Both coaches still don't understand why they're being blamed for what happened last summer at Mepham High School's football camp. Why wasn't there a coach sleeping in the cabins? A football captain begged for the season to be reinstated, and his pleas were met with thunderous applause. Instead, thevictims were laughed at in the halls, calledfaggot and broomstick boy.The superintendent, Thomas Caramore, shielded theschool from inquiries at first. Three days after camp ended, Carol and Vinny's son asked for help. The coaches are suing to get their jobs back. But other voices emerge at the meeting, corroboratingthe victims contention that hazing is a fact oflife at Mepham. Instead, they were treated as juveniles. The coaches' lawyer and officials for the Bellmore-Merrick School District did not comment on the report's findings or its criticisms. I am 13 years old and I am on the Friendswood junior high C-football team I am a second string slot receiver and starting strong safety and I 'm also a second string strong side linebacker it was our last game of the season,so we really wanted to go out on the win or a record for the season was one way in five losses and one tie,we hadn 't had a great season so we especially wanted to go out on a win. I notice when they're injured. We love our children. The coach told Bergerhe needed a physical. Ken Carney, 16, the ringleader of the attacks, was well-known by school administrators as a disciplinary problem. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their cigarettes and clowning. He gave his son a cellphone. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. Duct tape was yanked from the victims' bottoms and pubic areas, and two of the victims were forced to smear Mineral Ice on their testicles, and then kick each other there, the report says. "These boys were like 6 feet 2 inches and 6 feet 4 inches, and roughly 250 lbs. ''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. 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. However, it seems too important to let go. That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. Theres no way youcant play me. ", Patty says her son also hasn't recovered from the ordeal: "About a month ago, I had gotten a call from a neighbor. At last nights meeting, one player called the coaches caring role models, and team captain Dan Cosenza hugged McElroy. 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. I think the kids covered it up to saveCoach Mac and save their season., Tending bar at Docs is Rob McDermott, class of95. I think they hated me because I introduced the pull-up to their strength and conditioning program. October 11, 2014 / 7:28 PM / AP. Most high school athletes across America share one common aspiration: play their sport at the next level in college. ", Are they lying? 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 coach wentalong with canceling the season because he knew kidswere not coming forward. Hes dangerous, hes terrifying, hes an extra in, How to Watch the 2023 Oscars Celebrate All 23 Categories Live Again. 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. We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. When Patty and Jimmy's son came home, he told them he had been sodomized, too. He was always in troubleat school, but not in football. 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. Go to the back of theline.. Which mayexplain why Coach Mac, in his only public statement,has concurred with Caramore. His dadsaved his friends life that day. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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These towns lost seventeenpeople in the World Trade Center attacks.Theyre places whose kids go to college locallyand then settle here and raise families. False imprisonment. Here's why food advocates are worried they cant afford it. I dont evencare what they did.. This was the 94th meeting between the two schools . Some kids even approach them and suggestthat the time has come to let bygones be bygones.Their logic is biblicalan eye for an eye.The linemans father died! "Am I an evil person? Two of the kids are underclassmen, littlekids, he says. 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 . The coaches let him go, the report says, ''because he was a good football player. For me, this challenge helped me develop as a person than will work harder and strive for the best in my academics. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. We love our community. At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out. Kristina and Vic Reichstein stand upand say their son, a freshman, was threatened by thelineman during practice in July and August. Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | Dec 7, 2022. Theyre a beautiful family. Know what is expected andacceptable. Be responsible. 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 coaches would have to be everywhere at thesame time, says Dave Hill. A few blocks from school, Allie Pagano and Sarah Mirenda, both 14, stop at the local pizza shop, Luigi's, on their way home. South Side. He said no," recalls Carol. It was horrible. 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.) It devastated us. Everyone in the pews has heard how the father had beendevastated by the criminal charges his son was facing.Aggravated assault. Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. In an earlier proceeding, the three attackers, charged as juveniles, admitted to the assaults. In my opinion, a good education is so very important for our countrys youth, especially the athletes. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. What went wrong? 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. My sonthinks its just a bad thing that went too far,too fast., Andy mentions what some people are sayingthatwhat happened at camp was part of a pattern of hazingat Mepham. ''People just want to move on,'' said one teenager, sucking on his cigarette. That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. The victims didn't tell us. Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! "They have to be lying.". No one understands this better thanMark Alter, the lawyer for the alleged ringleader.The fact that its egregious allegationsdoes not necessarily mean its not a juvenilecase, says Alter. !Effin this, effinthatyoure not coming on my team,youre done, youre done, youredone! And I started screaming at him.. 49 - 18 W. Doyou know who I am?, The freshman, trying to show a little backbone,replied: This is America. All rights reserved. "He was waiting for them [the coaches] to come in and save him, but no one came," says Carol's husband, Vinny. This story has been shared 140,209 times. 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. Dont eventhink about sleeping at camp, he said. 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. 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. 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 said, 'What's the matter?' He really was.". So, no., But, you know, says McDermott, ifthey wanted to do it? But one kid whogot it in the shitter, hes just like afag., Yeah, he says. Since the scandal began, parents of students have squabbled among themselves and with members of the school administration over everything from the decision to cancel the football season to whether the school district could have prevented the incident. McElroy hadnothing to do with this kid, Joe Rosenthalsays. He knows the mainkid, she says. 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. Does heknow this for sure? 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. Students should not have to tryout for school sports. Who? "We're not suggesting anything about injuries. Over the next few days, the broomstick assaults were repeated. CNN. Were more Jewish! another kidyells, laughing. Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. "Yeah," says Cannestro. Students ''don't know who to blame,'' said Allie. They had hoped that the three assailants (Phil Sofia, Ken Carney, and Tom Diasparra) would be tried as adults for the crimes. With FamousAmos on the squad, the team made the county playoffsall four years. The incident angered the victim's mother, who. On the second day, the incidents became brutal. And I know the family of one of theattackers. Please enter valid email address to continue. This guysstill the head coach., Its a fact of lifein Bellmore and Merrick that the farther south you go,the more money youll find. The parents are organizing to demand that the school administration be held accountable for allowing the incident to occur, they said. How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh You could just seehe had so much anger in him. Where does it end?". 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.'' Relatives of the victims, 13 and 14 at the time of the attacks, expressed satisfaction at the outcome. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Thepurported ringleader, according to police, was thelineman. We have more wealthy backgrounds, saysDanny. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. I'm grabbing all the medication out of my cabinet and looking for everything that I think he's gonna hurt himself. 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.. It has been more than a month since school officials and prosecutors revealed that three older players were accused of sodomizing three freshmen with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls in an attack in late August at a preseason football camp in Pennsylvania. "Something happened in between those practices every single time, to my son. That washazing! Wesley?Wesley was a nasty rat bastard! 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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. He never brought this incident toMcElroys attention; he must have brought it tothe JV coachs attention. According to her, Didden said he wouldinvestigate the incident. Oh, Loosey! At first, shock and disbelief prevailed. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. ), I knew all those kids, saysanother boy, a JV player. Weve been 0 and 8 since 1999!says James. He previously suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18, and was ultimately taken off life support. What I know about the Berger incident isit did not involve hazing. It stated that, at the camp,. They could be home as early as next month. Involuntary deviate sexualintercourse. 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. display: none; Its the kind of bar where people stillsmoke and no one cares. Mepham High School football hazing case tore Long Island apart in 2003. 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). A day later, the three alleged victims are stillhaving broomsticks thrown at them from cars in theparking lot. 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. 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 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. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. Full speed," says McElroy. Theres fury and finger-pointingandopportunityon all sides in this corner of LongIsland. A pack of teenagers congregates across the street from Mepham High School, smoking their . The issue of blame, however, continues to polarize parents and promises to loom larger as the criminal case moves ahead. His broad shoulders are slumpedand trembling as he walks the coffin down the aisle ofSaint Barnabas Church in Bellmore, Long Island. The abuse occurred day and night, and young players were attacked repeatedly and forced to sodomize each other, the report says. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. Youre old enough to knowwhat youre doing., I had some friends who were older, saysMcDermott. He was just frightened," says his father, Vinny. But the victims told their parents they were screaming at the top of their lungs. She shouts out all the ladies (mothers and wives) in the room. } Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. In the bunks, 17-year-old players were assigned to watch over 13-year-old boys. 