The grand jury criticizes the school district for not providing adequate supervision during the weeklong camp, and says the district should adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward violent behavior. For a select number of fortunate athletes, that dream becomes a reality when they commit to a school and sign their letter of intent. Carol said it appeared Conway had sentenced Sofia to the boot camp because he disliked the teens attitude. Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. Oh, Loosey! I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. I notice when they're injured. The coach told Bergerhe needed a physical. Now when they talk about Mepham, they use the wordssodomy and hazing. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. Thanks for contacting us. What LAppartement 4F Co-owner Ashley Coiffard Put on Her Wedding Registry. Students have pushed their bodies to the limits, causing extreme injury that will hold them back from sports in the future. 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. 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. 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. When athletes experience head trauma, they only recover a little, which might end their career early or other times people never recover. On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home playoff game against Elmont Memorial (Elmont, NY) by a score of 14-7. No," says McElroy. What's more, before camp, parents Victor and Kristina Reichstein say Carney threatened their 13-year-old son. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. Nor did he suspendthe three alleged perpetrators, and as a result, theywere allowed to walk the hallways of Mepham High fornearly two weeks. "He was robbed of his innocence. "They couldn't be further from the truth," says Cannestro. That washazing! 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. These towns lost seventeenpeople in the World Trade Center attacks.Theyre places whose kids go to college locallyand then settle here and raise families. Parents are paying up on school meals again. The way they walked? The parishioners sing Make Me aChannel of Your Peace. And then the younglineman, who charged onto the varsity squad hissophomore year at W.C. Mepham High SchoolHomeof the Piratesis in tears. Treat others with the respect that you wouldlike to receive. Act appropriately. In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. So it just goes on and on. 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. He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. Diasparra cut a deal and received probation. At this point, the victims would have already suffered numerous attacks. Student athletes are not getting the opportunity to play multiple sports during the year, because they are expected to spelize in one sport and focus on it year round, leaving no opportunity to play other sports or do other activities. We've received your submission. I said, 'What's the matter?' 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 . ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. All five lost their coaching positions. 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 At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. If you do something wrong, youd better go home and pack your toothbrush because youll pay the consequences, he told the teen. 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. Legendary football coach Joe Paterno was one of those who was fired, which shook up the coaching staff. On a Friday morning in August, 60 kids were droppedoff for the bus ride to Pennsylvania. Not a wink. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. The coaches let him go, the report says, ''because he was a good football player. He had his little list. Youre old enough to knowwhat youre doing., I had some friends who were older, saysMcDermott. 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 . Regardless, I was all about making them the best well-rounded people before they head into the cruel world. With FamousAmos on the squad, the team made the county playoffsall four years. The incident angered the victim's mother, who. Hasan Minhaj Brings His Powerpoints and Power Suits to Independent Spirit Awards. OK. "These boys were like 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches, and roughly 250 lbs. !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. Amos scored 29 touchdowns in hisjunior year and broke all of Long Islandsrushing records. As she accepts her Someone to Watch award on stage. Instead, they were treated as juveniles. Theres a no-cut policy. Terroristicthreats. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. "Something happened in between those practices every single time, to my son. He was riding the bus along with varsity members, who held him upside down. So, no., But, you know, says McDermott, ifthey wanted to do it? 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. When I was in ninth grade, says Lohman,my father died and my mother wanted to move toFlorida. This incident could have been foreseeable by the coaches, and possibly the administration, if the coach reported anything to the principal and athletic director. OK? Werent theyalready on the right track? We're checking it off. Vic and Kristina have done The Early Show and20/20. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. 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. But then come the off-color jokes about broomsticks and pine cones from his friends. (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . "I assumed he was homesick, so I said, 'Stick it out. 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 . Some have hired lawyers for their children. "He said to him, 'Don't even think of sleeping at football camp. "Yeah," says Cannestro. , 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? I should just sit there and go, 'Hmm, he's hazing him.' They also understand they will need to sacrifice time, energy, and their social life in order to achieve these goals. Our community is being blamed. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. Everyone in the pews has heard how the father had beendevastated by the criminal charges his son was facing.Aggravated assault. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. It devastated us. It was horrible. "The gastroenterologist said, 'What happened? The superintendent, while admonishing the team for notcooperating with the investigation, has also putforward a tidy defense of McElroy and the principal,Didden. He strokes his sisters hair withone hand and slides an arm around his brothersshoulders. It is in the best interests of our students and the success of our program that the present coaches not be re-appointed, said Bellmore-Merrick school-board member Norbert Billig. Once the season started, eight players tackled him inthe locker room and lowered him into the toilet; thistime, he says, it contained urine. My father was agreat man, he begins, and tells a story of howhis dad once saw a crashed, burning car, pulled overand ran to help, and discovered that the guy trappedin the passengers seat was a friend. Mepham was known mainlyfor its wrestling program until Coach Mac arrived in1986. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. "He missed the whole first, basically, semester. Were doing this so they donthave to., In July, when Reichsteins son, an incomingfreshman, showed up for football practice, a junior onthe teamthe linemanstarted calling himand some of the other boys pussy,faggot, and cocksucker.Reichstein went to McElroy. The question has whirled aroundBellmore for weeks: Who would raise a child who woulddo this to another child? The team did it along with some guidance from my assistant coach and the parents. This story has been shared 140,209 times. There's coaches. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. Also, sleep-away sports camps will no longer be authorized by the school district, Billig said. And would you let it happen a second and third time? The conversation easily shifts to a defenseof Coach Mac. He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. You could just seehe had so much anger in him. Four days ago, hisfather died in his sleep. At a school-board meeting onOctober 1, packed with camera crews and angry parents,Superintendent Caramore tries to explain that hazingsimply doesnt happen at Mephamthatfootball was canceled not because of what the boysallegedly did but because their teammates neverreported it. } 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 I need to know for medical.' 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. After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | Dec 7, 2022. 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. 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.. A few blocks from school, Allie Pagano and Sarah Mirenda, both 14, stop at the local pizza shop, Luigi's, on their way home. Half that shit they didisnt even that bad.. Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death 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.. We're in education because we love kids.". maize high school basketball roster. MINEOLA, N.Y. -- Mepham High School football coach Kevin McElroy said Tuesday he was "shocked" by allegations that members of his varsity squad sexually abused younger players and said he. Once rated one of the best academic high schools in the nation, Mepham High is now mired in scandal. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student. The coaches, who supervised the trip, say that they had no idea any of this was happening during the camp. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. What's gonna come out of this is another parent is gonna say, 'Oh, I'm gonna make sure there's no hazing at my school.'" 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. Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? 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. College athletics are oftentimes not as glamorous as one would think. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. This is a sore pointfor Mary. Were more Jewish! another kidyells, laughing. When a. Statistically showing, at least 100,000 college football players get hurt yearly. The coach wentalong with canceling the season because he knew kidswere not coming forward. ''We don't do it in front of them,'' the teenager said, referring to the victims. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. 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. The lineman was furious. Then came the civil suit, settled for apaltry sum, to cover medical bills.Berger got threatening letters: Keep singing,Berger, and youll see.. 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. Whos going to give him thatmoney now? 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. Should they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? 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. This guysstill the head coach., Its a fact of lifein Bellmore and Merrick that the farther south you go,the more money youll find. A player tried to flush his head in a urinal. They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. 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. } Just because someone shows up and participates, doesnt not mean they deserve the same treatment as everyone else. Students ''don't know who to blame,'' said Allie. He told him to find a friend and never bealone. 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. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out. The priest declares that the father had nothingbut life ahead of him. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. Murdaugh defense team plans to appeal conviction Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. ", "Did a parent come and complain to us? 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. asks McElroy. On 10/22, the Mepham varsity football team won their home conference game against South Side (Rockville Centre, NY) by a score of 49-18. When Patty and Jimmy's son came home, he told them he had been sodomized, too. According to her, Didden said he wouldinvestigate the incident. 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.. Not, 'Coach, things aren't good over here.' Ke Huy Quan Continues His Winning Streak at the Independent Spirit Awards. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. . 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. False imprisonment. 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). 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. What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan shows just that. 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. 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. Which mayexplain why Coach Mac, in his only public statement,has concurred with Caramore. They were later suspended from classes on September 18. Youve got some Janning to do! "The question should not be the coaches should have known. But I justgot off the phone with the mother of one of thevictims, and she told me that were her bestadvocate. Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. Criminal coercion. "We're not suggesting anything about injuries. You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. What about, say, having your head flushed in a toilet? He really was.". Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. Now, McElroy and Junior Varsity Coach Art Cannestro exclusively tell their story to 48 Hours. This was a sexual attack!, Are we gonna argue about this? On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. 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. "Am I an evil person? 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. Because if these attacks are acceptedas hazing, then the school is responsible. We love kids. But even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues. "All of a sudden, you get this child who's been broken. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. 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. Mysons season has been completely fucked up! There are the ugly jokes, the signs and buttons declaring neighborhood solidarity, and for some people, new-found activism. What about the boys who were raped? On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMepham's football season. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. Students attend a pep rally at Mepham High School in Bellmore, N.Y. Everybody knew I got hazed in the lockerroom, he says. 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). And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. They had hoped that the three assailants (Phil Sofia, Ken Carney, and Tom Diasparra) would be tried as adults for the crimes. "He's victimized because I asked him to do a favor in this. By Michael Luo. Sports in Mepham isvery big.. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. Where does it end?". "He was after my son morning, noon, and night. He was benched for two years as the lawsuit creptthrough the legal system. Everyone should be so lucky.''. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic. Heresisted, and according to his version of events, heremembers a JV coach telling him to roll with it. Did a kid come and tell us? Hasnt hebeen through enough? Many have lost sight of the fact that baseball players are not the only athletes that face this life threatening addiction. 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. 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. "He's one of the victims.". Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. Mepham High School football hazing case tore Long Island apart in 2003. We love our community. 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. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. 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. On Bellmore Avenue, themain drag in town, a mile or so east of Mepham,Docs Pub serves as an unofficial class-reunionspace. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. Now even they, however, have grown weary, wishing for a return to their old life. display: block; 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. 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. We got the ball first on kick off and we made a touchdown on the first few drives.On. Go ahead. Was there anything that indicated they were injured or traumatized? ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. 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. One was sent to a boot camp, another to a juvenile treatment facility and the third returned home on probation. 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. Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of sports for many reasons and not making the team is one. During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. What's more, the 16-year-old ringleader of the assaults had his own history of disciplinary problems. You know, what could be going on? 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. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. However, it seems too important to let go. Were happy as can be, said Carol, an aunt of one of the victims. Berger produced the requiredslip of paper. But these parents say the risk to their children was greater. 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. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. Everything Everywhere All at Once has won in every category they were nominated for. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. Some parents and athletes believe equal playing time for all sports and activities is deserved all through their middle school and high school careers. "Everybody says we should just know. But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. No. Bells toll. Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. He taught us not to run away from ourproblems., How old were these kids, 16, 17? saysAndrew Longaro. Its the kind of bar where people stillsmoke and no one cares. And he told us that they were keeping them up. 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. No! #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { 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. The parents are organizing to demand that the school administration be held accountable for allowing the incident to occur, they said. No. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. 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. The coaches would have to be everywhere at thesame time, says Dave Hill. One of the attackers was allowed to attend camp despite a history of disciplinary problems and not having a permission slip. }, First published on April 12, 2004 / 5:10 PM. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. They bashed him in his head, over his back, his legs, his arms," recalls Patty, who says her son was assaulted at least 3-4 times a day. But it really happened., McElroys lawyer vehemently denies almost everyaspect of Bergers story. School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. They speak ofbroomsticks, pinecones, and golf balls. Keep yourmouth shut, the letters read, andnothing will happen to you or your family.. NEW! Considering the college scholarships that can be provided, the countless generations of players in certain families, and the homecoming activities would be pointless without it.

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