Most students, the girls say, have not gotten caught up in the anger and recrimination that have divided their parents. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal. Treat others with the respect that you wouldlike to receive. Act appropriately. All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. At last nights meeting, one player called the coaches caring role models, and team captain Dan Cosenza hugged McElroy. The parents are organizing to demand that the school administration be held accountable for allowing the incident to occur, they said. I need to know for medical.' They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. , 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? 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. . display: none; What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. They demanded that the boy be barred from camp but were rebuffed, they said. Diasparra cut a deal and received probation. 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. Two of the kids are underclassmen, littlekids, he says. Thats when Berger says Coach Mac lunged athimhis hand reaching the boys throat. The report criticized the Wayne County judge, Robert Conway, for his decision not to move the attackers' cases from juvenile to adult court. Colleges and the NCAA can make money selling jerseys and other souvenirs that might include the likeness of players, yet the actual players never receive a cent. Mysons season has been completely fucked up! He really was.". West Jersey Football League all-stars: United Division, 2022. He strokes his sisters hair withone hand and slides an arm around his brothersshoulders. 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. Theres fury and finger-pointingandopportunityon all sides in this corner of LongIsland. Are you on crack? The owner of the store posted a sign in his window earlier this month: ''We are Bellmore. For me, this challenge helped me develop as a person than will work harder and strive for the best in my academics. "Everybody says we should just know. The school's 2003 football season was canceled amid allegations that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three . We've received your submission. 1999, McAlester High School, Oklahoma: A football player suffered a head injury after he was jumped by older teammates in a locker-room hazing. 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. Should a person get paid just for showing up for there a job and not actually doing anything? 28 - 13 W. 10/22/2022. Terroristicthreats. And you know, I'm panicking.". But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death I think they hated me because I introduced the pull-up to their strength and conditioning program. Offscreen, he was one himself. After all, theywerent just studentsthey wereathletes.. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. A minivan with two others whizzes by, music blaring. Kids in the bunks didn't tell us. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh I heard the kidliked it.. The coaches' lawyer and officials for the Bellmore-Merrick School District did not comment on the report's findings or its criticisms. The grand jury has been investigating the attacks for months to determine whether the coaches should be indicted and what led to the assaults. Theyre investigating the possibility that some students were planning to attack their schoolmates. Instead, they were treated as juveniles. . Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. 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). That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. "There's nothing anyone else could have done differently," adds Cannestro. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. We got all new things to bring to pack. NEW! The superintendent, while admonishing the team for notcooperating with the investigation, has also putforward a tidy defense of McElroy and the principal,Didden. The sentences are indeterminate, but will be reviewed every four months. At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out. Your sonwoo hoo!Hes having fun. Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. Mary explodes. Ke Huy Quan Continues His Winning Streak at the Independent Spirit Awards. 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. The problem was with thekidsand with the parents who brought them upthat way., Sothe parents. Student athletes are not getting the opportunity to play multiple sports during the year, because they are expected to spelize in one sport and focus on it year round, leaving no opportunity to play other sports or do other activities. We said, 'Are they hurting you?' 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. According to a local new report, two older students called the boy to the back of the bus and, in addition to the wedgie, punched the 13-year-old in the groin and stomach all as a part of an initiation ritual. "He was waiting for them [the coaches] to come in and save him, but no one came," says Carol's husband, Vinny. The 15-year-old wide receiver became the first female football player in Long Island history to score a touchdown Saturday night, when. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. Mepham was known mainlyfor its wrestling program until Coach Mac arrived in1986. Where does it end?". It was just too outrageous," says Jimmy. Gavin Roman broke the state record for most catches in a season during Holy Spirit's 63-34 rivalry win against Atlantic City in Absecon. 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. Were more Jewish! another kidyells, laughing. And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He taught us not to run away from ourproblems., How old were these kids, 16, 17? saysAndrew Longaro. I'm grabbing all the medication out of my cabinet and looking for everything that I think he's gonna hurt himself. "Something happened in between those practices every single time, to my son. It was horrible. The Biden administrations policy of blocking unvaccinated people from the country continues to make little sense. This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. '', 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. He said no," recalls Carol. Dont eventhink about sleeping at camp, he said. The incident angered the victim's mother, who. On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home playoff game against Elmont Memorial (Elmont, NY) by a score of 14-7. Before the 68 varsity and junior-varsity players left the Long Island communities of Bellmore and Merrick to attend the weeklong camp in Preston Park, Pa., coaches warned the team that hazing would not be tolerated, and spelled out the edict in a note sent home to players' parents. There's supervision, like any other school event.". A failure can be a downward spiral or a setback turning into a benefit. "He didn't go to school for a long time. We've received your submission. 