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. Once in high school, senior athletes have scouts that come out to see them play. 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. That decision ''let down and insulted the victims and their families,'' the report says. They reallycouldnt do anything about it. Clutching their schoolbooks in their arms, Allie and Sarah said they actually felt tremendous pride in their school these days. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; ut austin undergraduate majors Newsletter . The Mepham-Garden City football game this week could be a juicy one. "The question should not be the coaches should have known. Anotherparent, Jim Rullo, delivers a prepared statement onbehalf of the victims families. When people talked aboutMepham, they talked about Famous Amos. 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). Should they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? Theyre sick of reporters, andtheyre worried about the lineman. 18 - 35 L. 10/15/2022. If such a policy had been in place, one of the attackers would not have been allowed at the camp, the report says. Who doyou think you are? said the lineman, accordingto Reichsteins son. Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports. "He didn't go to school for a long time. 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. 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. 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. But he wonders whether whathappened at camp could have been prevented if hehadnt settled his lawsuit. 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. Jonathan Anderson gets one of the first qualities of great fashion that it has to feel a bit strange. mepham high school football scandal. 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. Parents are paying up on school meals again. In the end, they will be left unprepared for life. Three varsity players are charged by Pennsylvania authorities with sodomizing three junior varsity players with broomsticks, pine cones and golf balls. I cried," says Carol, who asked her friend, Jim Rullo, to make a speech on her behalf. 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. For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. He had to tell people what happened to him," says Carol. But the school board was unswayed by the coaches defenders. Everyone should be so lucky.''. When the allegations surfaced in early September, the three accused teenagers were suspended from Mepham High School's football team. Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. He did more for me than any coach ever. 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. The star lineman towersover most of the other pallbearers. "He was robbed of his innocence. Soon after the first revelations of the attacks, the Reichsteins reached out to newspapers and television stations with their story. 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.. "We have a clip of the JV football scrimmage," says McElroy, who believes it proves that there was nothing obviously wrong. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. 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. 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. Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of sports for many reasons and not making the team is one. All five lost their coaching positions. Legendary football coach Joe Paterno was one of those who was fired, which shook up the coaching staff. "I don't want everything he's gone through to be just a waste. display: none; Theres a no-cut policy. 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. West Jersey Football League all-stars: United Division, 2022. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. The team did it along with some guidance from my assistant coach and the parents. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. He wrestled instead. 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. One of the attackers was allowed to attend camp despite a history of disciplinary problems and not having a permission slip. The football players were unfairly penalized by the sanctions that were placed on the team. Terroristicthreats. Thursday, November 6, 2003 Posted: 1537 GMT (11:37 PM HKT) Story Tools. The emotional impact on him is unbelievable," adds Carol. Theyre investigating the possibility that some students were planning to attack their schoolmates. I should just sit there and go, 'Hmm, he's hazing him.' This wasn't just something that happened when the lights went out.". The answer to all those questions is no.". "The bottom line is, if we did anything wrong, we wouldn't be sitting here talking to you," says Cannestro. At this point, the victims would have already suffered numerous attacks. But at a hearing in Honesdale, Pa., President Judge Robert Conway barred 16-year-old Tom Diasparra from returning to the Bellemore, L.I., high school and warned him to watch his step. Students attend a pep rally at Mepham High School in Bellmore, N.Y. But others angrily argue that not enough attention is being paid to the victims' ordeals. 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. "We went out. 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. 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. Imagine your best friends making the school soccer team and you getting cut, because your not ready or there is no room. Whos going to give him thatmoney now? What about the boys who were raped? Most students, the girls say, have not gotten caught up in the anger and recrimination that have divided their parents. "There's nothing anyone else could have done differently," adds Cannestro. 10/08/2022. This is a sore pointfor Mary. And he was very excited," recalls Patty. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. And he told us that they were keeping them up. Youve got some Janning to do! It looks like a tasty treat for any high school football fan.
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