mepham high school football scandal

However, some would argue to say high school football is too dangerous to keep around. Hasnt hebeen through enough? "He [my son] called several times. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. They were later suspended from classes on September 18. . !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. "We went out. 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. 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. At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out. 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. Were happy as can be, said Carol, an aunt of one of the victims. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. "He's victimized because I asked him to do a favor in this. In the meantime, experts say violent hazings in high schools are becoming more frequent. Hisfriend was a captain on the team, he maybe was gonnaget a scholarship. 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. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. Coach Mac talked to my mom, convinced us tostay. I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. 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.. We dont beat guysup., Some of his old teammates have gathered to buy drinksfrom him. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. Over the course of five days, their sons were brutally sodomized by their teammates. } After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. Of course this thing escalated tosodomy, Berger says. And he told us that they were keeping them up. I heard the kidliked it.. Two of the kids are underclassmen, littlekids, he says. South Side. He's back home on Long Island. I think hes adirtbag. Dont eventhink about sleeping at camp, he said. McElroy and his coaching staff claim they had no responsibility for a vicious alleged hazing incident at a training camp in Pennsylvania in August. The public was barred from the hearing, but the penalties and the judges comments were disclosed by relatives of victims, lawyers and cops. On Bellmore Avenue, themain drag in town, a mile or so east of Mepham,Docs Pub serves as an unofficial class-reunionspace. Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. Heresisted, and according to his version of events, heremembers a JV coach telling him to roll with it. ", "Did a parent come and complain to us? 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.) 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. Sofia LaSpina has etched her name in Long Island history. Full speed," says McElroy. We love our children. Know what is expected andacceptable. Be responsible. I should just sit there and go, 'Hmm, he's hazing him.' 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. 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.'' When members of a high-school football team on Long Island were accused of sexual attacks, the community was appalled . (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . The school's 2003 football season was canceled amid allegations that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three . 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. In earlier interviews, the head coach, Kevin McElroy, and his four assistants have said they did not know about the attacks, and could have done nothing to prevent them. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. One of the attackers was allowed to attend camp despite a history of disciplinary problems and not having a permission slip. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Anyplayer that wants to be on the football team can be onthe team. Travis Barkers Finger Is Now the Enema of Blink-182 Fans. The Mepham-Garden City football game this week could be a juicy one. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. For a select number of fortunate athletes, that dream becomes a reality when they commit to a school and sign their letter of intent. ''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. His dadsaved his friends life that day. Theyre a beautiful family. 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. 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. We've received your submission. 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 one kid whogot it in the shitter, hes just like afag., Yeah, he says. Soon after the first revelations of the attacks, the Reichsteins reached out to newspapers and television stations with their story. Youre old enough to knowwhat youre doing., I had some friends who were older, saysMcDermott. Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. Now the . "Did I tell the perpetrators to go and do that to those kids? Since returning from camp, he has barely slept. By Michael Luo. Oh, Loosey! School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. The football players were unfairly penalized by the sanctions that were placed on the team. Did either coach notice anything on these children's faces? Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; ut austin undergraduate majors Newsletter . All rights reserved. And my son said, 'They inserted a broomstick.'". They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. The group, which calls itself Mepham Parents 4 Change, consists of eight families, but says it is quickly gathering support. "The question should not be the coaches should have known. The owner of the store posted a sign in his window earlier this month: ''We are Bellmore. Instead, they were treated as juveniles. Parents are paying up on school meals again. Including intelligent heated gloves, soothing foot rollers, and classic cabbage-shaped servingware. Also, sleep-away sports camps will no longer be authorized by the school district, Billig said. ''Our parents are being blamed. What about the boys who were raped? But then come the off-color jokes about broomsticks and pine cones from his friends. The coaches let him go, the report says, ''because he was a good football player. } When athletes experience head trauma, they only recover a little, which might end their career early or other times people never recover. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. But critics say their mistakes started early. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. And I know the family of one of theattackers. Berger produced the requiredslip of paper. Weve been 0 and 8 since 1999!says James. Tell me why I should just know? 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. 10/08/2022. Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? ), I knew all those kids, saysanother boy, a JV player. '', ''This is a wake-up call,'' said the father of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his son. A failure can be a downward spiral or a setback turning into a benefit. ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. 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. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMephams football season. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { The sentences are indeterminate, but will be reviewed every four months. These parents are now lobbying for a national hazing law, one with severe penalties. The third player in the Mepham HS hazing scandal was sentenced to probation after he made a deal with prosecutors and provided information. . I want to bepart of the team.. If you do something wrong, youd better go home and pack your toothbrush because youll pay the consequences, he told the teen. We're checking it off. And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. Subscriber Exclusive. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. I ask. The Bellmore-Merrick Board of Education voted unanimously tonight to cancel this year's football season at a Long Island high school that had been reeling from allegations that three older. Now when they talk about Mepham, they use the wordssodomy and hazing. 