mepham high school football scandal

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. Andbecause we were the group with Amos, our team isetched in his memory.. 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. } Treat others with the respect that you wouldlike to receive. Act appropriately. We're checking it off. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. 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. What LAppartement 4F Co-owner Ashley Coiffard Put on Her Wedding Registry. "Not once. ''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. Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have broken up after he allegedly cheated on her with Raquel Leviss. It stated that, at the camp,. CNN. Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. 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. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. What about, say, having your head flushed in a toilet? We're going to all the sports stores. Of course this thing escalated tosodomy, Berger says. Please enter valid email address to continue. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. He triedseriously to treat him as a regular kid, like nothingever happened. Students ''don't know who to blame,'' said Allie. 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. All rights reserved. The Nassau Conference II showdown between these two unbeatens has . But these parents say the risk to their children was greater. Other players laughed, the report said. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. His dadsaved his friends life that day. So, no., But, you know, says McDermott, ifthey wanted to do it? Berger says his friends persuaded him to stay off theteam. 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 went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. "I assumed he was homesick, so I said, 'Stick it out. Tryouts are the worst thing about sports, they bring nothing but more stress to your plate. Travis Barkers Finger Is Now the Enema of Blink-182 Fans. When the allegations surfaced in early September, the three accused teenagers were suspended from Mepham High School's football team. 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. "I couldn't even process it in my head. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their . 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. 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. 49 - 18 W. 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. He alwayslistened. For Carol's son, it doesn't end. 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. The problem was with thekidsand with the parents who brought them upthat way., Sothe parents. The football players were unfairly penalized by the sanctions that were placed on the team. display: block; Over the course of five days, their sons were brutally sodomized by their teammates. But even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues. And his youth. 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. maize high school basketball roster. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. 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). In the bunks, 17-year-old players were assigned to watch over 13-year-old boys. I think the kids covered it up to saveCoach Mac and save their season., Tending bar at Docs is Rob McDermott, class of95. McElroy hadnothing to do with this kid, Joe Rosenthalsays. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. Whos going to give him thatmoney now? Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. "They had bags of ice and they were bashing it all over his body until the bags broke. 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. Offscreen, he was one himself. Regardless, I was all about making them the best well-rounded people before they head into the cruel world. But its notthe only time I hear neighbors, even parents, floatthis notion. Thanks for contacting us. When trying to become a professional athlete, one must start playing sports as early as possible (Ferguson 34).Playing sports comes with many sacrifices. In recent years, the Pirates havent done aswell, losing roughly as many games as theyvewon, but the coach remains a local legendafather figure who welcomes players to his house forbarbecues with his teenage daughters in attendance.Its not surprising, then, that McElroy and theadministration would be the first stop on thewhos-to-blame tour. The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. We dont beat guysup., Some of his old teammates have gathered to buy drinksfrom him. 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. 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. 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? All five lost their coaching positions. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. In practice, theyd put meon the B squad and Id tear up the Asquad. He says he stayed on the team for twoyears but was allowed on the field only once,returning a kickoff 50 yards. The coach wentalong with canceling the season because he knew kidswere not coming forward. 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. 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. And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. I'm grabbing all the medication out of my cabinet and looking for everything that I think he's gonna hurt himself. Four days ago, hisfather died in his sleep. They speak ofbroomsticks, pinecones, and golf balls. A player tried to flush his head in a urinal. You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. "The question should not be the coaches should have known. Pertzborn and assistant coach Brad Rogeberg were made aware of the initial bullying on July 24, 2022, according to the police report. But rather, in my opinion, how could the coaches have known?" Murdaugh defense team plans to appeal conviction Wesley?Wesley was a nasty rat bastard! Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. 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. 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.'" 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. By Michael Luo. Nor did he suspendthe three alleged perpetrators, and as a result, theywere allowed to walk the hallways of Mepham High fornearly two weeks. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. I said, 'What's the matter?' At last nights meeting, one player called the coaches caring role models, and team captain Dan Cosenza hugged McElroy. Nothing.". Once each school year, older Mepham students would beat up younger ones on school grounds in a ritual called ''Freshman Friday,'' the grand jury found. 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. After all, theywerent just studentsthey wereathletes.. This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. "He didn't go to school for a long time. 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. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. Hes well known as abully. There's coaches. ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. Every year parents and students of local schools can come and enjoy seeing kids of their community playing football, which could make a player's future bright, and a grandparent proud. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. If such a policy had been in place, one of the attackers would not have been allowed at the camp, the report says. Parents demanded:Shouldnt they have been there to stop theseboys? Anyone can read what you share. He went to camp but didntstay in the fated cabin. Most of themare yelling. 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. He was always in troubleat school, but not in football. Although some parents claim that their child has felt so defeated by an unsuccessful tryout that they dont want to continue with the sport, this is not always what happens. Were more Jewish! another kidyells, laughing. Those kids are running at full speed. 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. All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. But they dont want to appearself-serving, he says. } Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. "He's one of the victims.". The owner of the store posted a sign in his window earlier this month: ''We are Bellmore. That was until Berger started practicethe August before his freshman year. