Terms of Service apply. The boy, wearing a regulation backward baseball cap,is standing at the schools west entrance. There are the ugly jokes, the signs and buttons declaring neighborhood solidarity, and for some people, new-found activism. In the case of my four month concussion, there are residual mental and physical problems. 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. Throughout September, a question hung in the air:Would Wayne County district attorney Mark Zimmer trythe boys as adults, which would mean that each couldface up to twenty years in prison? In an earlier proceeding, the three attackers, charged as juveniles, admitted to the assaults. What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan shows just that. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Parents are paying up on school meals again. 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 didn't go to school for a long time. I believe that exclusive tryouts should be held for children because they are extremely good for their mental health in three ways: tryouts teach kids humility, in that they arent always going to be selected, they help kids learn to work harder, and they boost kids confidence. We love our community. '', 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. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. 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. Treat others with the respect that you wouldlike to receive. Act appropriately. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. 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 But even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues. 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. When the victims came forward, the team closed ranks.Kids who were said to have witnessed the attacksrefused to talk, even though the longtime coach of thePirates, Kevin McElroyCoach Mac to anyone whoknows himwarned them that the season would endif they didnt come forward. This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. 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. 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. 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. Does heknow this for sure? Hes the man of the family now. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMepham's football season. It was supposed to be fun, and glorious. 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. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. Instead, thevictims were laughed at in the halls, calledfaggot and broomstick boy.The superintendent, Thomas Caramore, shielded theschool from inquiries at first. Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal ''We don't do it in front of them,'' the teenager said, referring to the victims. He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! South Side. Oct. 20, 2003. The conversation easily shifts to a defenseof Coach Mac. You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. His dadsaved his friends life that day. Subscriber Exclusive. Please enter valid email address to continue. "We're not suggesting anything about injuries. This story has been shared 140,209 times. I want to bepart of the team.. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. In that case, new players at. Youve got some Janning to do! A few blocks from school, Allie Pagano and Sarah Mirenda, both 14, stop at the local pizza shop, Luigi's, on their way home. And my son said, 'They inserted a broomstick.'". Including dishwasher-safe Japanese porcelain, two sets of French-made knives, and a sleek kettle. No!! Of course this thing escalated tosodomy, Berger says. 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. 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. All five lost their coaching positions. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. Since returning from camp, he has barely slept. Also it brings down students self esteem. "He came to me and said, 'I'm bleeding. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. Pertzborn and assistant coach Brad Rogeberg were made aware of the initial bullying on July 24, 2022, according to the police report. Should a person get paid just for showing up for there a job and not actually doing anything? asks McElroy. 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. Not, 'Coach, things aren't good over here.' But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. I want to thank my assistant coach who is the baseball expert. Sports in Mepham isvery big.. Regardless, I was all about making them the best well-rounded people before they head into the cruel world. Trending News On Bellmore Avenue, themain drag in town, a mile or so east of Mepham,Docs Pub serves as an unofficial class-reunionspace. JUDGE SLAMS MEPHAM HAZERS - New York Post Not a wink. McElroy and his coaching staff claim they had no responsibility for a vicious alleged hazing incident at a training camp in Pennsylvania in August. 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. "He was after my son morning, noon, and night. Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. Everyone in the pews has heard how the father had beendevastated by the criminal charges his son was facing.Aggravated assault. 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. He was 40 years old. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. The superintendent, while admonishing the team for notcooperating with the investigation, has also putforward a tidy defense of McElroy and the principal,Didden. He did more for me than any coach ever. ", Are they lying? But it wasn't until Jan. 11, after a possible sexual assault that occurred the previous week, that the high school's school resource officer, Kim Wood, was made aware of the "ongoing harassment behavior toward a student/member of the varsity football team . 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. 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. 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. The coach wentalong with canceling the season because he knew kidswere not coming forward. That, thelineman says, is the kind of man his father was. 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. 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. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google These towns lost seventeenpeople in the World Trade Center attacks.Theyre places whose kids go to college locallyand then settle here and raise families. some by the crimes, others by the cancellation of the season. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! Once the season started, eight players tackled him inthe locker room and lowered him into the toilet; thistime, he says, it contained urine. Should they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? 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. maize high school basketball roster. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student. 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. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. "He was absolutely screaming. 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. Vic and Kristina have done The Early Show and20/20. Youre old enough to knowwhat youre doing., I had some friends who were older, saysMcDermott. 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. He had his little list. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. "Something happened in between those practices every single time, to my son. Where does it end?". Oh, Loosey! It would be the adventure of his life five days of intense football in the woods of Pennsylvania. They demanded that the boy be barred from camp but were rebuffed, they said. Full speed," says McElroy. Four members of the faculty were either fired or forced out because of the scandal. 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. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. Kids and adults are then forced to take a side on the issue for the good of the school and the safety of the children. I heard the kidliked it.. During his career, the prolific actor inhabited an array of troubled characters. Once each school year, older Mepham students would beat up younger ones on school grounds in a ritual called ''Freshman Friday,'' the grand jury found. 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. He's back home on Long Island. 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. "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? Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. Thats when Berger says Coach Mac lunged athimhis hand reaching the boys throat. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Offscreen, he was one himself. Some parents and athletes believe equal playing time for all sports and activities is deserved all through their middle school and high school careers. Anyone can read what you share. "They couldn't be further from the truth," says Cannestro. 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.. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { After bullying allegations, Middleton coach allowed to resign with Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. It was horrible. No," says McElroy. Moreover, they must spend money on equipment, clothing, and food (37). But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. Once rated one of the best academic high. "He's victimized because I asked him to do a favor in this. When a. Statistically showing, at least 100,000 college football players get hurt yearly. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; They also understand they will need to sacrifice time, energy, and their social life in order to achieve these goals. 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. What's more, before camp, parents Victor and Kristina Reichstein say Carney threatened their 13-year-old son. Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. "There's nothing anyone else could have done differently," adds Cannestro. 18 - 35 L. 10/15/2022. 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. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. For Carol's son, it doesn't end. 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. There's supervision, like any other school event.". NEW! In the meantime, experts say violent hazings in high schools are becoming more frequent. 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. , 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? If such a policy had been in place, one of the attackers would not have been allowed at the camp, the report says. mepham high school football scandal. Coach speaks out for first time on LI football team hazing allegations Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? The coaches are suing to get their jobs back. We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. A day later, the three alleged victims are stillhaving broomsticks thrown at them from cars in theparking lot. . 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. When Patty and Jimmy's son came home, he told them he had been sodomized, too. 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. But the victims told their parents they were screaming at the top of their lungs. Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. And don't you dare tell,'" says Kristina, who lobbied to get Carney thrown off the trip. He was riding the bus along with varsity members, who held him upside down. For me, this challenge helped me develop as a person than will work harder and strive for the best in my academics. Students attend a pep rally at Mepham High School in Bellmore, N.Y. (CNN) -- Five football coaches at a Long Island high school lost their jobs Wednesday night in fallout from an alleged . I was by far the besthalfback on the team, Berger says, now 23 butstill angry. A school divided Students split over Central board's decision to cancel 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. Nothing.". "We're not animals. Many have lost sight of the fact that baseball players are not the only athletes that face this life threatening addiction. Anyone can read what you share. That was until Berger started practicethe August before his freshman year. And I know the family of one of theattackers. The three attackers were charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse after they sodomized the younger players with pine cones, golf balls and a broomstick in August at a football camp in Preston Park, Pa. What went wrong? Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; ut austin undergraduate majors Newsletter . We've received your submission. Four days ago, hisfather died in his sleep. It stated that, at the camp,. All that has led these parents to ask the same kind of questions asked after the shootings at Columbine: How much did the school know about their student assailants, and who should be held responsible? 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. Every year parents and students of local schools can come and enjoy seeing kids of their community playing football, which could make a player's future bright, and a grandparent proud. 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. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. The coaches, who supervised the trip, say that they had no idea any of this was happening during the camp. The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. ''It's got to end here. The abuse occurred day and night, and young players were attacked repeatedly and forced to sodomize each other, the report says. Dominick Novello, Mepham battle through tough conditions to advance to "Standing up and giving a 'rah, rah' when my son and the other boys are hurting in this way is so disrespectful. During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. 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. At 1:21 p.m. last Friday, the Mepham High School football and cheerleading squads should have rushed onto Mepham's field for a Mepham Football team - Long Island High School Sports - Newsday "The bottom line is, if we did anything wrong, we wouldn't be sitting here talking to you," says Cannestro. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. Diasparra cut a deal and received probation. 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 Experts: Parents and coaches must be vigilant to curb hazing in teen A minivan with two others whizzes by, music blaring. Werent theyalready on the right track? The coaches, however, say that, in attempt to deal with Carney's threats to another member of the team, they put Reichstein's son in the cabin closest to them, and asked an upperclassman to keep an eye on both boys. Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. 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.". Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. But its notthe only time I hear neighbors, even parents, floatthis notion. Sofia was sent to a boot camp, and Carney was sent to a juvenile detention center. But these parents say the risk to their children was greater. I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. Go ahead. On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home playoff game against Elmont Memorial (Elmont, NY) by a score of 14-7. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Just because someone shows up and participates, doesnt not mean they deserve the same treatment as everyone else. Coach Mac talked to my mom, convinced us tostay. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. The issue of blame, however, continues to polarize parents and promises to loom larger as the criminal case moves ahead. Then it became a football school. ), I knew all those kids, saysanother boy, a JV player. 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. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. And his youth. We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. Report Says Hazing Culture Led to Attacks On 3 Athletes We're checking it off. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. The school's 2003 football season was canceled amid allegations that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three . We've received your submission. "He said to him, 'Don't even think of sleeping at football camp. When I was in ninth grade, says Lohman,my father died and my mother wanted to move toFlorida. I think the kids covered it up to saveCoach Mac and save their season., Tending bar at Docs is Rob McDermott, class of95. 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. One student lifts up another and dumps him, legs flailing, in a bush. at Garden City. No. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. The incident angered the victim's mother, who. 28 - 13 W. 10/22/2022. Imagine your best friends making the school soccer team and you getting cut, because your not ready or there is no room. The third player in the Mepham HS hazing scandal was sentenced to probation after he made a deal with prosecutors and provided information. All the while, older players watched and laughed. As well as rebuking the attackers, the report criticizes the school system and the Pennsylvania judge who handled the cases. We're going to all the sports stores. Mepham High School Football Tragedy 1056 Words | 5 Pages. These individuals hope to be part of something special, whether its achieving individual goals or team goals. Criminal coercion. Life goes on in Bellmore, despite the sex-abuse scandal involving members of the high school football team that has roiled this Long Island community. That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. The parents are organizing to demand that the school administration be held accountable for allowing the incident to occur, they said. Two of the kids are underclassmen, littlekids, he says. says McElroy. Parents are paying up on school meals again. Hes been introuble before, that kid. (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | Dec 7, 2022. And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death Keep yourmouth shut, the letters read, andnothing will happen to you or your family.. I dont evencare what they did.. Tryouts are the worst thing about sports, they bring nothing but more stress to your plate. On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home conference game against MacArthur (Levittown, NY) by a score of 14-7.