, 2023-02-08, 18:25:23 How long has it been since you've licked a high school girls pussy daddy? What's more, the 16-year-old ringleader of the assaults had his own history of disciplinary problems. Reichstein triedto stare the lineman down. Should they also get paid the same amount even if another co-worker is better at their job? He was dyingto play for the Pirateshed gotten AmosZereoues autograph when Zereoue visited hisjunior high. When Patty and Jimmy's son came home, he told them he had been sodomized, too. You could just seehe had so much anger in him. A day later, the threeboys were suspended, and a student demonstrationerupted behind the schoolto the delight of theTV crews camped out there. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. ''They continue to try to bury this thing and pretend they did everything they could, and that's just not true.''. Hed just beat upon peoplehed be walking by andboom! He even threatened teachers. Students attend a pep rally at Mepham High School in Bellmore, N.Y. 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. The coaches also showed 48 Hours a tape never before made public - one they say was recorded on the last day of camp. This wasn't just something that happened when the lights went out.". Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | Dec 7, 2022. Watch this highlight video of the Mepham (North Bellmore, NY) football team in its game Recap: Mepham vs. Long Beach 2022 on Nov 4, 2022. I think hes adirtbag. That blond buzzcut, the baby face, the meager beginnings of agoateehes only 16, too young to beburying his father. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. Now, McElroy and Junior Varsity Coach Art Cannestro exclusively tell their story to 48 Hours. Football coaches fired in alleged hazing aftermath College athletics are oftentimes not as glamorous as one would think. "He made that statement and from that day on, he's been, his family, harassed by letters and threats," says Carol. But they dont want to appearself-serving, he says. Its the kind of bar where people stillsmoke and no one cares. } McElroy and his coaching staff claim they had no responsibility for a vicious alleged hazing incident at a training camp in Pennsylvania in August. More than 60 players attended the camp, including the boy's best friend Patty and Jimmy's son who was also just 13. ''Our issue is our children are being blamed,'' said Paule Pachter, one of the parents in the group. By the end of three exciting days in Atlantic City, 14 champions will emerge at the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics State . In my mind, the school made a major error innot suspending these three allegedperpetrators, says Robert Kelly, an attorneyfor two victims. But the victims told their parents they were screaming at the top of their lungs. Hasnt hebeen through enough? MEPHAM COACHES BOOTED IN HAZING SCANDAL - New York Post One of the attackers was allowed to attend camp despite a history of disciplinary problems and not having a permission slip. "The kid who just made the tackle," says Cannestro, identifying one of the players on the tape. The football players were unfairly penalized by the sanctions that were placed on the team. The kid that did it, I feel so bad forhim, the boy says. Hes been introuble before, that kid. We're checking it off. 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. On September 17, the Bellmore-Merrick Central HighSchool District Board of Education canceledMephams football season. "The bottom line is, if we did anything wrong, we wouldn't be sitting here talking to you," says Cannestro. "The gastroenterologist said, 'What happened? 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. What we're saying is, I notice when somebody's limping. Thats when Berger says Coach Mac lunged athimhis hand reaching the boys throat. Athletes must commit time to practice and traveling. And I can't ever get that back from him," says Patty. It's, like, they're monsters," says Patty. "He was laying in bed with a big butcher knife in his hand 'cause he was scared. Mepham High School Football Scandal - nymag.com 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. Which mayexplain why Coach Mac, in his only public statement,has concurred with Caramore. That kid wassick! says a player named Rob. The police call what happened in August at thePirates five-day training camp a series ofAbner Louimastyle sex attacks (though,curiously, no student interviewed by police has evenmentioned Louimas name). These towns lost seventeenpeople in the World Trade Center attacks.Theyre places whose kids go to college locallyand then settle here and raise families. Jason Statham and Aubrey Plaza do not seem like a match made in action-comedy-chemistry heaven, but it somehow works. 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. Report Says Hazing Culture Led to Attacks On 3 Athletes Regardless, I was all about making them the best well-rounded people before they head into the cruel world. 