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But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. One afternoon after practice, they air theirtheories, the chief one being that the lineman musthave been traumatized as a kid. "He didn't go to school for a long time. False imprisonment. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. "There were no screams. OK? On a Friday morning in August, 60 kids were droppedoff for the bus ride to Pennsylvania. He did more for me than any coach ever. They bashed him in his head, over his back, his legs, his arms," recalls Patty, who says her son was assaulted at least 3-4 times a day. 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 . Most students, the girls say, have not gotten caught up in the anger and recrimination that have divided their parents. No," says McElroy. The coaches let him go, the report says, ''because he was a good football player. The issue of blame, however, continues to polarize parents and promises to loom larger as the criminal case moves ahead. 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. "There's nothing anyone else could have done differently," adds Cannestro. There's coaches. And people who might have had the chance to prevent this incident are not being held accountable.''. He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. At last nights meeting, one player called the coaches caring role models, and team captain Dan Cosenza hugged McElroy. Those kids are running at full speed. Hes the man of the family now. Now, McElroy and Junior Varsity Coach Art Cannestro exclusively tell their story to 48 Hours. Anyplayer that wants to be on the football team can be onthe team. 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. Also it brings down students self esteem. Most of themare yelling. He's back home on Long Island. ''Despite these warnings and policies, the players all expected hazing to take place in one form or another at the camp,'' the report said. McElroy was practically a secondfather to Zereoue when the running back moved to ahome for wayward boys in Bellmorearriving, toMephams good fortune, at the start of hishigh-school career. The boy, wearing a regulation backward baseball cap,is standing at the schools west entrance. 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. No! "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? Everyone should be so lucky.''. All rights reserved. But rather, in my opinion, how could the coaches have known?" Thanks for contacting us. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' Because if these attacks are acceptedas hazing, then the school is responsible. But critics say their mistakes started early. Theres a no-cut policy. 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. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. } Clutching their schoolbooks in their arms, Allie and Sarah said they actually felt tremendous pride in their school these days. . 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 answer to all those questions is no.". High school coaches should not be required to give equal playing time to all players who make the team. }, First published on April 12, 2004 / 5:10 PM. 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. Students attend a pep rally at Mepham High School in Bellmore, N.Y. After all, theywerent just studentsthey wereathletes.. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. 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. Hasan Minhaj Brings His Powerpoints and Power Suits to Independent Spirit Awards. The 15-year-old wide receiver became the first female football player in Long Island history to score a touchdown Saturday night, when. The kid that did it, I feel so bad forhim, the boy says. 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. The boy was a member of the 2007 Charlton County High School junior varsity golf team. 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. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. Nor did he suspendthe three alleged perpetrators, and as a result, theywere allowed to walk the hallways of Mepham High fornearly two weeks. On 10/29, the Mepham varsity football team won their away conference game against Sewanhaka (Floral Park, NY) by a score of 27-12. We're in education because we love kids.". During the first day of camp, the hazing was minor, such as one player smearing gel and powder into another's hair. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. Hedoesnt have a senior season to put on hiscollege application., This guy comes to my job, says Andy.He says, Oh, Im in Mephamnow, maybe I should shove a pinecone up myass! I said, Thats notfunny. These guys on the team are gonna beharassed the rest of their fuckin lives., My son knows one of the boys who wasattacked, Mary says sadly. 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. And he stands where the priest stood and speaks,reading from crinkled sheets of paper rapidly, almostinaudibly, in a low monotone. 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. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. "He was screaming. And would you let it happen a second and third time? A failure can be a downward spiral or a setback turning into a benefit. He said no," recalls Carol. "Standing up and giving a 'rah, rah' when my son and the other boys are hurting in this way is so disrespectful. 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. Half that shit they didisnt even that bad.. Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh I notice when they're injured. Should a person get paid just for showing up for there a job and not actually doing anything? Trending News Many have lost sight of the fact that baseball players are not the only athletes that face this life threatening addiction. Legendary football coach Joe Paterno was one of those who was fired, which shook up the coaching staff. If three victims getanything close to that much each, it would devastatethe school districts budget. at Garden City. Moreover, they must spend money on equipment, clothing, and food (37). If such a policy had been in place, one of the attackers would not have been allowed at the camp, the report says. "He came to me and said, 'I'm bleeding. Stats are entered by the coach or designated team statistician in the admin. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! And you know, I'm panicking.". Mepham was known mainlyfor its wrestling program until Coach Mac arrived in1986. Oh, Loosey! That, thelineman says, is the kind of man his father was. 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. "He's one of the victims.". "My son came forward, did something that he did not want to do. 