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). "Not once. I need to see a doctor,'" says Carol. But he wonders whether whathappened at camp could have been prevented if hehadnt settled his lawsuit. NEW! I dont evencare what they did.. 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. 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). The Biden administrations policy of blocking unvaccinated people from the country continues to make little sense. He says the coach said,Okay, Ill handle it. From thatmoment on, the junior stopped callingReichsteins son faggot andstarted calling him tattletale boy., One day at practice, the lineman approached him whilehe was drinking from a water fountain. And his youth. Other players laughed, the report said. He never brought this incident toMcElroys attention; he must have brought it tothe JV coachs attention. A player tried to flush his head in a urinal. 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. 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. The third player in the Mepham HS hazing scandal was sentenced to probation after he made a deal with prosecutors and provided information. "I couldn't even process it in my head. "These boys were like 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches, and roughly 250 lbs. Your sonwoo hoo!Hes having fun. He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. Days later, the school wentahead with its annual pep rally, in a gesture ofsupport for Coach Mac and the sidelined Pirates. Broomsticks dipped in mineral ice, a kind of liquid heat, golf balls, pine cones and toothbrushes, were all pushed into the boy's rectums. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. The group, which calls itself Mepham Parents 4 Change, consists of eight families, but says it is quickly gathering support. "He [my son] called several times. "They had bags of ice and they were bashing it all over his body until the bags broke. Thepurported ringleader, according to police, was thelineman. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. Or as David Woycik, who represents another victim,puts it: Theres bound to be a movie madeabout this., This is not what Isigned on for when I tried to do the rightthing, says Vic Reichstein. But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. He wrestled instead. Legendary football coach Joe Paterno was one of those who was fired, which shook up the coaching staff. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. Imagine your best friends making the school soccer team and you getting cut, because your not ready or there is no room. Pertzborn and assistant coach Brad Rogeberg were made aware of the initial bullying on July 24, 2022, according to the police report. Students should not have to tryout for school sports. Into the locker! That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. "Everybody says we should just know. This was a sexual attack!, Are we gonna argue about this? That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. Berger says his friends persuaded him to stay off theteam. During the recessional, he submits to a seeminglyendless succession of embracesmuch like theones he received from his former teammates last nightat the wake. At 1:21 p.m. last Friday, the Mepham High School football and cheerleading squads should have rushed onto Mepham's field for a 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. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. 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. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. Most of these scouts are from college teams, and others are from, Every year individuals from all across the United States makes the decision on whether or not they will try out for an interscholastic athletic team. "They have to be lying.". "We're not animals. Not a wink. In the meantime, experts say violent hazings in high schools are becoming more frequent. Should they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? A day later, the three alleged victims are stillhaving broomsticks thrown at them from cars in theparking lot. He even threatened teachers. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. McElroy was practically a secondfather to Zereoue when the running back moved to ahome for wayward boys in Bellmorearriving, toMephams good fortune, at the start of hishigh-school career. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. I want to bepart of the team.. Both told stories of defending their school when they were teased by students outside the district and cited the ''Mepham Pride'' buttons that they and many classmates have taken to wearing. For me, this challenge helped me develop as a person than will work harder and strive for the best in my academics. Thats when Berger says Coach Mac lunged athimhis hand reaching the boys throat. Keep yourmouth shut, the letters read, andnothing will happen to you or your family.. mepham high school football scandal. The superintendent, while admonishing the team for notcooperating with the investigation, has also putforward a tidy defense of McElroy and the principal,Didden. 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. 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. I cried," says Carol, who asked her friend, Jim Rullo, to make a speech on her behalf. But they dont want to appearself-serving, he says. They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. The incident angered the victim's mother, who. Terroristicthreats. West Jersey Football League all-stars: United Division, 2022. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. "What constitutes a scream?" Hasnt hebeen through enough? Full speed," says McElroy. School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. Students have pushed their bodies to the limits, causing extreme injury that will hold them back from sports in the future. "He's victimized because I asked him to do a favor in this. Once rated one of the best academic high schools in the nation, Mepham High is now mired in scandal. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. Mepham victims file suitCharge Central District officials knew about Long Island high school rocked by lurid football hazing scandal A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their . "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 team did it along with some guidance from my assistant coach and the parents. No! When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. "The gastroenterologist said, 'What happened? Everyone in the pews has heard how the father had beendevastated by the criminal charges his son was facing.Aggravated assault. "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? You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. Mineral ice and especially that he now had, from the first time, a cut," says Carol. . Murdaugh defense team plans to appeal conviction 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. Including intelligent heated gloves, soothing foot rollers, and classic cabbage-shaped servingware. It stated that, at the camp,. But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. One afternoon after practice, they air theirtheories, the chief one being that the lineman musthave been traumatized as a kid. 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. MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 2022 Fall Boys Football New York: Long Island Division II. After all, theywerent just studentsthey wereathletes.. I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. (CNN) -- Five football coaches at a Long Island high school lost their jobs Wednesday night in fallout from an alleged . He said no," recalls Carol. What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan shows just that. We got all new things to bring to pack. 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. 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. Some have hired lawyers for their children. Over the course of five days, their sons were brutally sodomized by their teammates. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. Who? He was benched for two years as the lawsuit creptthrough the legal system. The two boys join their sister tobring the Communion offerings forward as the mournerssing Be Not Afraid.. Theres a no-cut policy. McElroy hadnothing to do with this kid, Joe Rosenthalsays. Anotherparent, Jim Rullo, delivers a prepared statement onbehalf of the victims families. The coaches, who supervised the trip, say that they had no idea any of this was happening during the camp. Reichstein called Didden, whose reply, according toReichstein, was that there was no hazing at Mepham,because if there were, wed cancelfootball season. (Didden and his attorney didnot return repeated calls.) Football coaches fired in alleged hazing aftermath It involved a fight amongteenage boys. When trying to become a professional athlete, one must start playing sports as early as possible (Ferguson 34).Playing sports comes with many sacrifices. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. 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. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student demonstrationerupted behind the schoolto the delight of theTV crews camped out there. Sofia was sent to a boot camp, and Carney was sent to a juvenile detention center. Subscriber Exclusive. The owner of the store posted a sign in his window earlier this month: ''We are Bellmore. "The kid who just made the tackle," says Cannestro, identifying one of the players on the tape. 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 15-year-old wide receiver became the first female football player in Long Island history to score a touchdown Saturday night, when. "The question should not be the coaches should have known. Sofia LaSpina has etched her name in Long Island history. We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. "He came to me and said, 'I'm bleeding. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. some by the crimes, others by the cancellation of the season. CNN. How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. But its notthe only time I hear neighbors, even parents, floatthis notion. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. What's more, the 16-year-old ringleader of the assaults had his own history of disciplinary problems. When the allegations surfaced in early September, the three accused teenagers were suspended from Mepham High School's football team. What about the boys who were raped? } 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. Bells toll. The star lineman towersover most of the other pallbearers. 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. And the report provides the most detailed glimpse yet into the weeklong football camp and the assaults that took place in two cabins last summer. The grand jury has been investigating the attacks for months to determine whether the coaches should be indicted and what led to the assaults. We're in education because we love kids.". 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. MEPHAM COACHES BOOTED IN HAZING SCANDAL - New York Post When several parents received threatening letters after speaking out about the incident, emotions ratcheted higher. Everything Everywhere All at Once has won in every category they were nominated for. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. "The bottom line is, if we did anything wrong, we wouldn't be sitting here talking to you," says Cannestro. "He was after my son morning, noon, and night. Anger, fear in wake of Mepham attacks Parents afraid after football For Carol's son, it doesn't end. In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. The abuse occurred day and night, and young players were attacked repeatedly and forced to sodomize each other, the report says. Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. '', ''This is a wake-up call,'' said the father of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his son. }, First published on April 12, 2004 / 5:10 PM. Berger sayshe got up and called his dad, who went straight to thecoaches. The question has whirled aroundBellmore for weeks: Who would raise a child who woulddo this to another child? And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. For a select number of fortunate athletes, that dream becomes a reality when they commit to a school and sign their letter of intent. Youth sports are becoming too intense for young children to keep up with. Theyre investigating the possibility that some students were planning to attack their schoolmates. Football: State record broken in Holy Spirit's Thanksgiving win over Conway could have sentenced the three including Phil Sofia, 17, and Ken Carney, 16 to juvenile jail until they turned 21 or he could have given them probation. The way they walked? 