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. Sofia was sentenced to the boot camp and Carney to the detention center both in Pennsylvania. "Something happened in between those practices every single time, to my son. Adds Jesse: Mepham kids say,Youre from Kennedy, and punch us.Theyre the bully school, the physical school.Even in middle school, we knew which kids were goingto Mepham and which to Kennedy.. Once rated one of the best academic high schools in the nation, Mepham High is now mired in scandal. On 11/11, the Mepham varsity football team won their neutral playoff game against Long Beach (NY) by a score of 14-0. Its all fun and games, saysMcDermott. "I assumed he was homesick, so I said, 'Stick it out. Dangerous Minds - CBS News The coaches would have to be everywhere at thesame time, says Dave Hill. Anotherparent, Jim Rullo, delivers a prepared statement onbehalf of the victims families. "Am I an evil person? Broomsticks dipped in mineral ice, a kind of liquid heat, golf balls, pine cones and toothbrushes, were all pushed into the boy's rectums. #inline-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a617c056-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { He suggests that broomsticks,golf balls, and pinecones are consistent withtraditional forms of hazing. 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. The morals, the attitudes, of a Mepham student,are different, suggests another Kennedy player,Danny. 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. When tryouts begin these individuals hope their skills and abilities will get them recognized by not only the coaches, but the returning players as well. 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. 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 said, 'What's the matter?' Mary is athird-generation Bellmoron. Her boy,Kyle, played varsity. 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. 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. 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. display: block; And McElroy neverprevented him from playing on the varsity team. 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. 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 heard the kidliked it.. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { 1999, McAlester High School, Oklahoma: A football player suffered a head injury after he was jumped by older teammates in a locker-room hazing. You know, what could be going on? For many years, people have been debating about whether sports teams for kids should have selective tryouts. "We went out. Instead, they were treated as juveniles. 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. Mepham victims file suitCharge Central District officials knew about As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. According to the report, ''a lack of accountability appears to permeate the entire structure of the administration and running of this camp program.'' He did more for me than any coach ever. Theres fury and finger-pointingandopportunityon all sides in this corner of LongIsland. A problem arises though once try outs are over and the team is announced. And my son said, 'They inserted a broomstick.'". Please enter valid email address to continue. These parents are now lobbying for a national hazing law, one with severe penalties. He says the coach started yelling.Hes like, No! He was always in troubleat school, but not in football. He was riding the bus along with varsity members, who held him upside down. School Board Votes to Dismiss 5 Mepham Football Coaches He says the coach said,Okay, Ill handle it. From thatmoment on, the junior stopped callingReichsteins son faggot andstarted calling him tattletale boy., One day at practice, the lineman approached him whilehe was drinking from a water fountain. Youre old enough to knowwhat youre doing., I had some friends who were older, saysMcDermott. Trust me been there done that, the most regretted thing about school sports for many are tryouts. Amos scored 29 touchdowns in hisjunior year and broke all of Long Islandsrushing records. On October 6, heannounced that that was his intention. And his youth. McElroy says district policy discourages it: "To put a coach in the room, you're putting the coach or the adult right now at incredible risk of sexual charges.". The sentences are indeterminate, but will be reviewed every four months. I want to bepart of the team.. We've received your submission. 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. OK. Not a lot of kids are good enough to play in the top college sports programs in the country. Now the Reichsteins have written the stateDepartment of Education, demanding an investigation. (516) 569-4000, To donate or for more information, click here, Chamber, mayors office are no match for the Thunderbolts. Bells toll. They speak ofbroomsticks, pinecones, and golf balls. 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. NEW! What I know about the Berger incident isit did not involve hazing. We were afraid they would walk away with probation.. Mysons season has been completely fucked up! It devastated us. Vic and Kristina have done The Early Show and20/20. They were later suspended from classes on September 18. 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. The guy grabbed me in front of the wholeteam, Berger says. On a Friday morning in August, 60 kids were droppedoff for the bus ride to Pennsylvania. 