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. 18 - 35 L. 10/15/2022. 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. A failure can be a downward spiral or a setback turning into a benefit. The question has whirled aroundBellmore for weeks: Who would raise a child who woulddo this to another child? 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. Some have hired lawyers for their children. Amos scored 29 touchdowns in hisjunior year and broke all of Long Islandsrushing records. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "We have a clip of the JV football scrimmage," says McElroy, who believes it proves that there was nothing obviously wrong. Youth sports are becoming too intense for young children to keep up with. He told Pennsylvaniapolice that he couldnt release informationabout a student without a subpoena. That washazing! On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMephams football season. "They couldn't be further from the truth," says Cannestro. Its the kind of bar where people stillsmoke and no one cares. Hasnt hebeen through enough? Go to the back of theline.. "He was screaming. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. 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 I want to thank my assistant coach who is the baseball expert. The star lineman towersover most of the other pallbearers. Ke Huy Quan Continues His Winning Streak at the Independent Spirit Awards. There's supervision, like any other school event.". This story has been shared 140,209 times. 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. 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. 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. These towns lost seventeenpeople in the World Trade Center attacks.Theyre places whose kids go to college locallyand then settle here and raise families. The public was barred from the hearing, but the penalties and the judges comments were disclosed by relatives of victims, lawyers and cops. 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.'' Many have lost sight of the fact that baseball players are not the only athletes that face this life threatening addiction. He was 40 years old. ''People just want to move on,'' said one teenager, sucking on his cigarette. That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. I think they hated me because I introduced the pull-up to their strength and conditioning program. (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . Broomsticks dipped in mineral ice, a kind of liquid heat, golf balls, pine cones and toothbrushes, were all pushed into the boy's rectums. Werent theyalready on the right track? The lineman was furious. ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. Parents are paying up on school meals again. Since returning from camp, he has barely slept. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh '', ''This is a wake-up call,'' said the father of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his son. Trust me been there done that, the most regretted thing about school sports for many are tryouts. They could be home as early as next month. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. A day later, the three alleged victims are stillhaving broomsticks thrown at them from cars in theparking lot. Did either coach notice anything on these children's faces? According to her, Didden said he wouldinvestigate the incident. 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. Into the locker! He taught us not to run away from ourproblems., How old were these kids, 16, 17? saysAndrew Longaro. Michelle Yeoh Promises No Swearing, Only Tears During Best Lead Performance Win. Mary explodes. "He was robbed of his innocence. For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. Dominick Novello #2, Mepham quarterback, throws a pass during a rain-filled Nassau County football Conference II semifinal against Long Beach at Shuart Stadium on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. The coaches' lawyer and officials for the Bellmore-Merrick School District did not comment on the report's findings or its criticisms. The parents are organizing to demand that the school administration be held accountable for allowing the incident to occur, they said. He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. That boy was not hurt at camp, but other kids were. 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. Were happy as can be, said Carol, an aunt of one of the victims. Tell me why I should just know? Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. 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. 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. !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. display: none; There were no screams like that.". Did I do anything to those kids?" The kid that did it, I feel so bad forhim, the boy says. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. There are the ugly jokes, the signs and buttons declaring neighborhood solidarity, and for some people, new-found activism. The conversation easily shifts to a defenseof Coach Mac. I heard the kidliked it.. 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. No. Ultimately, its gonnabe a civil case. Abner Louima sued the New YorkPolice Department for $155 million, eventuallysettling for $8.75 million. Thanks for contacting us. says Cannestro. ), I knew all those kids, saysanother boy, a JV player. And he was very excited," recalls Patty. These individuals hope to be part of something special, whether its achieving individual goals or team goals. 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. Jonathan Anderson gets one of the first qualities of great fashion that it has to feel a bit strange. "He [my son] called several times. Anyone can read what you share. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; ut austin undergraduate majors Newsletter . She says Didden said no twice.Thats when Vic stood up and called Didden aliar. He knows the mainkid, she says. Did a kid come and tell us? Football is important to the high school experience and different familys history around the world. "There's nothing anyone else could have done differently," adds Cannestro. Who? We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. 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. "What constitutes a scream?" Not like Wesley Berger, Vic says.Hes overexposed.. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. The abuse occurred day and night, and young players were attacked repeatedly and forced to sodomize each other, the report says. Theres fury and finger-pointingandopportunityon all sides in this corner of LongIsland. The issue spans to not only the professional level, but the high school and collegiate divisions as well. Dont eventhink about sleeping at camp, he said. Mepham High School football hazing case tore Long Island apart in 2003. School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. "We're not animals. This is a sore pointfor Mary. We said, 'Are they hurting you?' One was sent to a boot camp, another to a juvenile treatment facility and the third returned home on probation. McElroy and his coaching staff claim they had no responsibility for a vicious alleged hazing incident at a training camp in Pennsylvania in August. Most are no longer talking about the issue publicly, tired of the maelstrom of feelings that is stirred each time. Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, I'm a professional cleaner ditch these 4 household products immediately, Shoeless Ariana Madix awkwardly tries to avoid cheating Tom Sandoval, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Prince Harry says psychedelics are fundamental part of his life, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss planned to tell Ariana Madix about affair. The third player in the Mepham HS hazing scandal was sentenced to probation after he made a deal with prosecutors and provided information. He's back home on Long Island. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. Theyre investigating the possibility that some students were planning to attack their schoolmates. However, some would argue to say high school football is too dangerous to keep around. Hisfriend was a captain on the team, he maybe was gonnaget a scholarship.

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