These parents are now lobbying for a national hazing law, one with severe penalties. Most high school athletes across America share one common aspiration: play their sport at the next level in college. Two of the kids are underclassmen, littlekids, he says. We're checking it off. Duct tape was yanked from the victims' bottoms and pubic areas, and two of the victims were forced to smear Mineral Ice on their testicles, and then kick each other there, the report says. No," says McElroy. "There's nothing anyone else could have done differently," adds Cannestro. I should just sit there and go, 'Hmm, he's hazing him.' It stated that, at the camp,. Nothing.". When members of a high-school football team on Long Island were accused of sexual attacks, the community was appalled . (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. I cried," says Carol, who asked her friend, Jim Rullo, to make a speech on her behalf. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. mepham high school football scandal. But the grand jury did not find the coaches criminally negligent. Relatives of the victims, 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, expressed satisfaction at the outcome. The coaches would have to be everywhere at thesame time, says Dave Hill. This password will be used to sign into all, I Inherited Millions From My Mother, and Everyone Knows, Shania Twain Gives Rare Update on Her Ex-Husband and Ex-BFF, Journey Should Probably Go Their Separate Ways, 10 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Glass Jars to Guayabera Shirts. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their . Parents are paying up on school meals again. 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. What about, say, having your head flushed in a toilet? Mysons season has been completely fucked up! He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. Relatives read from the books of Matthew and Wisdom.And then the linemanwhom classmates call abully, who would shove kids hed never even metinto lockers as they walked bystands suddenly,stepping out from his place in the front, and walksback eight rows to give a bear hug to his littlebrother, seated next to his mother (who was divorcedfrom the father). '', Report Says Hazing Culture Led to Attacks On 3 Athletes, https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/11/nyregion/report-says-hazing-culture-led-to-attacks-on-3-athletes.html. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. at Garden City. At middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country, everyone is arguing over whether or not students with failing grades should be allowed to play sports. Parents demanded:Shouldnt they have been there to stop theseboys? The grand jury report did not state that sexual assault had been part of hazing at Mepham High School or at past football camps (there were two before 2003). We said, 'Are they hurting you?' 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. A day later, the three alleged victims are stillhaving broomsticks thrown at them from cars in theparking lot. MINEOLA, N.Y. -- Mepham High School football coach Kevin McElroy said Tuesday he was "shocked" by allegations that members of his varsity squad sexually abused younger players and said he. In this case the youth should be tried as adults because of the severity of the incident and the emotional and physical effect that it had on the victim, It was six o 'clock at the Friendswood junior high mustang field I was playing strong safety and I had to cover the extra receiver they brought out by the snap I was already beating my man and the next thing I know the ball was sailing my way straight to me. Berger produced the requiredslip of paper. There were no screams like that.". Everyone in the pews has heard how the father had beendevastated by the criminal charges his son was facing.Aggravated assault. But one kid whogot it in the shitter, hes just like afag., Yeah, he says. They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. South Side. All the while, older players watched and laughed. 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. He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. Hes the man of the family now. But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. 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. "What constitutes a scream?" 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. "He [my son] called several times. Theres no way youcant play me. One afternoon after practice, they air theirtheories, the chief one being that the lineman musthave been traumatized as a kid. ''These assaults appear to have grown out of a history of hazing both at the football camp and at Mepham High School itself,'' the report says. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, 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. I told him what hazing was, he says.I did not explain to him that hazing wasgolf balls, broomsticks, and pinecones.Reichsteins son was unharmed; three otherfreshmen werent so lucky. "He was screaming. Expect to be held accountablefor your choices and actions. Be truthful.From The Mepham Way, Mepham HighSchools honor code, 48 MINUTES OF HELL, A LIFETIME TO REMEMBERSlogan on a Mepham Pirates football T-shirt. Tell me why I should just know? There's supervision, like any other school event.". When a. Statistically showing, at least 100,000 college football players get hurt yearly. He suggests that broomsticks,golf balls, and pinecones are consistent withtraditional forms of hazing. "I don't want everything he's gone through to be just a waste. 