, the school wentahead with its annual pep rally, in a gesture ofsupport for Coach Mac and the sidelined Pirates. Decent football player, though.. Before lastmonth, Mepham High was generally known as anabove-average school with a robust athletic program.Fathers and sons have played for the Mepham Pirates,and Saturday football games are huge social events.The players are the schools heroes: With thepossible exception of Roone Arledge, Mephamsmost famous alumnus has been star Pittsburgh Steelersrunning back Amos Zereoue. Due to the amount of padding they have to wear, football players can easily disguise their size therefore keeping them from receiving scrutiny from the public. You could just seehe had so much anger in him. Mepham was known mainlyfor its wrestling program until Coach Mac arrived in1986. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. He never brought this incident toMcElroys attention; he must have brought it tothe JV coachs attention. !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. Sports in Mepham isvery big.. Bells toll. Not, 'Coach, things aren't good over here.' Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. High schools on Long Island have led a crackdown on rough-housing since the 2003 Mepham High School football training camp hazing scandal rocked the nation. They hit his headon the porcelain and he got a concussion. Many have lost sight of the fact that baseball players are not the only athletes that face this life threatening addiction. But the school district, which canceled the football season last fall, has now, after seeing the grand jury report, relieved the coaches of their teaching positions at Mepham. So, no., But, you know, says McDermott, ifthey wanted to do it? The coaches' lawyer and officials for the Bellmore-Merrick School District did not comment on the report's findings or its criticisms. ", "Did a parent come and complain to us? And I know the family of one of theattackers. I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. The problem was with thekidsand with the parents who brought them upthat way., Sothe parents. display: none; He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. As well as rebuking the attackers, the report criticizes the school system and the Pennsylvania judge who handled the cases. asks McElroy. But they dont want to appearself-serving, he says. Full speed," says McElroy. The father died on October 5a daybefore news broke that the lineman may be tried as anadult for some 26 felonies stemming from events thattook place over several late nights in August atMephams football-training camp in Wayne County,Pennsylvania. maize high school basketball roster. Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. Despite the linemans threats, noone could have anticipated what happened atcamp, Caramore told parents in a speech, adding thatwhatever happened wasnt hazing:None of us in Bellmore-Merrick has used thatterm to define what is, in fact, a brutalcrime., The hazing-or-not debate is a key factor in the legalbattles to come. A Pennsylvania judge imposed strong penalties yesterday on two teens who sexually abused younger players at a high school football camp sentencing one to a military-style boot camp and the other to a juvenile detention center. It has been more than a month since school officials and prosecutors revealed that three older players were accused of sodomizing three freshmen with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls in an attack in late August at a preseason football camp in Pennsylvania. Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of sports for many reasons and not making the team is one. He never judged us, saysDave Lohman, class of 94. And he stands where the priest stood and speaks,reading from crinkled sheets of paper rapidly, almostinaudibly, in a low monotone. One was sent to a boot camp, another to a juvenile treatment facility and the third returned home on probation. They have become activists, who say that the incident is just part of a pattern of problems in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. We're in education because we love kids.". I dont evencare what they did.. High school coaches should not be required to give equal playing time to all players who make the team. West Jersey Football League all-stars: United Division, 2022. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. Long Beach 2022 on Oct 15, 2022, Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. Sewanhaka 2022 on Oct 29, 2022. Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' JUDGE SLAMS MEPHAM HAZERS By Erin Calabrese January 15, 2004 5:00am A Pennsylvania judge imposed strong penalties yesterday on two teens who sexually abused younger players at a high school. Football is important to the high school experience and different familys history around the world. Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. Hisfriend was a captain on the team, he maybe was gonnaget a scholarship. The answer to all those questions is no.". A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student demonstrationerupted behind the schoolto the delight of theTV crews camped out there. NEW! Tell me why I should just know? Even before three varsity players for the Mepham High School Pirates sodomized three freshman teammates at a football camp, using golf balls, pine cones and a broomstick, other classes of. The kid that did it, I feel so bad forhim, the boy says. Anotherparent, Jim Rullo, delivers a prepared statement onbehalf of the victims families. ''Our parents are being blamed. I was by far the besthalfback on the team, Berger says, now 23 butstill angry. On 10/22, the Mepham varsity football team won their home conference game against South Side (Rockville Centre, NY) by a score of 49-18. And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. We dont beat guysup., Some of his old teammates have gathered to buy drinksfrom him. I said, 'What's the matter?' Trending News We have more wealthy backgrounds, saysDanny. Offscreen, he was one himself. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. We got all new things to bring to pack. Theyre a beautiful family. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. } The conversation easily shifts to a defenseof Coach Mac. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. "Yeah," says Cannestro. Mephamsstudent body is pulled from the northern part of thecommunity, where there are $50,000-a-year jobs and theschool parking lot is dominated by Chevys and Fords. Go to the back of theline.. The report criticized the Wayne County judge, Robert Conway, for his decision not to move the attackers' cases from juvenile to adult court. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student. With FamousAmos on the squad, the team made the county playoffsall four years. All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. ''It's got to end here. display: block; They reallycouldnt do anything about it. On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home playoff game against Elmont Memorial (Elmont, NY) by a score of 14-7. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. They have criticized the coaches and school district for lax supervision, accusing Mepham officials of ignoring the long disciplinary record of one of the three attackers. Oct. 20, 2003. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. It was supposed to be fun, and glorious. 18 - 35 L. 10/15/2022. Of course not. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. It stated that, at the camp,. Anyone can read what you share. (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. Long Beach 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. 49 - 18 W. Many parents, especially those with children on the football team, have found it hard adjusting to their new reality in the center of a fishbowl. He cites essays abouthazing from the Internet, including an academic paperby Elizabeth Allan of the University of Maine thatincludes in a long list of hazing activitiessexual simulation and sexual assault., The conduct took place in a juvenilesetting, Alter argues. The issue of blame, however, continues to polarize parents and promises to loom larger as the criminal case moves ahead. PARLIN, N.J. - The investigation at a New Jersey prep football powerhouse that has led to sex crime charges against seven teens prompted an almost unheard-of . "Did I tell the perpetrators to go and do that to those kids? We're going to all the sports stores. Nor did he suspendthe three alleged perpetrators, and as a result, theywere allowed to walk the hallways of Mepham High fornearly two weeks. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. I need to know for medical.' We've received your submission. Berger produced the requiredslip of paper. My sonthinks its just a bad thing that went too far,too fast., Andy mentions what some people are sayingthatwhat happened at camp was part of a pattern of hazingat Mepham. The way they walked? . *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. What about the boys who were raped? Mary explodes. The sexual assaults that occurred last summer among members of a Long Island high school football team sprang from old traditions of violent hazing that coaches and school officials could not curb, according to a report handed up yesterday by a Pennsylvania grand jury. However, some would argue to say high school football is too dangerous to keep around. This was a sexual attack!, Are we gonna argue about this? Hes been introuble before, that kid. Over the course of five days, their sons were brutally sodomized by their teammates. Parents are paying up on school meals again. "The kid who just made the tackle," says Cannestro, identifying one of the players on the tape. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. South Side 2022 on Oct 22, 2022. Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. I am 13 years old and I am on the Friendswood junior high C-football team I am a second string slot receiver and starting strong safety and I 'm also a second string strong side linebacker it was our last game of the season,so we really wanted to go out on the win or a record for the season was one way in five losses and one tie,we hadn 't had a great season so we especially wanted to go out on a win. For a select number of fortunate athletes, that dream becomes a reality when they commit to a school and sign their letter of intent. Privacy Policy and My first reason I believe athletes with bad grades shouldnt play sports, For years, the use of performance-enhancing drugs has haunted all levels of sport, baseball taking the majority of the publicity. However, it seems too important to let go. "I couldn't even process it in my head. However, earning your position, being undeserving of playing time, and coaches trying to win in their respected program are all issues that need to be thought of before people begin fighting for equal playing time. They bashed him in his head, over his back, his legs, his arms," recalls Patty, who says her son was assaulted at least 3-4 times a day. Students moved from one cabin to another without the coaches' knowing, the report says. Into the locker! Parents are paying up on school meals again. Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? The grand jury criticizes the school district for not providing adequate supervision during the weeklong camp, and says the district should adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward violent behavior. It was just too outrageous," says Jimmy. Ke Huy Quan Continues His Winning Streak at the Independent Spirit Awards. We love our community. He said no," recalls Carol. He said, 'Well, your son was just online and saying he can't take it anymore. ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. OK? Dont eventhink about sleeping at camp, he said. What went wrong? Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. You know, what could be going on? (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. 10 /r/oldmenvssluts2, 2023-02-07, 11:04:47 California makes flag football a girls' high school sport 56 /r/california , 2023-02-05, 17:36:57 . The Bellmore-Merrick Board of Education voted unanimously tonight to cancel this year's football season at a Long Island high school that had been reeling from allegations that three older. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Due to the poormoral character of your children, Kristina saysCaramore told the parents, this investigationis not moving forward. She stood up and askedDidden twice if any child had been threatened beforethe camp incidents. False imprisonment. Yet to place responsibilityon any adult, coach or parent, means at leastpartially acquitting the kids; to suggest that someoneshould have stopped them is to believe that they couldhave been stopped. As we mentioned earlier, the freshmans mother mentioned to coach McElroy the fact that the upperclassman was calling her son those insulting names. Heand a group of kids have me surrounded. I cried," says Carol, who asked her friend, Jim Rullo, to make a speech on her behalf. }, First published on April 12, 2004 / 5:10 PM. The coaches say they were staying in another cabin less than 50 yards from the players, and if anyone screamed, they would have heard it. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. This incident could have been foreseeable by the coaches, and possibly the administration, if the coach reported anything to the principal and athletic director. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. It devastated us. "We went out. That boy was not hurt at camp, but other kids were. ", Patty says her son also hasn't recovered from the ordeal: "About a month ago, I had gotten a call from a neighbor. We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. (CNN) -- Five football coaches at a Long Island high school lost their jobs Wednesday night in fallout from an alleged . And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. This was the 94th meeting between the two schools . In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. The superintendent, while admonishing the team for notcooperating with the investigation, has also putforward a tidy defense of McElroy and the principal,Didden. But at a hearing in Honesdale, Pa., President Judge Robert Conway barred 16-year-old Tom Diasparra from returning to the Bellemore, L.I., high school and warned him to watch his step. We're checking it off. Most of the shit they did was pranks,like shaving cream, one Mepham boy tells me ona sunny Wednesday, a day before the funeral of thelinemans father. Youve got some Janning to do! In the bunks, 17-year-old players were assigned to watch over 13-year-old boys. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. It's, like, they're monsters," says Patty. "He was absolutely screaming. Everything Everywhere All at Once has won in every category they were nominated for. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. A football captain begged for the season to be reinstated, and his pleas were met with thunderous applause. If three victims getanything close to that much each, it would devastatethe school districts budget. MERRICK, N.Y. On a crisp autumn night, hundreds packed a school auditorium, but not for a pep rally, for Mepham High School's football season was canceled before it even began. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. A captain is anextension of the coaching staff, he says,slipping into present tense to talk about his team.What the coaches dont control, thecaptains control. Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. Once the season started, eight players tackled him inthe locker room and lowered him into the toilet; thistime, he says, it contained urine. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. There's coaches. His broad shoulders are slumpedand trembling as he walks the coffin down the aisle ofSaint Barnabas Church in Bellmore, Long Island. Hedoesnt have a senior season to put on hiscollege application., This guy comes to my job, says Andy.He says, Oh, Im in Mephamnow, maybe I should shove a pinecone up myass! I said, Thats notfunny. These guys on the team are gonna beharassed the rest of their fuckin lives., My son knows one of the boys who wasattacked, Mary says sadly. The morals, the attitudes, of a Mepham student,are different, suggests another Kennedy player,Danny. Hasnt hebeen through enough? But critics say their mistakes started early. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; ut austin undergraduate majors Newsletter . Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. He was riding the bus along with varsity members, who held him upside down. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. And don't you dare tell,'" says Kristina, who lobbied to get Carney thrown off the trip. Thelinemans fathers death on October 5created one delay in moving the case forward; otherdelays have been due to the attorneys effortsto bring the case back to juvenile status, and tonegotiate their clients surrender into custody. For Carol's son, it doesn't end. I heard the kidliked it.. Who? "He missed the whole first, basically, semester. "He said to him, 'Don't even think of sleeping at football camp. It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. Tryouts are the worst thing about sports, they bring nothing but more stress to your plate. Other players laughed, the report said. How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh He called the school boards decision 100 percent unjust.. Doyou know who I am?, The freshman, trying to show a little backbone,replied: This is America. NEW 'REAGAN' DEBATE - GOP RIPS SHOWTIME FOR TAKING SERIES Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, I'm a professional cleaner ditch these 4 household products immediately, Shoeless Ariana Madix awkwardly tries to avoid cheating Tom Sandoval, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Prince Harry says psychedelics are fundamental part of his life, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss planned to tell Ariana Madix about affair. But then come the off-color jokes about broomsticks and pine cones from his friends. He suggests that broomsticks,golf balls, and pinecones are consistent withtraditional forms of hazing. Some tryouts are not far by any means, in which the coaches pick from not the skill but by the way they know the student. He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. And his youth. Im theprincipal, he said, and Illdecide who can go on the trip. The lineman wasallowed to go to camp. It stated that, at the camp,. I think the kids covered it up to saveCoach Mac and save their season., Tending bar at Docs is Rob McDermott, class of95. "These boys were like 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches, and roughly 250 lbs. Carol said it appeared Conway had sentenced Sofia to the boot camp because he disliked the teens attitude. We as coaches donot see this incident as hazing, he said,but as a criminal act., Coach Mac has an attorney, Joseph Rosenthal, who isshifting the blame right back to the parents.The coach is a very dedicated, sincereperson, the lawyer says. We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. But these parents say the risk to their children was greater. These parents are now lobbying for a national hazing law, one with severe penalties. Yeah, that shit gotfreakin blown up. There's supervision, like any other school event.".
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