Amos scored 29 touchdowns in hisjunior year and broke all of Long Islandsrushing records. 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. This wasn't just something that happened when the lights went out.". But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. Mepham High School Football Tragedy 1056 Words | 5 Pages. Scandal at New Jersey High school reopens hazing debate On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home playoff game against Elmont Memorial (Elmont, NY) by a score of 14-7. 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.. As she accepts her Someone to Watch award on stage. As well as rebuking the attackers, the report criticizes the school system and the Pennsylvania judge who handled the cases. 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. All the while, older players watched and laughed. On a warm night in October,Mary Williams and her boyfriend, Andy Corcoran, bothMepham class of 1980, sit having a drink. We care about kids. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. The sexual assaults that occurred last summer among members of a Long Island high school football team sprang from old traditions of violent hazing that coaches and school officials could not curb, according to a report handed up yesterday by a Pennsylvania grand jury. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { 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. Stats are entered by the coach or designated team statistician in the admin. Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. Who Is Jerry Sandusky Responsible For The Crimes At Penn State ''It's got to end here. Berger produced the requiredslip of paper. He really was.". ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. What's more, the 16-year-old ringleader of the assaults had his own history of disciplinary problems. 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. Sofia LaSpina has etched her name in Long Island history. 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. Did a kid come and tell us? It was horrible. Kevin McElroy, the man in charge of the football camp and Mepham High School's head coach, has remained silent for the last six months. The team did it along with some guidance from my assistant coach and the parents. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. I dont evencare what they did.. says McElroy. The owner of the store posted a sign in his window earlier this month: ''We are Bellmore. 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. Everything Everywhere All at Once has won in every category they were nominated for. 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.. We got the ball first on kick off and we made a touchdown on the first few drives.On. These individuals hope to be part of something special, whether its achieving individual goals or team goals. He strokes his sisters hair withone hand and slides an arm around his brothersshoulders. 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. Now, McElroy and Junior Varsity Coach Art Cannestro exclusively tell their story to 48 Hours. Anyone can read what you share. 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. Long Beach. They have become activists, who say that the incident is just part of a pattern of problems in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. "The gastroenterologist said, 'What happened? 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 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. mepham high school football scandal - tourdefat.com We're checking it off. The group, which calls itself Mepham Parents 4 Change, consists of eight families, but says it is quickly gathering support. Including dishwasher-safe Japanese porcelain, two sets of French-made knives, and a sleek kettle. no.". Were more Jewish! another kidyells, laughing. Instead, they were treated as juveniles. We have more wealthy backgrounds, saysDanny. Mepham High School football hazing case tore Long Island apart in 2003. This was the 94th meeting between the two schools . 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. What about the boys who were raped? No. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. A football captain begged for the season to be reinstated, and his pleas were met with thunderous applause. So it just goes on and on. Michelle Yeoh Promises No Swearing, Only Tears During Best Lead Performance Win. And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. We love kids. Thanks for contacting us. Mepham High School Football Case Study | ipl.org Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. Sports in Mepham isvery big.. "He didn't go to school for a long time. Decent football player, though.. And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. 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. Doyou know who I am?, The freshman, trying to show a little backbone,replied: This is America. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. But they dont want to appearself-serving, he says. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Biden administrations policy of blocking unvaccinated people from the country continues to make little sense. There's coaches. They hit his headon the porcelain and he got a concussion. He wrestled instead. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' That, thelineman says, is the kind of man his father was. Some parents and athletes believe equal playing time for all sports and activities is deserved all through their middle school and high school careers. 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. 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). This story has been shared 140,209 times. MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 2022 Fall Boys Football New York: Long Island Division II. } When members of a high-school football team on Long Island were accused of sexual attacks, the community was appalled . Once the season started, eight players tackled him inthe locker room and lowered him into the toilet; thistime, he says, it contained urine. 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. 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. "I couldn't even process it in my head. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. He called the school boards decision 100 percent unjust.. The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. Go ahead. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. And his youth. Hes well known as abully. Thelinemans fathers death on October 5created one delay in moving the case forward; otherdelays have been due to the attorneys effortsto bring the case back to juvenile status, and tonegotiate their clients surrender into custody. Does heknow this for sure? Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. Theres a no-cut policy. 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. says Cannestro. Berger says his friends persuaded him to stay off theteam. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. Brackets for the 2023 NJSIAA State Wrestling Championships in Atlantic at Garden City. Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. (CNN) -- Five football coaches at a Long Island high school lost their jobs Wednesday night in fallout from an alleged . Theres no way youcant play me. School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. 