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.. This incident could have been foreseeable by the coaches, and possibly the administration, if the coach reported anything to the principal and athletic director. And you know, I'm panicking.". Heresisted, and according to his version of events, heremembers a JV coach telling him to roll with it. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. A football captain begged for the season to be reinstated, and his pleas were met with thunderous applause. What LAppartement 4F Co-owner Ashley Coiffard Put on Her Wedding Registry. Then it became a football school. Mepham Football team - Long Island High School Sports - Newsday They also understand they will need to sacrifice time, energy, and their social life in order to achieve these goals. "He didn't go to school for a long time. Parents are paying up on school meals again. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. I notice when they're injured. 10/08/2022. MEPHAM PARENTS TO PLOT ACTION - New York Post 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. By the end of three exciting days in Atlantic City, 14 champions will emerge at the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics State . And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' South Side. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. It devastated us. Mysons season has been completely fucked up! They could be home as early as next month. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. But then come the off-color jokes about broomsticks and pine cones from his friends. 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 . He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! When parents came to an emergency meeting on September16 with the principal and superintendent, they heardnot mea culpas but accusations. Then came the civil suit, settled for apaltry sum, to cover medical bills.Berger got threatening letters: Keep singing,Berger, and youll see.. 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. 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. There's supervision, like any other school event.". Whos going to give him thatmoney now? But it really happened., McElroys lawyer vehemently denies almost everyaspect of Bergers story. The coaches let him go, the report says, ''because he was a good football player. He was 40 years old. 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. Source: Football players to be tried as juveniles - CNN There were no screams like that.". Everybody knew I got hazed in the lockerroom, he says. Experts: Parents and coaches must be vigilant to curb hazing in teen He never judged us, saysDave Lohman, class of 94. When members of a high-school football team on Long Island were accused of sexual attacks, the community was appalled . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The lineman was furious. , 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? Hes well known as abully. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. Not like Wesley Berger, Vic says.Hes overexposed.. The victims didn't tell us. And I can't ever get that back from him," says Patty. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. The school's 2003 football season was canceled amid allegations that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three . But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. Nor did he suspendthe three alleged perpetrators, and as a result, theywere allowed to walk the hallways of Mepham High fornearly two weeks. We've received your submission. 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. A minivan with two others whizzes by, music blaring. At this point, though, those feelings have mostly worn off, replaced by a different set of reactions, from weary resolve to dark humor. 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. Who Is Jerry Sandusky Responsible For The Crimes At Penn State The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. He was riding the bus along with varsity members, who held him upside down. According to her, Didden said he wouldinvestigate the incident. Weve been 0 and 8 since 1999!says James. 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. Mepham High School (North Bellmore, NY) Varsity Football Varsity Boys Football North Bellmore, NY FOLLOW TEAM 22-23 V. Football Home Schedule Roster Standings Rankings Photos Videos News More / Mepham High School Football Mepham Football OVERALL 10-2 0.83 Win % LEAGUE 8-1 2nd in League HOME6-0 AWAY3-1 NEUTRAL1-1 PF334 PA169 STREAK1L But these parents say the risk to their children was greater. For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. It was just too outrageous," says Jimmy. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. 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). Did a kid come and tell us? Ke Huy Quan Continues His Winning Streak at the Independent Spirit Awards. 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. Which mayexplain why Coach Mac, in his only public statement,has concurred with Caramore. When I was in ninth grade, says Lohman,my father died and my mother wanted to move toFlorida. Carol said it appeared Conway had sentenced Sofia to the boot camp because he disliked the teens attitude. . Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. As well as rebuking the attackers, the report criticizes the school system and the Pennsylvania judge who handled the cases. It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. 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.'" Not, 'Coach, things aren't good over here.' And he stands where the priest stood and speaks,reading from crinkled sheets of paper rapidly, almostinaudibly, in a low monotone. Atlantic City Football 2022-2023 - NJ.com This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. We love our community. The answer to all those questions is no.". Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic. Hes been introuble before, that kid. display: block; OK. 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.