Meet the Long Island High Schooler Who Made History With a Touchdown Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. For me, this challenge helped me develop as a person than will work harder and strive for the best in my academics. On Bellmore Avenue, themain drag in town, a mile or so east of Mepham,Docs Pub serves as an unofficial class-reunionspace. Now when they talk about Mepham, they use the wordssodomy and hazing. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. He was 40 years old. Heresisted, and according to his version of events, heremembers a JV coach telling him to roll with it. He suggests that broomsticks,golf balls, and pinecones are consistent withtraditional forms of hazing. (CNN) -- Five football coaches at a Long Island high school lost their jobs Wednesday night in fallout from an alleged . But critics say their mistakes started early. We care about kids. But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. 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. I need to see a doctor,'" says Carol. 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 even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues. L.I. Village Split Over Decision To Forfeit Game Over Hazing On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. "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. ''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. Mepham High School Football Coach Anthony Cracco's Sex Scandal Has They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. The owner of the store posted a sign in his window earlier this month: ''We are Bellmore. Most high school athletes across America share one common aspiration: play their sport at the next level in college. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. But the victims told their parents they were screaming at the top of their lungs. This is a sore pointfor Mary. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. Some parents and athletes believe equal playing time for all sports and activities is deserved all through their middle school and high school careers. 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. Football coaches fired in alleged hazing aftermath Anyone can read what you share. Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. Theyre investigating the possibility that some students were planning to attack their schoolmates. We got all new things to bring to pack. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. Amos scored 29 touchdowns in hisjunior year and broke all of Long Islandsrushing records. In that case, new players at. School Board Votes to Dismiss 5 Mepham Football Coaches Weve been 0 and 8 since 1999!says James. Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. The Biden administrations policy of blocking unvaccinated people from the country continues to make little sense. 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.'' Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. Long Beach 2022 on Oct 15, 2022, Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. Sewanhaka 2022 on Oct 29, 2022. 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. I need to know for medical.' 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. ), I knew all those kids, saysanother boy, a JV player. The group, which calls itself Mepham Parents 4 Change, consists of eight families, but says it is quickly gathering support. And he stands where the priest stood and speaks,reading from crinkled sheets of paper rapidly, almostinaudibly, in a low monotone. And I know the family of one of theattackers. He told Pennsylvaniapolice that he couldnt release informationabout a student without a subpoena. Who? Source: Football players to be tried as juveniles - CNN 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.. "Something happened in between those practices every single time, to my son. 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. West Jersey Football League all-stars: United Division, 2022. 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. The morals, the attitudes, of a Mepham student,are different, suggests another Kennedy player,Danny. 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. Yeah, that shit gotfreakin blown up. The public was barred from the hearing, but the penalties and the judges comments were disclosed by relatives of victims, lawyers and cops. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. He called the school boards decision 100 percent unjust.. Hes the man of the family now. No!! maize high school basketball roster. Dangerous Minds - CBS News Trust me been there done that, the most regretted thing about school sports for many are tryouts. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. He knows the mainkid, she says. Mepham was known mainlyfor its wrestling program until Coach Mac arrived in1986. Coach speaks out for first time on LI football team hazing allegations My sons not. The coach told Bergerhe needed a physical. I heard the kidliked it.. Subscriber Exclusive. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. 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. 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. Tryouts are the worst thing about sports, they bring nothing but more stress to your plate. } As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Long Island high school rocked by lurid football hazing scandal However, it seems too important to let go. Werent theyalready on the right track? When athletes experience head trauma, they only recover a little, which might end their career early or other times people never recover. 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. Terroristicthreats. He triedseriously to treat him as a regular kid, like nothingever happened. Sports in Mepham isvery big.. Murdaugh defense team plans to appeal conviction Nor did he suspendthe three alleged perpetrators, and as a result, theywere allowed to walk the hallways of Mepham High fornearly two weeks. Once rated one of the best academic high schools in the nation, Mepham High is now mired in scandal. She says Didden said no twice.Thats when Vic stood up and called Didden aliar. We love our children. Mephamsstudent body is pulled from the northern part of thecommunity, where there are $50,000-a-year jobs and theschool parking lot is dominated by Chevys and Fords. We got the ball first on kick off and we made a touchdown on the first few drives.On. 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. His broad shoulders are slumpedand trembling as he walks the coffin down the aisle ofSaint Barnabas Church in Bellmore, Long Island. 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. Days later, the school wentahead with its annual pep rally, in a gesture ofsupport for Coach Mac and the sidelined Pirates. 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. When trying to become a professional athlete, one must start playing sports as early as possible (Ferguson 34).Playing sports comes with many sacrifices. "The bottom line is, if we did anything wrong, we wouldn't be sitting here talking to you," says Cannestro. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. Mineral ice and especially that he now had, from the first time, a cut," says Carol. 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. "Am I an evil person? Theyre sick of reporters, andtheyre worried about the lineman. 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. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. 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. Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. A player tried to flush his head in a urinal. 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 . Carol said it appeared Conway had sentenced Sofia to the boot camp because he disliked the teens attitude. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. "We're not animals. A school divided Students split over Central board's decision to cancel Because if these attacks are acceptedas hazing, then the school is responsible. ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. All rights reserved. ''It's got to end here. Hazing scandal rocks high school | News, Sports, Jobs - Lawrence Oct. 20, 2003. Pertzborn and assistant coach Brad Rogeberg were made aware of the initial bullying on July 24, 2022, according to the police report. And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. ", "Did a parent come and complain to us? 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. 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. He was benched for two years as the lawsuit creptthrough the legal system. CNN. In the case of my four month concussion, there are residual mental and physical problems. Future of Sayreville football coaches may hinge on supervision In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. 