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. As we mentioned earlier, the freshmans mother mentioned to coach McElroy the fact that the upperclassman was calling her son those insulting names. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. The star lineman towersover most of the other pallbearers. Youth sports are becoming too intense for young children to keep up with. Perhaps most prominent among the group are Victor and Kristina Reichstein, who have criticized the school's principal, John F. Didden, and the team's head coach, Kevin McElroy, from the beginning. Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. 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. Also it brings down students self esteem. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. In that case, new players at. He was riding the bus along with varsity members, who held him upside down. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. asks McElroy. Mysons season has been completely fucked up! #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { 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. He was one of four captains chosen by CoachMac his senior season. He really was.". 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. But I justgot off the phone with the mother of one of thevictims, and she told me that were her bestadvocate. There were no screams like that.". When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. 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. After the coacheswent to sleep in their own cabin, at least threemembers of the team, ages 15, 16, and 17, allegedlyrubbed heat-producing mineral ice on broomsticks,pinecones, and golf balls and used those items topenetrate at least three freshman players while therest of the boys in the cabin all bore witness. 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.. He told him to find a friend and never bealone. Parents are paying up on school meals again. 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. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. 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. For me, this challenge helped me develop as a person than will work harder and strive for the best in my academics. Students should not have to tryout for school sports. 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. The coaches, who slept in a cabin away from their players, said they knew nothing of the violence until a parent complained to school officials. 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. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. In an earlier proceeding, the three attackers, charged as juveniles, admitted to the assaults. What's more, the 16-year-old ringleader of the assaults had his own history of disciplinary problems. However, it seems too important to let go. How could we have known?". Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of sports for many reasons and not making the team is one. I notice when they're injured. But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. October 11, 2014 / 7:28 PM / AP. Did I do anything to those kids?" It devastated us. "I assumed he was homesick, so I said, 'Stick it out. Hes well known as abully. He gave his son a cellphone. 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. Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. A player tried to flush his head in a urinal. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh Whether its being in thelocker room, making sure everybodys on the samepage, rallying the troops, or making sureeveryones focused on the task at hand., How do you weed out the undisciplined players?On any high-school team, the seniors give you alittle bit of a hard time, he says. Other players laughed, the report said. Stats are entered by the coach or designated team statistician in the admin. He alwayslistened. Everyone should be so lucky.''. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. High school coaches should not be required to give equal playing time to all players who make the team. at Garden City. In 1994, Wesley Bergerwas a Mepham freshman, a football player with a shelfof trophiesMVP for the peewee league,fastest-runner and best-tackler awards. These towns lost seventeenpeople in the World Trade Center attacks.Theyre places whose kids go to college locallyand then settle here and raise families. "Yeah," says Cannestro. Who? Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMepham's football season. Days later, the school wentahead with its annual pep rally, in a gesture ofsupport for Coach Mac and the sidelined Pirates. "What constitutes a scream?" During the recessional, he submits to a seeminglyendless succession of embracesmuch like theones he received from his former teammates last nightat the wake. And his youth. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. . Football is important to the high school experience and different familys history around the world. And he was very excited," recalls Patty. Not like Wesley Berger, Vic says.Hes overexposed.. Before the 68 varsity and junior-varsity players left the Long Island communities of Bellmore and Merrick to attend the weeklong camp in Preston Park, Pa., coaches warned the team that hazing would not be tolerated, and spelled out the edict in a note sent home to players' parents. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live 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. The lineman was furious. They had complained to the coach and the principal before football camp that their son, a freshman, had been bullied and threatened by one of the boys who was later charged in the attacks. 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. And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. Most high school athletes across America share one common aspiration: play their sport at the next level in college. "He was absolutely screaming. Werent theyalready on the right track? Not a wink. For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death The coach told Bergerhe needed a physical. When I was in ninth grade, says Lohman,my father died and my mother wanted to move toFlorida. It has been more than a month since school officials and prosecutors revealed that three older players were accused of sodomizing three freshmen with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls in an attack in late August at a preseason football camp in Pennsylvania. Relatives of the victims, 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, expressed satisfaction at the outcome. maize high school basketball roster. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. Everyone laughs. In the case of my four month concussion, there are residual mental and physical problems. Most are no longer talking about the issue publicly, tired of the maelstrom of feelings that is stirred each time. Most of themare yelling. Thanks for contacting us. This guysstill the head coach., Its a fact of lifein Bellmore and Merrick that the farther south you go,the more money youll find. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. Our community is being blamed. At middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country, everyone is arguing over whether or not students with failing grades should be allowed to play sports. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. Oct. 20, 2003. "The kid who just made the tackle," says Cannestro, identifying one of the players on the tape. That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. 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. chesterbrook academy preschool tuition,

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