28 - 13 W. 10/22/2022. This was a sexual attack!, Are we gonna argue about this? Mysons season has been completely fucked up! 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. "He was screaming. 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That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. You know, what could be going on? 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. Treat others with the respect that you wouldlike to receive. Act appropriately. Whos going to give him thatmoney now? 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. "I had a personal conversation with one of the victims daily, and not once did he indicate to me that anything was wrong," says Cannestro. I think hes adirtbag. 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? He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. "He [my son] called several times. What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan shows just that. 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. In 1994, Wesley Bergerwas a Mepham freshman, a football player with a shelfof trophiesMVP for the peewee league,fastest-runner and best-tackler awards. His dadsaved his friends life that day. asks McElroy. The coaches, who supervised the trip, say that they had no idea any of this was happening during the camp. Mepham High School Football Scandal - Nymag - New York Magazine He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. And you know, I'm panicking.". 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. But rather, in my opinion, how could the coaches have known?" Bells toll. "He was absolutely screaming. 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. 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. Anotherparent, Jim Rullo, delivers a prepared statement onbehalf of the victims families. The coaches' lawyer and officials for the Bellmore-Merrick School District did not comment on the report's findings or its criticisms. I don't have psychic skills. Andbecause we were the group with Amos, our team isetched in his memory.. In the meantime, experts say violent hazings in high schools are becoming more frequent. Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic. Thanks for contacting us. 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). Dont eventhink about sleeping at camp, he said. They also understand they will need to sacrifice time, energy, and their social life in order to achieve these goals. Dangerous Minds - CBS News Parents are paying up on school meals again. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! Students should not have to tryout for school sports. He was benched for two years as the lawsuit creptthrough the legal system. Theyre a beautiful family. 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. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. He never judged us, saysDave Lohman, class of 94. 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. We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. MEPHAM COACHES BOOTED IN HAZING SCANDAL - New York Post Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. ", Are they lying? 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. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. If three victims getanything close to that much each, it would devastatethe school districts budget. 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. I need to see a doctor,'" says Carol. 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 . *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. He suggests that broomsticks,golf balls, and pinecones are consistent withtraditional forms of hazing. "We're not suggesting anything about injuries. "They have to be lying.". It's a couple of days.' , 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? Then came the civil suit, settled for apaltry sum, to cover medical bills.Berger got threatening letters: Keep singing,Berger, and youll see.. Should a person get paid just for showing up for there a job and not actually doing anything? 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. Instead, thevictims were laughed at in the halls, calledfaggot and broomstick boy.The superintendent, Thomas Caramore, shielded theschool from inquiries at first. Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. Rullo, now a community activist for change in his school district, says he received numerous letters and phone calls, including one that said that he and his family would die. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. 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. One afternoon after practice, they air theirtheories, the chief one being that the lineman musthave been traumatized as a kid. Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of sports for many reasons and not making the team is one. The abuse occurred day and night, and young players were attacked repeatedly and forced to sodomize each other, the report says. 10/08/2022. Mepham has big hill to climb against Garden City in battle of unbeatens False imprisonment. Pertzborn and assistant coach Brad Rogeberg were made aware of the initial bullying on July 24, 2022, according to the police report. Anyplayer that wants to be on the football team can be onthe team. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. The lineman was furious. "They had bags of ice and they were bashing it all over his body until the bags broke. She says Didden said no twice.Thats when Vic stood up and called Didden aliar. No! We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. This has allowed more and more players to look to PEDs in order to gain an edge over their opponents. He quotes oneof the boys as saying, I will never trustanyone again. Hes the man of the family now. }, First published on April 12, 2004 / 5:10 PM. A school divided Students split over Central board's decision to cancel Full speed," says McElroy. Football: State record broken in Holy Spirit's Thanksgiving win over Those kids are running at full speed. On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home conference game against MacArthur (Levittown, NY) by a score of 14-7. "He said to him, 'Don't even think of sleeping at football camp. 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. 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 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. Anger, fear in wake of Mepham attacks Parents afraid after football 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. And I can't ever get that back from him," says Patty. However, some would argue to say high school football is too dangerous to keep around. And he stands where the priest stood and speaks,reading from crinkled sheets of paper rapidly, almostinaudibly, in a low monotone. Everyone laughs. 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. It devastated us. Moreover, they must spend money on equipment, clothing, and food (37). The star lineman towersover most of the other pallbearers. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. 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. During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. 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. That boy was not hurt at camp, but other kids were. Youve got some Janning to do! Over the course of five days, their sons were brutally sodomized by their teammates. 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.
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