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. And one of the leaders selected joined with two other varsity players to sodomize these children. Rullo, now a community activist for change in his school district, says he received numerous letters and phone calls, including one that said that he and his family would die. But my son says nobody knew he would cross theline., Andys son plays lacrosse. His broad shoulders are slumpedand trembling as he walks the coffin down the aisle ofSaint Barnabas Church in Bellmore, Long Island. You may notstart, but youll be on the team.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Long Island high school rocked by lurid football hazing scandal The Nassau Conference II showdown between these two unbeatens has . He taught us not to run away from ourproblems., How old were these kids, 16, 17? saysAndrew Longaro. Sometimes its hardto tell what bothers the people of Bellmore andMerrick moreallegations of sodomy or the abruptend of football season. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. 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. This incident could have been foreseeable by the coaches, and possibly the administration, if the coach reported anything to the principal and athletic director. Coaches, the report says, were oblivious to what was occurring. Moreover, they must spend money on equipment, clothing, and food (37). 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. Everyone laughs. Still, they will be held accountable for what they did on some level, she added. Hes well known as abully. Theyre a beautiful family. He strokes his sisters hair withone hand and slides an arm around his brothersshoulders. Carol said it appeared Conway had sentenced Sofia to the boot camp because he disliked the teens attitude. Every year parents and students of local schools can come and enjoy seeing kids of their community playing football, which could make a player's future bright, and a grandparent proud. Anger, fear in wake of Mepham attacks Parents afraid after football Kids in the bunks didn't tell us. It's a couple of days.' "I had a personal conversation with one of the victims daily, and not once did he indicate to me that anything was wrong," says Cannestro. I need to know for medical.' 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. 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.) They demanded that the boy be barred from camp but were rebuffed, they said. At least one group of parents has decided they will continue to speak out. And he's looking for something in the house to hurt himself.' Go to the back of theline.. He really was.". It was supposed to be fun, and glorious. He gave his son a cellphone. It's the biggest week of the year for high school wrestling fans. At Mepham High School on Long Island, the entire football season was canceled after players admitted to sadistically hazing fellow teammates. Once rated one of the best academic high. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, I'm a professional cleaner ditch these 4 household products immediately, Shoeless Ariana Madix awkwardly tries to avoid cheating Tom Sandoval, Prince Harry was scared to lose Meghan Markle after fight that led to therapy, Prince Harry says psychedelics are fundamental part of his life, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Tom Sizemore And The Dangerous Burden of Desperation, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss planned to tell Ariana Madix about affair. 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. 49 - 18 W. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Go ahead. Sofia LaSpina has etched her name in Long Island history. Michelle Yeoh Promises No Swearing, Only Tears During Best Lead Performance Win. 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? Children have strived for years to make their parents, teachers and coaches proud of them. The Mepham-Garden City football game this week could be a juicy one. The priest declares that the father had nothingbut life ahead of him. For Carol's son, it doesn't end. 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. Nassau County Girl Scouts fundraise for victims of quake in Syria, Turkey at Masjid Hamza, Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. And he stands where the priest stood and speaks,reading from crinkled sheets of paper rapidly, almostinaudibly, in a low monotone. Reichsteins wife,Kristina, then begged Didden to make an example of thelineman. He told Pennsylvaniapolice that he couldnt release informationabout a student without a subpoena. Since returning from camp, he has barely slept. We wanted them to be tried as adults, but we lost that battle. But for the victims' families, the report came as a vindication, they said. The coaches are suing to get their jobs back. Research shows that 70% of kids drop out of sports for many reasons and not making the team is one. 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. When a. Statistically showing, at least 100,000 college football players get hurt yearly. He never judged us, saysDave Lohman, class of 94. On Bellmore Avenue, themain drag in town, a mile or so east of Mepham,Docs Pub serves as an unofficial class-reunionspace. We love our children. . 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. Then it became a football school.