Once the season started, eight players tackled him inthe locker room and lowered him into the toilet; thistime, he says, it contained urine. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. 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. The problem was with thekidsand with the parents who brought them upthat way., Sothe parents. No. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal. They demanded that the boy be barred from camp but were rebuffed, they said. They reallycouldnt do anything about it. One was sent to a boot camp, another to a juvenile treatment facility and the third returned home on probation. Mepham was known mainlyfor its wrestling program until Coach Mac arrived in1986. "We're not animals. Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. But critics say their mistakes started early. In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. ''It's got to end here. "We're not suggesting anything about injuries. Mineral ice and especially that he now had, from the first time, a cut," says Carol. Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' Most students, the girls say, have not gotten caught up in the anger and recrimination that have divided their parents. 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. 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. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student. 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. 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. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. The district's superintendent, Dr. Thomas Caramore, defended the decision in a letter to the community earlier this month, saying the principal spoke with the boy and the coach before camp, and there was no way of anticipating the attacks. mepham high school football scandal. You know, what could be going on? Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. No! ", Are they lying? And I know the family of one of theattackers. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. Your sonwoo hoo!Hes having fun. 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. Offscreen, he was one himself. Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. Many have lost sight of the fact that baseball players are not the only athletes that face this life threatening addiction. He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! Waiting outside in front of the hearseis a police escort, to ward off the media. 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 . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "He's victimized because I asked him to do a favor in this. What about the boys who were raped? Parents demanded:Shouldnt they have been there to stop theseboys? Thanks for contacting us. 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.. This incident could have been foreseeable by the coaches, and possibly the administration, if the coach reported anything to the principal and athletic director. The coach wentalong with canceling the season because he knew kidswere not coming forward. Should a person get paid just for showing up for there a job and not actually doing anything? Now when they talk about Mepham, they use the wordssodomy and hazing. Mepham High School football hazing case tore Long Island apart in 2003. 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. Hes the man of the family now. The school's 2003 football season was canceled amid allegations that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three . 28 - 13 W. 10/22/2022. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. 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. 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. 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. A minivan with two others whizzes by, music blaring. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. Sofia was sent to a boot camp, and Carney was sent to a juvenile detention center. Nor did he suspendthe three alleged perpetrators, and as a result, theywere allowed to walk the hallways of Mepham High fornearly two weeks. It looks like a tasty treat for any high school football fan. Some kids even approach them and suggestthat the time has come to let bygones be bygones.Their logic is biblicalan eye for an eye.The linemans father died! A day later, the three alleged victims are stillhaving broomsticks thrown at them from cars in theparking lot. All rights reserved. "He was robbed of his innocence. The kid that did it, I feel so bad forhim, the boy says. Its the kind of bar where people stillsmoke and no one cares. (CNN) -- Five football coaches at a Long Island high school lost their jobs Wednesday night in fallout from an alleged . Also, sleep-away sports camps will no longer be authorized by the school district, Billig said. One student lifts up another and dumps him, legs flailing, in a bush. He knows the mainkid, she says. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Youve got some Janning to do! ''Our parents are being blamed. The grand jury says the five coaches who supervised the team were ''more concerned with being coaches of a football team than interested in the well-being of the players as students.'' Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! Anyplayer that wants to be on the football team can be onthe team. 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. But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. If such a policy had been in place, one of the attackers would not have been allowed at the camp, the report says. 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. Sofia LaSpina has etched her name in Long Island history. 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. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. ), I knew all those kids, saysanother boy, a JV player. They could be home as early as next month. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMepham's football season. 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. Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. Berger sayshe got up and called his dad, who went straight to thecoaches. Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. Bells toll. OK. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. Criminal coercion. During the recessional, he submits to a seeminglyendless succession of embracesmuch like theones he received from his former teammates last nightat the wake. And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' Which mayexplain why Coach Mac, in his only public statement,has concurred with Caramore. "He didn't go to school for a long time. 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. And don't you dare tell,'" says Kristina, who lobbied to get Carney thrown off the trip. 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? On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMephams football season. I am 13 years old and I am on the Friendswood junior high C-football team I am a second string slot receiver and starting strong safety and I 'm also a second string strong side linebacker it was our last game of the season,so we really wanted to go out on the win or a record for the season was one way in five losses and one tie,we hadn 't had a great season so we especially wanted to go out on a win. (Almost as prevalent is the idea, notconfirmed by police, that the linemans fathercommitted suicide. 