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. With FamousAmos on the squad, the team made the county playoffsall four years. Imagine your best friends making the school soccer team and you getting cut, because your not ready or there is no room. Sofia was sent to a boot camp, and Carney was sent to a juvenile detention center. no.". "He was absolutely screaming. Did I do anything to those kids?" After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. "He missed the whole first, basically, semester. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out. A grand jury report later described how they used duct tape to pull off their children's pubic hair, how they forced them and another boy they sodomized to kick each other in the groin, and then threatened to beat and kill all of them if they told anybody. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. 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. When athletes experience head trauma, they only recover a little, which might end their career early or other times people never recover. College football players should get paid to play because these players put themselves at risk for injury, college football is a job, not p.e, and it will help players adjust to college socially and economically. 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. He's back home on Long Island. He triedseriously to treat him as a regular kid, like nothingever happened. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. Instead, thevictims were laughed at in the halls, calledfaggot and broomstick boy.The superintendent, Thomas Caramore, shielded theschool from inquiries at first. And you know, I'm panicking.". We're in education because we love kids.". He alwayslistened. "Yeah," says Cannestro. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. 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. Four members of the faculty were either fired or forced out because of the scandal. So it just goes on and on. All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. 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 football players had hazed new members by beating them and dunking their heads into toilets, the report said. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' }, First published on April 12, 2004 / 5:10 PM. 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. But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. Students should not have to tryout for school sports. 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. What's gonna come out of this is another parent is gonna say, 'Oh, I'm gonna make sure there's no hazing at my school.'" A player tried to flush his head in a urinal. Please enter valid email address to continue. "We're not animals. He was one of four captains chosen by CoachMac his senior season. 18 - 35 L. 10/15/2022. "The question should not be the coaches should have known. "Not once. He knows the mainkid, she says. Since the scandal began, parents of students have squabbled among themselves and with members of the school administration over everything from the decision to cancel the football season to whether the school district could have prevented the incident. 49 - 18 W. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have broken up after he allegedly cheated on her with Raquel Leviss. OK? In recent years, the Pirates havent done aswell, losing roughly as many games as theyvewon, but the coach remains a local legendafather figure who welcomes players to his house forbarbecues with his teenage daughters in attendance.Its not surprising, then, that McElroy and theadministration would be the first stop on thewhos-to-blame tour. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; The abuse occurred day and night, and young players were attacked repeatedly and forced to sodomize each other, the report says. But the victims told their parents they were screaming at the top of their lungs. 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. What I know about the Berger incident isit did not involve hazing. In the bunks, 17-year-old players were assigned to watch over 13-year-old boys. , 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? "They had bags of ice and they were bashing it all over his body until the bags broke. Know what is expected andacceptable. Be responsible. The transition to college is not a walk in the park, but add a rigorous summer conditioning program, two-a-days everyday, and the pressures of coaches you have yet to impress, and you have a recipe for disaster. display: block; Because the National Football League sits on a higher platform, they bring in an exceptional amount of money compared to that, However, whenever hazing involves assaulting the victim, then it goes to another level. Did either coach notice anything on these children's faces? MEPHAM COACHES BOOTED IN HAZING SCANDAL News MEPHAM COACHES BOOTED IN HAZING SCANDAL By Kieran Crowely November 6, 2003 5:00am Hugged by his team captain and cheered by supporters, Mepham. They were later suspended from classes on September 18. The public was barred from the hearing, but the penalties and the judges comments were disclosed by relatives of victims, lawyers and cops. Pertzborn and assistant coach Brad Rogeberg were made aware of the initial bullying on July 24, 2022, according to the police report. A perfect example would be a 13-year-old Georgia student riding a school bus received a wedgie during a school hazing incident so painful that his mother took him to the emergency room. Sofia LaSpina has etched her name in Long Island history. "I had a personal conversation with one of the victims daily, and not once did he indicate to me that anything was wrong," says Cannestro. This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. She says Didden said no twice.Thats when Vic stood up and called Didden aliar. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. When tryouts begin these individuals hope their skills and abilities will get them recognized by not only the coaches, but the returning players as well. 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. (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . According to the report, two of the attackers held down one of the freshmen while the third sodomized the freshman with a broomstick coated with Mineral Ice, a pain-relieving ointment. Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. The school's 2003 football season was canceled amid allegations that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three . 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. He taught us not to run away from ourproblems., How old were these kids, 16, 17? saysAndrew Longaro. It would be the adventure of his life five days of intense football in the woods of Pennsylvania. No!! The school also erred by putting the coaches in one cabin and leaving the players in other cabins, supervised only by an older teammate, the report says. In earlier interviews, the head coach, Kevin McElroy, and his four assistants have said they did not know about the attacks, and could have done nothing to prevent them. "You didn't monitor him very carefully, obviously," says Patty of what happened to her 13-year-old son. And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' In an earlier proceeding, the three attackers, charged as juveniles, admitted to the assaults. Full speed," says McElroy. What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan shows just that. Stats are entered by the coach or designated team statistician in the admin. Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! Thanks for contacting us. Once rated one of the best academic high schools in the nation, Mepham High is now mired in scandal. This wasn't just something that happened when the lights went out.". On Bellmore Avenue, themain drag in town, a mile or so east of Mepham,Docs Pub serves as an unofficial class-reunionspace. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. The district's superintendent, Dr. Thomas Caramore, defended the decision in a letter to the community earlier this month, saying the principal spoke with the boy and the coach before camp, and there was no way of anticipating the attacks. Hugged by his team captain and cheered by supporters, Mepham HSs head football coach was fired last night and his four assistants got the boot, too. And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. The Mepham High School football season was eventually cancelled and the three upperclassman were charged with "involuntary deviate sexual intercourse," "aggravated assault," "kidnapping," "unlawful restraint," "false imprisonment," "terroristic threats," "criminal coercion," "simple assault," "reckless endangering of another person," "ethnic "My son came forward, did something that he did not want to do. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. When several parents received threatening letters after speaking out about the incident, emotions ratcheted higher. 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. In the southern reachesof Long Island, nestled between the bucolic SouthernState Parkway and the fast-food joints and cardealerships on Sunrise Highway, the four small townsof Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick, and NorthMerrick make up a solid community of working- andmiddle-class families. But it really happened., McElroys lawyer vehemently denies almost everyaspect of Bergers story. I ask. I want to bepart of the team.. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. Were doing this so they donthave to., In July, when Reichsteins son, an incomingfreshman, showed up for football practice, a junior onthe teamthe linemanstarted calling himand some of the other boys pussy,faggot, and cocksucker.Reichstein went to McElroy. Tell us how you did it coach. These words were forced into my face with a camera lens almost resting against my cheeks (page 395). Youre old enough to knowwhat youre doing., I had some friends who were older, saysMcDermott. Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. 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. ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. "Something happened in between those practices every single time, to my son. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. When parents came to an emergency meeting on September16 with the principal and superintendent, they heardnot mea culpas but accusations. Does heknow this for sure? The grand jury has been investigating the attacks for months to determine whether the coaches should be indicted and what led to the assaults. Most students, the girls say, have not gotten caught up in the anger and recrimination that have divided their parents. I heard the kidliked it.. Theyre a beautiful family. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. I need to know for medical.' He gave his son a cellphone. Some say that although they are shocked and angry over the incident, they are torn over whether the alleged attackers, still juveniles, deserve long prison sentences -- which they would face if they are tried as adults, as the prosecution wants. However, it seems too important to let go. Trust me been there done that, the most regretted thing about school sports for many are tryouts. } #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Anotherparent, Jim Rullo, delivers a prepared statement onbehalf of the victims families. Mepham High School football hazing case tore Long Island apart in 2003. Anyone can read what you share. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. 1999, McAlester High School, Oklahoma: A football player suffered a head injury after he was jumped by older teammates in a locker-room hazing. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. The fact thatthese studies show the prevalence of this conduct inmany hazing situations supports a conclusion thattheres no reason to believe that this wouldhave occurred outside of such a setting, or abelief that such conduct would reoccur., Besides, he notes, the juvenile-justice systemaffords kids a second chance. Mineral ice and especially that he now had, from the first time, a cut," says Carol. Not, 'Coach, things aren't good over here.' For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. Go to the back of theline.. Whether its being in thelocker room, making sure everybodys on the samepage, rallying the troops, or making sureeveryones focused on the task at hand., How do you weed out the undisciplined players?On any high-school team, the seniors give you alittle bit of a hard time, he says. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; ut austin undergraduate majors Newsletter . MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 2022 Fall Boys Football New York: Long Island Division II. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. ''We don't do it in front of them,'' the teenager said, referring to the victims. He really was.". ", Patty says her son also hasn't recovered from the ordeal: "About a month ago, I had gotten a call from a neighbor. There are the ugly jokes, the signs and buttons declaring neighborhood solidarity, and for some people, new-found activism. On a Friday morning in August, 60 kids were droppedoff for the bus ride to Pennsylvania. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. 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 . "Am I an evil person? What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. How Tyrel Jackson Williams Brought TikTok Cringe to, Its sort of a newer version of the L.A. actor ride that Kyle is on the first two seasons, but its worse.. And my son said, 'They inserted a broomstick.'". For Carol's son, it doesn't end. Michelle Yeoh Promises No Swearing, Only Tears During Best Lead Performance Win. We dontalways understand, and we dont alwayssee. He attempts a little levityIknow he shared his hopes for the Yankees with theLordbefore straining for profundity:The great artist has finished hisportrait. He urges the mourners to say a prayerfor the family. !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. (CNN) -- Five football coaches at a Long Island high school lost their jobs Wednesday night in fallout from an alleged . The coaches, who slept in a cabin away from their players, said they knew nothing of the violence until a parent complained to school officials. Some have hired lawyers for their children. The group, which calls itself Mepham Parents 4 Change, consists of eight families, but says it is quickly gathering support. Including dishwasher-safe Japanese porcelain, two sets of French-made knives, and a sleek kettle. We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. No. display: none; Was there anything that indicated they were injured or traumatized? Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. It stated that, at the camp,. All rights reserved. They had hoped that the three assailants (Phil Sofia, Ken Carney, and Tom Diasparra) would be tried as adults for the crimes. The coach wentalong with canceling the season because he knew kidswere not coming forward. If they have failing grades as well, the colleges are sending their students into the world without a real chance at becoming professional athletes, and without an actual education. We've received your submission. I said, You wantto lock me in a locker and laugh for an hour, fine.But Im not down with urine, dude., At the beginning of his junior year, Berger says, heshowed up to start the season. 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. Once rated one of the best academic high. Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. Trending News As we mentioned earlier, the freshmans mother mentioned to coach McElroy the fact that the upperclassman was calling her son those insulting names. Regardless, I was all about making them the best well-rounded people before they head into the cruel world. Offscreen, he was one himself. This was a sexual attack!, Are we gonna argue about this? It devastated us. Dominick Novello #2, Mepham quarterback, throws a pass during a rain-filled Nassau County football Conference II semifinal against Long Beach at Shuart Stadium on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. . A failure can be a downward spiral or a setback turning into a benefit. says Cannestro. Bells toll. The lineman was furious. The 15-year-old wide receiver became the first female football player in Long Island history to score a touchdown Saturday night, when. It involved a fight amongteenage boys. I want to thank my assistant coach who is the baseball expert. "They couldn't be further from the truth," says Cannestro. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. I think the kids covered it up to saveCoach Mac and save their season., Tending bar at Docs is Rob McDermott, class of95. We've received your submission. The priest declares that the father had nothingbut life ahead of him. 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.

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