Mepham High School Football Tragedy 1056 Words | 5 Pages. 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. 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. This story has been shared 140,209 times. 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. The victims didn't tell us. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMephams football season. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. Nothing.". Hisfriend was a captain on the team, he maybe was gonnaget a scholarship. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. display: block; How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. Also, sleep-away sports camps will no longer be authorized by the school district, Billig said. Sports in Mepham isvery big.. 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? Mepham was known mainlyfor its wrestling program until Coach Mac arrived in1986. 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. Everyone should be so lucky.''. I went to summerschool with them. The lineman, he says,was always starting fights. And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. The coaches, who supervised the trip, say that they had no idea any of this was happening during the camp. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. If such a policy had been in place, one of the attackers would not have been allowed at the camp, the report says. ''It's got to end here. This was the 94th meeting between the two schools . 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. Offscreen, he was one himself. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. 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. Im theprincipal, he said, and Illdecide who can go on the trip. The lineman wasallowed to go to camp. . Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. Mineral ice and especially that he now had, from the first time, a cut," says Carol. We love our community. After all, theywerent just studentsthey wereathletes.. We got the ball first on kick off and we made a touchdown on the first few drives.On. The report criticized the Wayne County judge, Robert Conway, for his decision not to move the attackers' cases from juvenile to adult court. She says Didden said no twice.Thats when Vic stood up and called Didden aliar. I think hes adirtbag. "Did I tell the perpetrators to go and do that to those kids? Oct. 20, 2003. 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. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. "They have to be lying.". Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. 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 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. Including intelligent heated gloves, soothing foot rollers, and classic cabbage-shaped servingware. 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. They were carried outover several nights, with several victims, one of whomrequired surgery for his injuries. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. It's, like, they're monsters," says Patty. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. 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 also understand they will need to sacrifice time, energy, and their social life in order to achieve these goals. He's back home on Long Island. And he was very excited," recalls Patty. 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. The coach told Bergerhe needed a physical. The issue of blame, however, continues to polarize parents and promises to loom larger as the criminal case moves ahead. All five lost their coaching positions. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { He said his surgery was a success, but he needs time to heal before he can tour again. They feel a sense of guilt and shame that holds them back from saying anything and we see this is the Mepham High School Football case. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student demonstrationerupted behind the schoolto the delight of theTV crews camped out there. 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. Heand a group of kids have me surrounded. Trust me been there done that, the most regretted thing about school sports for many are tryouts. The star lineman towersover most of the other pallbearers. Whether its being in thelocker room, making sure everybodys on the samepage, rallying the troops, or making sureeveryones focused on the task at hand., How do you weed out the undisciplined players?On any high-school team, the seniors give you alittle bit of a hard time, he says. "And if you had a broomstick stuck up your rectum, you'd be screaming and fighting forever to make sure that didn't happen, wouldn't you? 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. All rights reserved. Were happy as can be, said Carol, an aunt of one of the victims. One was sent to a boot camp, another to a juvenile treatment facility and the third returned home on probation. Go ahead. Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. West Jersey Football League all-stars: United Division, 2022. No. Berger produced the requiredslip of paper. Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. These individuals hope to be part of something special, whether its achieving individual goals or team goals. Moreover, they must spend money on equipment, clothing, and food (37). On a warm night in October,Mary Williams and her boyfriend, Andy Corcoran, bothMepham class of 1980, sit having a drink. Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! 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. 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. Try as they might to rid themselves of it, students, parents and other residents are finding that the incident is now woven into the fabric of life here. 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. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. Theres no way youcant play me. (Smith/AP) Last week's criminal charges involving six New Mexico high school football players alleged to have sexually . On 11/4, the Mepham varsity football team won their home conference game against MacArthur (Levittown, NY) by a score of 14-7. 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. OK? Including dishwasher-safe Japanese porcelain, two sets of French-made knives, and a sleek kettle. Instead, thevictims were laughed at in the halls, calledfaggot and broomstick boy.The superintendent, Thomas Caramore, shielded theschool from inquiries at first. The team did it along with some guidance from my assistant coach and the parents. In the bunks, 17-year-old players were assigned to watch over 13-year-old boys. But rather, in my opinion, how could the coaches have known?" I said, 'What's the matter?' 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. I don't have psychic skills. "The question should not be the coaches should have known. At last nights meeting, one player called the coaches caring role models, and team captain Dan Cosenza hugged McElroy. 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. 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. Now even they, however, have grown weary, wishing for a return to their old life. Meanwhile, Nassau police on Monday found a found a cache of weapons near the school including baseball bats and golf clubs. 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. My sons not. What's more, the 16-year-old ringleader of the assaults had his own history of disciplinary problems. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. Conway could have sentenced the three including Phil Sofia, 17, and Ken Carney, 16 to juvenile jail until they turned 21 or he could have given them probation. 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. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. "He came to me and said, 'I'm bleeding. Know what is expected andacceptable. Be responsible. Doyou know who I am?, The freshman, trying to show a little backbone,replied: This is America. Football is important to the high school experience and different familys history around the world. This story has been shared 140,209 times. But critics say their mistakes started early. Days later, the school wentahead with its annual pep rally, in a gesture ofsupport for Coach Mac and the sidelined Pirates. 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 . We've received your submission. "He didn't go to school for a long time. Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death The lineman was furious. Some parents and athletes believe equal playing time for all sports and activities is deserved all through their middle school and high school careers. After the coacheswent to sleep in their own cabin, at least threemembers of the team, ages 15, 16, and 17, allegedlyrubbed heat-producing mineral ice on broomsticks,pinecones, and golf balls and used those items topenetrate at least three freshman players while therest of the boys in the cabin all bore witness. It stated that, at the camp,. Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. During the recessional, he submits to a seeminglyendless succession of embracesmuch like theones he received from his former teammates last nightat the wake. ", Are they lying? "I couldn't even process it in my head. Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? The conversation easily shifts to a defenseof Coach Mac. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. What LAppartement 4F Co-owner Ashley Coiffard Put on Her Wedding Registry. 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. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. I'm grabbing all the medication out of my cabinet and looking for everything that I think he's gonna hurt himself. The issue spans to not only the professional level, but the high school and collegiate divisions as well. Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. Where does it end?". The answer to all those questions is no.". But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. Because if these attacks are acceptedas hazing, then the school is responsible. "These boys were like 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches, and roughly 250 lbs. Mepham High School football head coach Anthony Cracco says LaSpina is the perfect role model for anyone who wants to just play because she worked hard and never got discouraged, adding there's a . That washazing! Over the course of five days, their sons were brutally sodomized by their teammates. Weve been 0 and 8 since 1999!says James. Kids in the bunks didn't tell us. I ask. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. Did a kid come and tell us? Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. 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. Does heknow this for sure? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He wrestled instead. But the happy boys these parents sent to camp last summer didn't return that way. When the allegations surfaced in early September, the three accused teenagers were suspended from Mepham High School's football team. Thanks for contacting us. Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. These towns lost seventeenpeople in the World Trade Center attacks.Theyre places whose kids go to college locallyand then settle here and raise families. And I can't ever get that back from him," says Patty. maize high school basketball roster. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. Other players laughed, the report said. This has allowed more and more players to look to PEDs in order to gain an edge over their opponents. 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. Once the season started, eight players tackled him inthe locker room and lowered him into the toilet; thistime, he says, it contained urine. I heard the kidliked it.. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. display: none; At 1:21 p.m. last Friday, the Mepham High School football and cheerleading squads should have rushed onto Mepham's field for a By the end of three exciting days in Atlantic City, 14 champions will emerge at the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics State . Jonathan Anderson gets one of the first qualities of great fashion that it has to feel a bit strange. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. , 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? asks McElroy. Of course not. Anyone can read what you share. '', 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. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. 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. Terroristicthreats. It stated that, at the camp,. Not, 'Coach, things aren't good over here.' He taught us not to run away from ourproblems., How old were these kids, 16, 17? saysAndrew Longaro. 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. Kids have come to practice Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday, and Friday to get better, while their academics are suffering. 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.'' And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' The Biden administrations policy of blocking unvaccinated people from the country continues to make little sense. It's a couple of days.' College athletics are oftentimes not as glamorous as one would think. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. MacArthur 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. I need to see a doctor,'" says Carol. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. 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). And I know the family of one of theattackers. False imprisonment. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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.. "Standing up and giving a 'rah, rah' when my son and the other boys are hurting in this way is so disrespectful. some by the crimes, others by the cancellation of the season. But it really happened., McElroys lawyer vehemently denies almost everyaspect of Bergers story. Due to the poormoral character of your children, Kristina saysCaramore told the parents, this investigationis not moving forward. She stood up and askedDidden twice if any child had been threatened beforethe camp incidents. It was just too outrageous," says Jimmy. The abuse occurred day and night, and young players were attacked repeatedly and forced to sodomize each other, the report says. That was until Berger started practicethe August before his freshman year. School administrators, however, let him get on the bus anyway. McElroy and his coaching staff claim they had no responsibility for a vicious alleged hazing incident at a training camp in Pennsylvania in August. Were more Jewish! another kidyells, laughing. 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.'" Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. 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). Four days ago, hisfather died in his sleep. Students moved from one cabin to another without the coaches' knowing, the report says. There were no screams like that.". He even threatened teachers. Hes well known as abully. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.) "He's one of the victims.". 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. 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. October 11, 2014 / 7:28 PM / AP. Should they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? 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. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. 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. But the school board was unswayed by the coaches defenders. And would you let it happen a second and third time? There's coaches. Those kids are running at full speed. This password will be used to sign into all, I Inherited Millions From My Mother, and Everyone Knows, Shania Twain Gives Rare Update on Her Ex-Husband and Ex-BFF, Journey Should Probably Go Their Separate Ways, 10 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Glass Jars to Guayabera Shirts. During his career, the prolific actor inhabited an array of troubled characters. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. 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. 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. He was benched for two years as the lawsuit creptthrough the legal system. Yeah, that shit gotfreakin blown up. 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. Treat others with the respect that you wouldlike to receive. Act appropriately. Stats are entered by the coach or designated team statistician in the admin. Criminal coercion. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMepham's football season. ", "Did a parent come and complain to us? 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. We're going to all the sports stores. Werent theyalready on the right track? Youve got some Janning to do! He gave his son a cellphone. When Patty and Jimmy's son came home, he told them he had been sodomized, too. 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. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. 28 - 13 W. 10/22/2022. Some have hired lawyers for their children. Parents are paying up on school meals again. In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. And he told us that they were keeping them up. High school coaches should not be required to give equal playing time to all players who make the team. Afew miles awaysouth of Sunrise Highway, down bythe blue water of East BayBMWs and Lexuses fillthe lot at the rival high school, John F. Kennedy.This was Amy Fishers high schoolthe richschool. But are they really fortunate? NEW! He was one of four captains chosen by CoachMac his senior season.

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