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. Parents are paying up on school meals again. Full speed," says McElroy. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. 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. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. Did I do anything to those kids?" Vic and Kristina have done The Early Show and20/20. Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. It stated that, at the camp,. As well as rebuking the attackers, the report criticizes the school system and the Pennsylvania judge who handled the cases. Offscreen, he was one himself. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. 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. Keep yourmouth shut, the letters read, andnothing will happen to you or your family.. He said, 'Well, your son was just online and saying he can't take it anymore. That, thelineman says, is the kind of man his father was. Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. 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). But I justgot off the phone with the mother of one of thevictims, and she told me that were her bestadvocate. 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. That hasnt satisfied parents whocomplain about the lost scholarships, the deflatedhomecoming celebration, and the fund-raisers for othersports, all of which depend on football and are nowruined, theyre saying, because of a couple ofmessed-up kids. I should just sit there and go, 'Hmm, he's hazing him.' In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. 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. Imagine your best friends making the school soccer team and you getting cut, because your not ready or there is no room. 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. In the southern reachesof Long Island, nestled between the bucolic SouthernState Parkway and the fast-food joints and cardealerships on Sunrise Highway, the four small townsof Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick, and NorthMerrick make up a solid community of working- andmiddle-class families. A perfect example would be a 13-year-old Georgia student riding a school bus received a wedgie during a school hazing incident so painful that his mother took him to the emergency room. When parents came to an emergency meeting on September16 with the principal and superintendent, they heardnot mea culpas but accusations. 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. But its notthe only time I hear neighbors, even parents, floatthis notion. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. We dont beat guysup., Some of his old teammates have gathered to buy drinksfrom him. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. ''Our parents are being blamed. They were later suspended from classes on September 18. Instead, thevictims were laughed at in the halls, calledfaggot and broomstick boy.The superintendent, Thomas Caramore, shielded theschool from inquiries at first. Of course not. But rather, in my opinion, how could the coaches have known?" Long Beach. 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. They speak ofbroomsticks, pinecones, and golf balls. 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. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal . All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. 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. The way they walked? A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student demonstrationerupted behind the schoolto the delight of theTV crews camped out there. Your sonwoo hoo!Hes having fun. And he was very excited," recalls Patty. But these parents say the risk to their children was greater. Coach Mac talked to my mom, convinced us tostay. He gave his son a cellphone. Students moved from one cabin to another without the coaches' knowing, the report says. After Allegations of Abuse, A Football Season Is Canceled What Made Maddy Run by Kate Fagan shows just that. "There were no screams. And the report provides the most detailed glimpse yet into the weeklong football camp and the assaults that took place in two cabins last summer. "What constitutes a scream?" Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. Everybody knew I got hazed in the lockerroom, he says. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. The incident angered the victim's mother, who. Were happy as can be, said Carol, an aunt of one of the victims. We have more wealthy backgrounds, saysDanny. Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. Did either coach notice anything on these children's faces? Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. The Bellmore-Merrick school boards decision not to rehire the coaches next year has taken a stake and driven it right through the heart of the community again, said head coach Kevin McElroy. Tell us how you did it coach. These words were forced into my face with a camera lens almost resting against my cheeks (page 395). 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. Students have pushed their bodies to the limits, causing extreme injury that will hold them back from sports in the future. In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. 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. I don't have psychic skills. Theres no way youcant play me. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "The kid who just made the tackle," says Cannestro, identifying one of the players on the tape. I want to bepart of the team.. 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! Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Scandal at New Jersey High school reopens hazing debate #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. Andbecause we were the group with Amos, our team isetched in his memory.. The Mepham-Garden City football game this week could be a juicy one. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. 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. I think hes adirtbag. The report criticized the Wayne County judge, Robert Conway, for his decision not to move the attackers' cases from juvenile to adult court. I dont evencare what they did.. What's more, before camp, parents Victor and Kristina Reichstein say Carney threatened their 13-year-old son. "My son came forward, did something that he did not want to do. 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. NEW! There are the ugly jokes, the signs and buttons declaring neighborhood solidarity, and for some people, new-found activism. The coaches are suing to get their jobs back. Im theprincipal, he said, and Illdecide who can go on the trip. The lineman wasallowed to go to camp. 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. 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 - nymag.com 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. They could be home as early as next month. "All of a sudden, you get this child who's been broken. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. Mepham High School Football Case Study | ipl.org A few blocks from school, Allie Pagano and Sarah Mirenda, both 14, stop at the local pizza shop, Luigi's, on their way home. Now even they, however, have grown weary, wishing for a return to their old life. } Sofia LaSpina first Long Island female football player to score TD You could just seehe had so much anger in him. Everyone laughs. The coaches' lawyer and officials for the Bellmore-Merrick School District did not comment on the report's findings or its criticisms. At last nights meeting, one player called the coaches caring role models, and team captain Dan Cosenza hugged McElroy. What about, say, having your head flushed in a toilet? Theyre big football players who look andact like football players, says Jesse.Big and aggressive., The lineman was yelled at a lot,remembers another boy. "I assumed he was homesick, so I said, 'Stick it out. He's back home on Long Island. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. "He was robbed of his innocence. Report Says Hazing Culture Led to Attacks On 3 Athletes Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; He was always in troubleat school, but not in football. 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.'" 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. 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). Privacy Policy and I think they hated me because I introduced the pull-up to their strength and conditioning program. 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. 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. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. South Side 2022 on Oct 22, 2022. ", Are they lying? But are they really fortunate? It has been 11 years since three football players, ages 15 to 17, from Mepham High School in Bellmore, New York, were criminally charged with sodomizing teammates during a preseason.