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). He taught us not to run away from ourproblems., How old were these kids, 16, 17? saysAndrew Longaro. On a warm night in October,Mary Williams and her boyfriend, Andy Corcoran, bothMepham class of 1980, sit having a drink. Im theprincipal, he said, and Illdecide who can go on the trip. The lineman wasallowed to go to camp. At this point, though, those feelings have mostly worn off, replaced by a different set of reactions, from weary resolve to dark humor. "The kid who just made the tackle," says Cannestro, identifying one of the players on the tape. 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. He knows the mainkid, she says. Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix have broken up after he allegedly cheated on her with Raquel Leviss. This was the 94th meeting between the two schools . On October 6, heannounced that that was his intention. Days later, the school wentahead with its annual pep rally, in a gesture ofsupport for Coach Mac and the sidelined Pirates. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "Everybody says we should just know. Berger sayshe got up and called his dad, who went straight to thecoaches. Football is important to the high school experience and different familys history around the world. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their . Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? I'm grabbing all the medication out of my cabinet and looking for everything that I think he's gonna hurt himself. "He made that statement and from that day on, he's been, his family, harassed by letters and threats," says Carol. 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. At 1:21 p.m. last Friday, the Mepham High School football and cheerleading squads should have rushed onto Mepham's field for a Everyone laughs. The victims didn't tell us. Thats when Berger says Coach Mac lunged athimhis hand reaching the boys throat. When parents came to an emergency meeting on September16 with the principal and superintendent, they heardnot mea culpas but accusations. "They couldn't be further from the truth," says Cannestro. "You didn't monitor him very carefully, obviously," says Patty of what happened to her 13-year-old son. ''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. ''Our parents are being blamed. The Mepham High School football season was eventually cancelled and the three upperclassman were charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, terroristic threats, criminal coercion, simple assault, reckless endangering of another person, ethnic intimidation, and criminal conspiracy. Judge Robert J. Conway chose to try the accused as juveniles. They demanded that the boy be barred from camp but were rebuffed, they said. Imagine your best friends making the school soccer team and you getting cut, because your not ready or there is no room. 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. No!! Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. What LAppartement 4F Co-owner Ashley Coiffard Put on Her Wedding Registry. He quotes oneof the boys as saying, I will never trustanyone again. Offscreen, he was one himself. The grand jury criticizes the school district for not providing adequate supervision during the weeklong camp, and says the district should adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward violent behavior. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student. In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | Dec 7, 2022. Theyre sick of reporters, andtheyre worried about the lineman. Not a wink. 28 - 13 W. 10/22/2022. Tell me why I should just know? 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. There were no screams like that.". CNN. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. "I couldn't even process it in my head. The question has whirled aroundBellmore for weeks: Who would raise a child who woulddo this to another child? 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. Relatives read from the books of Matthew and Wisdom.And then the linemanwhom classmates call abully, who would shove kids hed never even metinto lockers as they walked bystands suddenly,stepping out from his place in the front, and walksback eight rows to give a bear hug to his littlebrother, seated next to his mother (who was divorcedfrom the father). As she accepts her Someone to Watch award on stage. At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { At this point, the victims would have already suffered numerous attacks. 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 (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. They also understand they will need to sacrifice time, energy, and their social life in order to achieve these goals. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. It stated that, at the camp,. Students should not have to tryout for school sports. Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. Into the locker! Also, sleep-away sports camps will no longer be authorized by the school district, Billig said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. 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. Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death 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. Students ''don't know who to blame,'' said Allie. The coaches are suing to get their jobs back. Hisfriend was a captain on the team, he maybe was gonnaget a scholarship. And don't you dare tell,'" says Kristina, who lobbied to get Carney thrown off the trip. Then it became a football school. } "The gastroenterologist said, 'What happened? 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. Broomsticks dipped in mineral ice, a kind of liquid heat, golf balls, pine cones and toothbrushes, were all pushed into the boy's rectums. says Cannestro. Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. But are they really fortunate? We dont beat guysup., Some of his old teammates have gathered to buy drinksfrom him. "What constitutes a scream?" The coach told Bergerhe needed a physical. 49 - 18 W. Does heknow this for sure? At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. Soon after the first revelations of the attacks, the Reichsteins reached out to newspapers and television stations with their story. He was 40 years old. That boy was not hurt at camp, but other kids were. That washazing! 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Bellmore Journal; Life Goes On but Is Altered After School Scandal. says McElroy. Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. "These boys were like 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches, and roughly 250 lbs. Hugged by his team captain and cheered by supporters, Mepham HSs head football coach was fired last night and his four assistants got the boot, too. The parents are organizing to demand that the school administration be held accountable for allowing the incident to occur, they said.