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. All rights reserved. Carol said it appeared Conway had sentenced Sofia to the boot camp because he disliked the teens attitude. Did you know that depending on the sport, students who play sports in college most likely have less than a 2% chance of becoming professional athletes? This has allowed more and more players to look to PEDs in order to gain an edge over their opponents. 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. Its the kind of bar where people stillsmoke and no one cares. When the school board canceled the football season and suspended the coaches, the community actually split -- between those who supported the victims' families, and those who wanted to save the coaches and the season. I think they hated me because I introduced the pull-up to their strength and conditioning program. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student demonstrationerupted behind the schoolto the delight of theTV crews camped out there. This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have broken up after he allegedly cheated on her with Raquel Leviss. It is understandable that everyone can not make the team but it is a terrible thing to cut children by telling them they did not have enough room on the team or are not ready to be on it. 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 they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? 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. Theyre big football players who look andact like football players, says Jesse.Big and aggressive., The lineman was yelled at a lot,remembers another boy. Mepham High School Football Case Study | ipl.org And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. Also, sleep-away sports camps will no longer be authorized by the school district, Billig said. no.". "There were no screams. How could we have known?". Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. School Board Votes to Dismiss 5 Mepham Football Coaches Bells toll. When a. Statistically showing, at least 100,000 college football players get hurt yearly. PARLIN, N.J. - The investigation at a New Jersey prep football powerhouse that has led to sex crime charges against seven teens prompted an almost unheard-of . "He's one of the victims.". At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. The football players were unfairly penalized by the sanctions that were placed on the team. For a select number of fortunate athletes, that dream becomes a reality when they commit to a school and sign their letter of intent. MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 2022 Fall Boys Football New York: Long Island Division II. "There's nothing anyone else could have done differently," adds Cannestro. The owner of the store posted a sign in his window earlier this month: ''We are Bellmore. "He was waiting for them [the coaches] to come in and save him, but no one came," says Carol's husband, Vinny. "They had bags of ice and they were bashing it all over his body until the bags broke. "Not once. The kid that did it, I feel so bad forhim, the boy says. And his youth. They feel a sense of guilt and shame that holds them back from saying anything and we see this is the Mepham High School Football case. Diasparra cut a deal and received probation. And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. The morals, the attitudes, of a Mepham student,are different, suggests another Kennedy player,Danny. Heand a group of kids have me surrounded. All five lost their coaching positions. "He missed the whole first, basically, semester. 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. McElroy hadnothing to do with this kid, Joe Rosenthalsays. One was sent to a boot camp, another to a juvenile treatment facility and the third returned home on probation. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. One afternoon after practice, they air theirtheories, the chief one being that the lineman musthave been traumatized as a kid. During the recessional, he submits to a seeminglyendless succession of embracesmuch like theones he received from his former teammates last nightat the wake. Most high school athletes across America share one common aspiration: play their sport at the next level in college. A few blocks from school, Allie Pagano and Sarah Mirenda, both 14, stop at the local pizza shop, Luigi's, on their way home. The question has whirled aroundBellmore for weeks: Who would raise a child who woulddo this to another child? Yeah, that shit gotfreakin blown up. 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. ''There's no question that they knew hazing had gone on for years, and they allowed it to go on,'' said Robert Kelly, a lawyer for two of the victims. 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. 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. "He was after my son morning, noon, and night. Instead, they were treated as juveniles. '', ''This is a wake-up call,'' said the father of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his son. Thanks for contacting us. Terroristicthreats. 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. That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. (Almost as prevalent is the idea, notconfirmed by police, that the linemans fathercommitted suicide. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Parents demanded:Shouldnt they have been there to stop theseboys? What's more, before camp, parents Victor and Kristina Reichstein say Carney threatened their 13-year-old son. Thanks for contacting us. Coach speaks out for first time on LI football team hazing allegations Some have hired lawyers for their children. Terms of Service apply. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 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. At this point, the victims would have already suffered numerous attacks. Mepham High School Football Tragedy 1056 Words | 5 Pages. Subscriber Exclusive. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Murdaugh defense team plans to appeal conviction, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death. ''Our parents are being blamed. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. This was a sexual attack!, Are we gonna argue about this? On the second day, the incidents became brutal. 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 .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { The coaches let him go, the report says, ''because he was a good football player. 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). That, thelineman says, is the kind of man his father was. 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. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. He was always in troubleat school, but not in football. High school coaches should not be required to give equal playing time to all players who make the team. 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. He strokes his sisters hair withone hand and slides an arm around his brothersshoulders. What about the boys who were raped? Hasnt hebeen through enough? He said, 'Well, your son was just online and saying he can't take it anymore. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. Mysons season has been completely fucked up! By the end of three exciting days in Atlantic City, 14 champions will emerge at the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics State . Doyou know who I am?, The freshman, trying to show a little backbone,replied: This is America. Other players laughed, the report said. Berger sayshe got up and called his dad, who went straight to thecoaches. After all, theywerent just studentsthey wereathletes.. 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. "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? It has been 11 years since three football players, ages 15 to 17, from Mepham High School in Bellmore, New York, were criminally charged with sodomizing teammates during a preseason. And would you let it happen a second and third time? You know, what could be going on? It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. "We went out. Anyone can read what you share. False imprisonment. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. The conversation easily shifts to a defenseof Coach Mac. I heard the kidliked it.. Dangerous Minds - CBS News Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. 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. 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. Sofia LaSpina first Long Island female football player to score TD 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. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. We love our community. But he wonders whether whathappened at camp could have been prevented if hehadnt settled his lawsuit. But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. 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. That was until Berger started practicethe August before his freshman year. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google In the meantime, experts say violent hazings in high schools are becoming more frequent. . We love our children. 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. Future of Sayreville football coaches may hinge on supervision He never judged us, saysDave Lohman, class of 94. ", Are they lying? Then it became a football school. 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. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. Long Beach 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. I need to see a doctor,'" says Carol. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their . 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. "Yeah," says Cannestro. I dont evencare what they did.. There were no screams like that.". MEPHAM COACHES BOOTED IN HAZING SCANDAL - New York Post In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. Im theprincipal, he said, and Illdecide who can go on the trip. The lineman wasallowed to go to camp. Now even they, however, have grown weary, wishing for a return to their old life. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. When parents came to an emergency meeting on September16 with the principal and superintendent, they heardnot mea culpas but accusations. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. And coming in, you expect it.Youre ready for it., From what I heard, the guys stuck his head inthe toilet, and that was it. 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. How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh 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. Hasan Minhaj Brings His Powerpoints and Power Suits to Independent Spirit Awards. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. And you know, I'm panicking.". "He was robbed of his innocence. I ask. But even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues. 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. With FamousAmos on the squad, the team made the county playoffsall four years. Not like Wesley Berger, Vic says.Hes overexposed.. The Mepham-Garden City football game this week could be a juicy one. Did either coach notice anything on these children's faces? some by the crimes, others by the cancellation of the season. Half that shit they didisnt even that bad.. All the while, older players watched and laughed. They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. The star lineman towersover most of the other pallbearers. No one understands this better thanMark Alter, the lawyer for the alleged ringleader.The fact that its egregious allegationsdoes not necessarily mean its not a juvenilecase, says Alter. He said no," recalls Carol. We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. I'm grabbing all the medication out of my cabinet and looking for everything that I think he's gonna hurt himself. Relatives of the victims, 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, expressed satisfaction at the outcome. Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. October 11, 2014 / 7:28 PM / AP. My sons not. The priest declares that the father had nothingbut life ahead of him. 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. 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. 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.. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' mepham high school football scandal - tourdefat.com It looks like a tasty treat for any high school football fan. 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? 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. He went to camp but didntstay in the fated cabin. 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. In 1994, Wesley Bergerwas a Mepham freshman, a football player with a shelfof trophiesMVP for the peewee league,fastest-runner and best-tackler awards. Theyre sick of reporters, andtheyre worried about the lineman. And I know the family of one of theattackers. Hazing scandal rocks high school | News, Sports, Jobs - Lawrence 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. 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. On a Friday morning in August, 60 kids were droppedoff for the bus ride to Pennsylvania. Try as they might to rid themselves of it, students, parents and other residents are finding that the incident is now woven into the fabric of life here. He called the school boards decision 100 percent unjust.. The coaches' lawyer and officials for the Bellmore-Merrick School District did not comment on the report's findings or its criticisms. They reallycouldnt do anything about it. It was just too outrageous," says Jimmy. The coaches would have to be everywhere at thesame time, says Dave Hill. However, it seems too important to let go. Which mayexplain why Coach Mac, in his only public statement,has concurred with Caramore. mepham high school football scandal. "I couldn't even process it in my head. "He was screaming. 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. But critics say their mistakes started early. He told Pennsylvaniapolice that he couldnt release informationabout a student without a subpoena. 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. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. But then come the off-color jokes about broomsticks and pine cones from his friends. Over the course of five days, their sons were brutally sodomized by their teammates. Nothing.". Theres no way youcant play me. During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. Source: Football players to be tried as juveniles - CNN The victims didn't tell us. The incident angered the victim's mother, who. And my son said, 'They inserted a broomstick.'". Dont eventhink about sleeping at camp, he said. 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. Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Once rated one of the best academic high. But one kid whogot it in the shitter, hes just like afag., Yeah, he says. The coaches, who supervised the trip, say that they had no idea any of this was happening during the camp. They did not come to help me.Rullo quotes the parent of that child as blamingprincipal John Didden, who did not protect mychild., Four days later, Rullo and two other parents who spokereceive identical profanity-laced letters in the mail,warning that if they keep speaking out, theyllalso get the broomstick treatment. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. This guysstill the head coach., Its a fact of lifein Bellmore and Merrick that the farther south you go,the more money youll find. ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. The problem was with thekidsand with the parents who brought them upthat way., Sothe parents. Were more Jewish! another kidyells, laughing. Anotherparent, Jim Rullo, delivers a prepared statement onbehalf of the victims families. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/nyregion/bellmore-journal-life-goes-on-but-is-altered-after-school-scandal.html. Moreover, they must spend money on equipment, clothing, and food (37). Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. Before lastmonth, Mepham High was generally known as anabove-average school with a robust athletic program.Fathers and sons have played for the Mepham Pirates,and Saturday football games are huge social events.The players are the schools heroes: With thepossible exception of Roone Arledge, Mephamsmost famous alumnus has been star Pittsburgh Steelersrunning back Amos Zereoue. We dont beat guysup., Some of his old teammates have gathered to buy drinksfrom him. Football coaches fired in alleged hazing aftermath In practice, theyd put meon the B squad and Id tear up the Asquad. He says he stayed on the team for twoyears but was allowed on the field only once,returning a kickoff 50 yards. He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. No. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | Dec 7, 2022. says McElroy. I said, 'What's the matter?' At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out.
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