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. 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. He never judged us, saysDave Lohman, class of 94. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have broken up after he allegedly cheated on her with Raquel Leviss. Once rated one of the best academic high schools in the nation, Mepham High is now mired in scandal. West Jersey Football League all-stars: United Division, 2022. ''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. The issue of blame, however, continues to polarize parents and promises to loom larger as the criminal case moves ahead. 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). Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. Were happy as can be, said Carol, an aunt of one of the victims. All the while, older players watched and laughed. 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. On a warm night in October,Mary Williams and her boyfriend, Andy Corcoran, bothMepham class of 1980, sit having a drink. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. He never brought this incident toMcElroys attention; he must have brought it tothe JV coachs attention. It would be the adventure of his life five days of intense football in the woods of Pennsylvania. OK? 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. } Werent theyalready on the right track? 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. The group, which calls itself Mepham Parents 4 Change, consists of eight families, but says it is quickly gathering support. Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. 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. 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. "We went out. Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. It stated that, at the camp,. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. Berger says his friends persuaded him to stay off theteam. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. some by the crimes, others by the cancellation of the season. A football captain begged for the season to be reinstated, and his pleas were met with thunderous applause. Everyone laughs. The way they walked? What LAppartement 4F Co-owner Ashley Coiffard Put on Her Wedding Registry. Not a wink. Not like Wesley Berger, Vic says.Hes overexposed.. "He [my son] called several times. I said, You wantto lock me in a locker and laugh for an hour, fine.But Im not down with urine, dude., At the beginning of his junior year, Berger says, heshowed up to start the season. 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. 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. But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. "Standing up and giving a 'rah, rah' when my son and the other boys are hurting in this way is so disrespectful. Andbecause we were the group with Amos, our team isetched in his memory.. I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. But one kid whogot it in the shitter, hes just like afag., Yeah, he says. When parents came to an emergency meeting on September16 with the principal and superintendent, they heardnot mea culpas but accusations. This has allowed more and more players to look to PEDs in order to gain an edge over their opponents. He's back home on Long Island. 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. But the grand jury did not find the coaches criminally negligent. ''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. One of the attackers was allowed to attend camp despite a history of disciplinary problems and not having a permission slip. "You didn't monitor him very carefully, obviously," says Patty of what happened to her 13-year-old son. It involved a fight amongteenage boys. 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. Vic and Kristina have done The Early Show and20/20. "He said to him, 'Don't even think of sleeping at football camp. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. 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. Students have pushed their bodies to the limits, causing extreme injury that will hold them back from sports in the future. . Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. 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. But even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues. But he wonders whether whathappened at camp could have been prevented if hehadnt settled his lawsuit. 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. The police call what happened in August at thePirates five-day training camp a series ofAbner Louimastyle sex attacks (though,curiously, no student interviewed by police has evenmentioned Louimas name). 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. Relatives of the victims, 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, expressed satisfaction at the outcome. A few blocks from school, Allie Pagano and Sarah Mirenda, both 14, stop at the local pizza shop, Luigi's, on their way home. Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic. The morals, the attitudes, of a Mepham student,are different, suggests another Kennedy player,Danny. Thanks for contacting us. In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. In the case of my four month concussion, there are residual mental and physical problems. He triedseriously to treat him as a regular kid, like nothingever happened. 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. October 11, 2014 / 7:28 PM / AP. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. The boy, wearing a regulation backward baseball cap,is standing at the schools west entrance. We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. There's coaches. The coaches are suing to get their jobs back. How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh No," says McElroy. Was there anything that indicated they were injured or traumatized? 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). !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Broomsticks dipped in mineral ice, a kind of liquid heat, golf balls, pine cones and toothbrushes, were all pushed into the boy's rectums. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. Because if these attacks are acceptedas hazing, then the school is responsible. Pertzborn and assistant coach Brad Rogeberg were made aware of the initial bullying on July 24, 2022, according to the police report. That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. Of course this thing escalated tosodomy, Berger says. Mary explodes. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. And he told us that they were keeping them up. 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. 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 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. Heand a group of kids have me surrounded. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { McElroy and his coaching staff claim they had no responsibility for a vicious alleged hazing incident at a training camp in Pennsylvania in August. All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. However, it seems too important to let go. Four days ago, hisfather died in his sleep. He really was.". Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them.
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