The incident angered the victim's mother, who. Should they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. Ke Huy Quan Continues His Winning Streak at the Independent Spirit Awards. He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! Please enter valid email address to continue. 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). 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. One student lifts up another and dumps him, legs flailing, in a bush. In the case of my four month concussion, there are residual mental and physical problems. Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. display: block; 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. Treat others with the respect that you wouldlike to receive. Act appropriately. Waiting outside in front of the hearseis a police escort, to ward off the media. They could be home as early as next month. 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. One was sent to a boot camp, another to a juvenile treatment facility and the third returned home on probation. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. 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. Thats when Berger says Coach Mac lunged athimhis hand reaching the boys throat. Because if these attacks are acceptedas hazing, then the school is responsible. When members of a high-school football team on Long Island were accused of sexual attacks, the community was appalled . Did a kid come and tell us? What I know about the Berger incident isit did not involve hazing. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. Students ''don't know who to blame,'' said Allie. "Am I an evil person? (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. They were later suspended from classes on September 18. But critics say their mistakes started early. He quotes oneof the boys as saying, I will never trustanyone again. 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. 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. '', ''This is a wake-up call,'' said the father of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his son. 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. Relatives of the victims, 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, expressed satisfaction at the outcome. 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. If three victims getanything close to that much each, it would devastatethe school districts budget. 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. This was a sexual attack!, Are we gonna argue about this? "We're not suggesting anything about injuries. At this point, though, those feelings have mostly worn off, replaced by a different set of reactions, from weary resolve to dark humor. It looks like a tasty treat for any high school football fan. Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. CNN. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. 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 . 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. Theres no way youcant play me. School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. 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. The question has whirled aroundBellmore for weeks: Who would raise a child who woulddo this to another child? "Not once. 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. Diasparra cut a deal and received probation. Youre old enough to knowwhat youre doing., I had some friends who were older, saysMcDermott. A minivan with two others whizzes by, music blaring. 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. On a warm night in October,Mary Williams and her boyfriend, Andy Corcoran, bothMepham class of 1980, sit having a drink. The lineman was furious. Football is important to the high school experience and different familys history around the world. I need to know for medical.' Mepham High School Football Coach Anthony Cracco's Sex Scandal Has Bellmore . .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { } He was always in troubleat school, but not in football. Mepham High School Football Tragedy 1056 Words | 5 Pages. Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | Dec 7, 2022. "He was after my son morning, noon, and night. Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 28 - 13 W. 10/22/2022. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. He called the school boards decision 100 percent unjust.. And his youth. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. "The question should not be the coaches should have known. All the while, older players watched and laughed. 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. The coaches let him go, the report says, ''because he was a good football player. A day later, the three alleged victims are stillhaving broomsticks thrown at them from cars in theparking lot. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. 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. 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. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. When I was in ninth grade, says Lohman,my father died and my mother wanted to move toFlorida. The parents are organizing to demand that the school administration be held accountable for allowing the incident to occur, they said. But he wonders whether whathappened at camp could have been prevented if hehadnt settled his lawsuit. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. 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 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. "Everybody says we should just know. The report criticized the Wayne County judge, Robert Conway, for his decision not to move the attackers' cases from juvenile to adult court. Did I do anything to those kids?" Go ahead. Terms of Service apply. No. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. All the negative attention has galvanized them, they said. Most are no longer talking about the issue publicly, tired of the maelstrom of feelings that is stirred each time. 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. But the school board was unswayed by the coaches defenders. "He was absolutely screaming. The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. And don't you dare tell,'" says Kristina, who lobbied to get Carney thrown off the trip. 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. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. Keep yourmouth shut, the letters read, andnothing will happen to you or your family.. That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. Other players laughed, the report said. Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? We love our children. He never judged us, saysDave Lohman, class of 94. Not a wink. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. And he was very excited," recalls Patty. Theyre a beautiful family. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. Then came the civil suit, settled for apaltry sum, to cover medical bills.Berger got threatening letters: Keep singing,Berger, and youll see.. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. 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 15-year-old wide receiver became the first female football player in Long Island history to score a touchdown Saturday night, when. Reichstein called Didden, whose reply, according toReichstein, was that there was no hazing at Mepham,because if there were, wed cancelfootball season. (Didden and his attorney didnot return repeated calls.) 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. What's more, the 16-year-old ringleader of the assaults had his own history of disciplinary problems. Does heknow this for sure? Offscreen, he was one himself. The transition to college is not a walk in the park, but add a rigorous summer conditioning program, two-a-days everyday, and the pressures of coaches you have yet to impress, and you have a recipe for disaster. He gave his son a cellphone. And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' In 1994, Wesley Bergerwas a Mepham freshman, a football player with a shelfof trophiesMVP for the peewee league,fastest-runner and best-tackler awards. They reallycouldnt do anything about it. Everyone laughs. 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.. 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. But rather, in my opinion, how could the coaches have known?" "He came to me and said, 'I'm bleeding. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. If such a policy had been in place, one of the attackers would not have been allowed at the camp, the report says. Thanks for contacting us. This story has been shared 140,209 times. Ultimately, its gonnabe a civil case. Abner Louima sued the New YorkPolice Department for $155 million, eventuallysettling for $8.75 million. Youth sports are becoming too intense for young children to keep up with. Theyre sick of reporters, andtheyre worried about the lineman. ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. Where does it end?". He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. It devastated us. Long Beach. During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. A player tried to flush his head in a urinal. 