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. 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 it just goes on and on. Waiting outside in front of the hearseis a police escort, to ward off the media. No!! On a Friday morning in August, 60 kids were droppedoff for the bus ride to Pennsylvania. When members of a high-school football team on Long Island were accused of sexual attacks, the community was appalled . 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). I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. Amos scored 29 touchdowns in hisjunior year and broke all of Long Islandsrushing records. He went to camp but didntstay in the fated cabin. He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! However, some would argue to say high school football is too dangerous to keep around. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. And his youth. 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. Says one Mepham parent, Werealways in competition with the upper class., The kids on Kennedys football team know theMepham team, and theyre a little afraid of someof them. no.". Soon after the first revelations of the attacks, the Reichsteins reached out to newspapers and television stations with their story. By the end of three exciting days in Atlantic City, 14 champions will emerge at the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics State . Relatives of the victims, 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, expressed satisfaction at the outcome. College athletics are oftentimes not as glamorous as one would think. 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. The kid that did it, I feel so bad forhim, the boy says. "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. The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. "He was screaming. Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. Sofia LaSpina has etched her name in Long Island history. 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. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. What LAppartement 4F Co-owner Ashley Coiffard Put on Her Wedding Registry. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. 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. 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. "He was after my son morning, noon, and night. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. But critics say their mistakes started early. We're in education because we love kids.". One student lifts up another and dumps him, legs flailing, in a bush. They had hoped that the three assailants (Phil Sofia, Ken Carney, and Tom Diasparra) would be tried as adults for the crimes. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The boy, wearing a regulation backward baseball cap,is standing at the schools west entrance. But I justgot off the phone with the mother of one of thevictims, and she told me that were her bestadvocate. "All of a sudden, you get this child who's been broken. He quotes oneof the boys as saying, I will never trustanyone again. Webuilt a very good tradition with our team, and we justwant to make sure that anyone who wants to fit in onthe team knows about the tradition.. The lineman was furious. 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. That was until Berger started practicethe August before his freshman year. ''We don't do it in front of them,'' the teenager said, referring to the victims. '', ''This is a wake-up call,'' said the father of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his son. Trust me been there done that, the most regretted thing about school sports for many are tryouts. But it really happened., McElroys lawyer vehemently denies almost everyaspect of Bergers story. They reallycouldnt do anything about it. Afew miles awaysouth of Sunrise Highway, down bythe blue water of East BayBMWs and Lexuses fillthe lot at the rival high school, John F. Kennedy.This was Amy Fishers high schoolthe richschool. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. 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). Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. In the bunks, 17-year-old players were assigned to watch over 13-year-old boys. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. Oct. 20, 2003. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. It's a couple of days.' ''Our parents are being blamed. For Carol's son, it doesn't end. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. "The bottom line is, if we did anything wrong, we wouldn't be sitting here talking to you," says Cannestro. Students attend a pep rally at Mepham High School in Bellmore, N.Y. Students have pushed their bodies to the limits, causing extreme injury that will hold them back from sports in the future. It looks like a tasty treat for any high school football fan. Mepham High School football hazing case tore Long Island apart in 2003. Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! "They have to be lying.". Mepham High School Football Tragedy 1056 Words | 5 Pages. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. "He made that statement and from that day on, he's been, his family, harassed by letters and threats," says Carol. 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. Werent theyalready on the right track? Know what is expected andacceptable. Be responsible. "We're not animals. Rullo, now a community activist for change in his school district, says he received numerous letters and phone calls, including one that said that he and his family would die. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. } We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. The Bellmore-Merrick school boards decision not to rehire the coaches next year has taken a stake and driven it right through the heart of the community again, said head coach Kevin McElroy. 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. And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. 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. I don't have psychic skills. But these parents say the risk to their children was greater. And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMepham's football season. Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. During the recessional, he submits to a seeminglyendless succession of embracesmuch like theones he received from his former teammates last nightat the wake. 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 intimidation, and criminal conspiracy. Judge Robert J. Conway chose to try the accused as juveniles. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. Once rated one of the best academic high schools in the nation, Mepham High is now mired in scandal. Mepham High School football head coach Anthony Cracco says LaSpina is the perfect role model for anyone who wants to just play because she worked hard and never got discouraged, adding there's a . The parishioners sing Make Me aChannel of Your Peace. And then the younglineman, who charged onto the varsity squad hissophomore year at W.C. Mepham High SchoolHomeof the Piratesis in tears. When several parents received threatening letters after speaking out about the incident, emotions ratcheted higher. They could be home as early as next month. Other players laughed, the report said. "He was absolutely screaming. Theyre sick of reporters, andtheyre worried about the lineman. Those kids are running at full speed. That boy was not hurt at camp, but other kids were. I want to bepart of the team.. It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. Most are no longer talking about the issue publicly, tired of the maelstrom of feelings that is stirred each time. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "What constitutes a scream?" Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. 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. 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. I think hes adirtbag. Everybody knew I got hazed in the lockerroom, he says. But he wonders whether whathappened at camp could have been prevented if hehadnt settled his lawsuit. 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. When parents came to an emergency meeting on September16 with the principal and superintendent, they heardnot mea culpas but accusations. He was 40 years old. "He [my son] called several times. Now even they, however, have grown weary, wishing for a return to their old life. My father was agreat man, he begins, and tells a story of howhis dad once saw a crashed, burning car, pulled overand ran to help, and discovered that the guy trappedin the passengers seat was a friend. I ask. They speak ofbroomsticks, pinecones, and golf balls. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' But rather, in my opinion, how could the coaches have known?" Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. That hasnt satisfied parents whocomplain about the lost scholarships, the deflatedhomecoming celebration, and the fund-raisers for othersports, all of which depend on football and are nowruined, theyre saying, because of a couple ofmessed-up kids. We dont beat guysup., Some of his old teammates have gathered to buy drinksfrom him. When Patty and Jimmy's son came home, he told them he had been sodomized, too. But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. McElroy says district policy discourages it: "To put a coach in the room, you're putting the coach or the adult right now at incredible risk of sexual charges.". Keep yourmouth shut, the letters read, andnothing will happen to you or your family.. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. Hes the man of the family now. Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. Everyone laughs. 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. (Almost as prevalent is the idea, notconfirmed by police, that the linemans fathercommitted suicide. And I know the family of one of theattackers. But then come the off-color jokes about broomsticks and pine cones from his friends. The issue spans to not only the professional level, but the high school and collegiate divisions as well. Five football coaches at the center of the Mepham High School sexual abuse scandal will not be allowed to coach the team next year, the Bellmore-Merrick school board said on Wednesday. "He came to me and said, 'I'm bleeding. At 1:21 p.m. last Friday, the Mepham High School football and cheerleading squads should have rushed onto Mepham's field for a He was benched for two years as the lawsuit creptthrough the legal system. After the coacheswent to sleep in their own cabin, at least threemembers of the team, ages 15, 16, and 17, allegedlyrubbed heat-producing mineral ice on broomsticks,pinecones, and golf balls and used those items topenetrate at least three freshman players while therest of the boys in the cabin all bore witness. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. His dadsaved his friends life that day. He was one of four captains chosen by CoachMac his senior season. But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. It's, like, they're monsters," says Patty. David Woycik, a lawyer for the victims, said, My clients were relieved that [Sofia and Carney] will be out of the community and off the streets and they are pleased the judicial system worked to a certain extent.. Some parents and athletes believe equal playing time for all sports and activities is deserved all through their middle school and high school careers. They also understand they will need to sacrifice time, energy, and their social life in order to achieve these goals. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "My son came forward, did something that he did not want to do. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. Anyone can read what you share. Since returning from camp, he has barely slept. 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. He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. Those individuals who just made the team now deal with a problem that happens mainly from the. And would you let it happen a second and third time? A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student demonstrationerupted behind the schoolto the delight of theTV crews camped out there. 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. "And if you had a broomstick stuck up your rectum, you'd be screaming and fighting forever to make sure that didn't happen, wouldn't you? The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. When the allegations surfaced in early September, the three accused teenagers were suspended from Mepham High School's football team. Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic. This incident could have been foreseeable by the coaches, and possibly the administration, if the coach reported anything to the principal and athletic director. ''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. maize high school basketball roster. In the case of my four month concussion, there are residual mental and physical problems. He had his little list. The way they walked? The public was barred from the hearing, but the penalties and the judges comments were disclosed by relatives of victims, lawyers and cops. MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 2022 Fall Boys Football New York: Long Island Division II. One afternoon after practice, they air theirtheories, the chief one being that the lineman musthave been traumatized as a kid. School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of sports for many reasons and not making the team is one. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' 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. asks McElroy. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { However, it seems too important to let go.
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