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. maize high school basketball roster. When Patty and Jimmy's son came home, he told them he had been sodomized, too. Theyre investigating the possibility that some students were planning to attack their schoolmates. This guysstill the head coach., Its a fact of lifein Bellmore and Merrick that the farther south you go,the more money youll find. He did more for me than any coach ever. Are you on crack? Hisfriend was a captain on the team, he maybe was gonnaget a scholarship. Andbecause we were the group with Amos, our team isetched in his memory.. Most of themare yelling. However, some would argue to say high school football is too dangerous to keep around. 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. Full speed," says McElroy. Tryouts are the worst thing about sports, they bring nothing but more stress to your plate. And he told us that they were keeping them up. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. If you do something wrong, youd better go home and pack your toothbrush because youll pay the consequences, he told the teen. 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? 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. Privacy Policy and At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. Clutching their schoolbooks in their arms, Allie and Sarah said they actually felt tremendous pride in their school these days. Which mayexplain why Coach Mac, in his only public statement,has concurred with Caramore. 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. The school's 2003 football season was canceled amid allegations that three varsity football players sexually assaulted three . Youve got some Janning to do! But I justgot off the phone with the mother of one of thevictims, and she told me that were her bestadvocate. at Garden City. Mysons season has been completely fucked up! That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. He's back home on Long Island. Since returning from camp, he has barely slept. Were happy as can be, said Carol, an aunt of one of the victims. Students have pushed their bodies to the limits, causing extreme injury that will hold them back from sports in the future. Wesley?Wesley was a nasty rat bastard! Students should not have to tryout for school sports. And you know, I'm panicking.". Theres a no-cut policy. This story has been shared 140,209 times. And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. 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. He never brought this incident toMcElroys attention; he must have brought it tothe JV coachs attention. 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. Now, McElroy and Junior Varsity Coach Art Cannestro exclusively tell their story to 48 Hours. But the victims told their parents they were screaming at the top of their lungs. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. The football players were unfairly penalized by the sanctions that were placed on the team. . And coming in, you expect it.Youre ready for it., From what I heard, the guys stuck his head inthe toilet, and that was it. He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. They did not come to help me.Rullo quotes the parent of that child as blamingprincipal John Didden, who did not protect mychild., Four days later, Rullo and two other parents who spokereceive identical profanity-laced letters in the mail,warning that if they keep speaking out, theyllalso get the broomstick treatment. High schools on Long Island have led a crackdown on rough-housing since the 2003 Mepham High School football training camp hazing scandal rocked the nation. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. 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 A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their . "My son came forward, did something that he did not want to do. I'm grabbing all the medication out of my cabinet and looking for everything that I think he's gonna hurt himself. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. Rick Scott Is Unfortunately Right About Novak Djokovic. A football captain begged for the season to be reinstated, and his pleas were met with thunderous applause. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Not like Wesley Berger, Vic says.Hes overexposed.. 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. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. He was one of four captains chosen by CoachMac his senior season. I need to see a doctor,'" says Carol. Throughout September, a question hung in the air:Would Wayne County district attorney Mark Zimmer trythe boys as adults, which would mean that each couldface up to twenty years in prison? I want to bepart of the team.. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. These parents are now lobbying for a national hazing law, one with severe penalties. "These boys were like 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches, and roughly 250 lbs. Half that shit they didisnt even that bad.. After Dax Shepard asked her about her musical chairs relationship situation. We got all new things to bring to pack. Days later, the school wentahead with its annual pep rally, in a gesture ofsupport for Coach Mac and the sidelined Pirates. 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. 49 - 18 W. I think hes adirtbag. Amos scored 29 touchdowns in hisjunior year and broke all of Long Islandsrushing records. Weve been 0 and 8 since 1999!says James. McElroy and his coaching staff claim they had no responsibility for a vicious alleged hazing incident at a training camp in Pennsylvania in August. The coaches are suing to get their jobs back. 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. We have more wealthy backgrounds, saysDanny. Hes the man of the family now. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. But the grand jury did not find the coaches criminally negligent. No!! No," says McElroy. So it just goes on and on. During his career, the prolific actor inhabited an array of troubled characters. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. "We have a clip of the JV football scrimmage," says McElroy, who believes it proves that there was nothing obviously wrong. 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. Werent theyalready on the right track? It's, like, they're monsters," says Patty. Trust me been there done that, the most regretted thing about school sports for many are tryouts. 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. On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home playoff game against Elmont Memorial (Elmont, NY) by a score of 14-7. The team did it along with some guidance from my assistant coach and the parents. South Side. They demanded that the boy be barred from camp but were rebuffed, they said. 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. I notice when they're injured. It stated that, at the camp,. In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. He had his little list. This incident could have been foreseeable by the coaches, and possibly the administration, if the coach reported anything to the principal and athletic director. Also it brings down students self esteem. Did either coach notice anything on these children's faces? For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. Doyou know who I am?, The freshman, trying to show a little backbone,replied: This is America. This is hard tosayI know he was a good coach and a lot of kidsliked him. Subscriber Exclusive. Trending News Who? Soon after the first revelations of the attacks, the Reichsteins reached out to newspapers and television stations with their story. She says Didden said no twice.Thats when Vic stood up and called Didden aliar. The morals, the attitudes, of a Mepham student,are different, suggests another Kennedy player,Danny. Those kids are running at full speed. 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. But even those who are, still have an astonishingly low chance at making the professional leagues. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMepham's football season. Anyplayer that wants to be on the football team can be onthe team. Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. . You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. 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. He was benched for two years as the lawsuit creptthrough the legal system. 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. '', Report Says Hazing Culture Led to Attacks On 3 Athletes, https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/11/nyregion/report-says-hazing-culture-led-to-attacks-on-3-athletes.html. One afternoon after practice, they air theirtheories, the chief one being that the lineman musthave been traumatized as a kid. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. 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. They hit his headon the porcelain and he got a concussion. Anyone can read what you share. Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. The school also erred by putting the coaches in one cabin and leaving the players in other cabins, supervised only by an older teammate, the report says.
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