woburn football hazing

"The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students. Marotta said the investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered Wednesday, impacting the direction of the investigation and the entire school community. Somehow, ganging up or picking on someone half ones size has come to symbolize the kind of toughness required to be successful on a football field, basketball court or hockey rink. Couceles said his wife decided to pull their son out of the Woburn school for his safety in December. "I am alarmed, concerned and frankly disgusted by what I have been told and by the video that I was shown," Fiorentini said in a statement Wednesday night. Crowley did not provide details of the 2019 allegation. Haverhill High School is shutting down all football activities, canceling all future practices and forfeiting the Thanksgiving Day game, due to an alleged hazing incident involving some members of the school's team. It's not good for our school. The superintendent said in his letter Tuesday that Woburn Public Schools has retained outside private counsel -- the law firm of Butters Brazilian LLP and Attorney Patrick Hanley -- to conduct a comprehensive Title IX investigation, which remains ongoing. Danvers school committee faces harsh questions after report calls response to high school hazing into question, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. Former Woburn High School football player Johnathan Coucelos said he was assaulted and bullied by teammates in the locker room, In April, seven Woburn High School students were charged after a 14-year-old football player reported being attacked and sexually assaulted by his teammates in September 2021. But in recent years, perhaps spurred on by the random, gutless behavior enabled by social media, hazings descended into outright physical and psychological abuse, encouraged or ignored in some cases by adults in leadership positions. This is an active and ongoing investigation. The family is asking for accountability from the school. Lori Lightfoot becomes the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose re-election, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, A condition called POTS rose after covid, but patients can't find care, Drones fly deep inside Russia; Putin orders border tightened, Rep. 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An alleged hazing incident is under investigation at the high school in Woburn, Massachusetts. Crowley said they have reached out to the Couceles family. >> I DONT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH KIDS TODAY. The Woburn Police Department received a complaint Wednesday involving members of a Woburn High School sports team regarding an incident earlier in the The moments before were obstructed from view by the crowd gathered around. Any such misconduct will be responded to swiftly and it will undoubtedly have lasting repercussions for all of those involved., Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said in a statement shared on Facebook Wednesday night that he was alarmed, concerned, and frankly disgusted by the video and that this can never be allowed to occur again., He said the boys involved in the incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team., I fully support the superintendents actions in cancelling the Thanksgiving game, suspending those involved and conducting a full investigation, he said in the statement. On Sept. 25, 2018, three years to the day before the Coucelos incident, a 15-year-old Woburn player was kicked so hard in the head by a teammate that he stumbled, dazed, from the practice field and vomited, he stated in a civil case pending before the state Supreme Judicial Court. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. Now there was a heavy police presence here at the game, but no issues here tonight. A Woburn school psychologists evaluation states he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, causing him significant symptoms of anxiety and depression, due to the violence he endured. Andrews is gone. }Customer Service, An inexperienced and ill-trained volunteer assistant football coach failed to inform his supervisors at Woburn Memorial High School after a 14-year-old freshman player, Johnathan Coucelos, reported last fall that he was jumped by teammates in a locker room, according to. Multiple investigations are being undertaken. Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. I think the parents need to take action. The matter has also been referred to the Haverhill Police Department for further investigation, according to the school officials' message. In response, Woburn school superintendent Matt Crowley issued a statement that said, I was informed by the High School administration that there was one allegation of bullying made against Coach Jack Belcher. Woburn Police have assigned a detective to the case. He was attacked in his Spanish class. ""A freshman getting dragged down on the floor, them pulling down his pants and pulling down the other dude's pants and humping him in the face. They explicitly and repeatedly informed the players of those prohibitions both prior to and subsequent to the [attack]., Crowleys assertion appears contrary to head freshman coach Chris Scichilones statement in the investigative report that training related to hazing or Title IX only occurred after the incident and Andrewss statement that he did not receive any formal training with respect to hazing until after the incident.. Hazing in sports has long served as sort of an initiation rite, juvenile for the most part, not demeaning and vicious in nature. Following reports of the misconduct, Attorney General Maura Healey convened a conference of policymakers to address the abuses. I want to cry every time I see that. The Middlesex County District Attorney's office says Woburn police notified them about the allegations and are investigating. Its shocking that there still have been no repercussions for anyone in the athletic department, said Peter Hahn, the Coucelos familys attorney. Woburn police received a complaint on Oct. 13 regarding an incident earlier in the school year, the joint statement said. (WHDH) - Seven Woburn High School students are facing assault and battery charges after they allegedly attacked a former classmate. (CNN) - Police are investigating whether a juvenile football player was hazed, and sexually assaulted at school. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE ALLEGED HAZING INCIDENT IN THE FOOTBALL LOCKROOM. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. The Woburn case is one of numerous violent incidents in high school sports over the last year that have captured the attention of government officials, civil rights groups, and student safety organizations. One football player was accused of indecent assault for allegedly yanking down Johnathans pants and touching his genitals in the locker room episode. He added, "I used to wake up and go out with half of my friends and now I'm just locked up in my room and finally going into a different school. Attempts to reach Belcher, Duran, and Andrews were unsuccessful. (CNN) - Police are investigating whether a juvenile football player was hazed, and sexually assaulted at school. He was harassed by a number of different students, said Hahn. An incident serious enough to put the Haverhill football coaching staff on paid administrative leave, and initiate a probe into the matter by the citys Police Department. Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.. Last September, Johnathan Coucelos had just finished dressing in the freshman locker room when he got jumped by about a dozen teammates, a video recording shows. Unlike Callanan, who told Hanley she feels terrible for Johnathan, Belcher expressed less empathy, saying he was aware of Coucelos before the attack in a negative way, as a pain in the neck or wise-guy.. Full statement: "On Wednesday, Oct. 13, the Woburn Police Department received a complaint involving members of a Woburn High School sports team regarding an incident earlier in the school year. Now, police are filing criminal charges against seven students accused of the assault. No one was against it, Hanley described the player as saying. Crowley said in his most recent statement to the Globe that the school district also will make certain that the investigators are aware of this past, unsubstantiated allegation regarding Coach Belcher to ensure that they are provided with any and all context necessary for a full and fair investigation.. Woburn Memorial Football. Officials in Woburn said Saturday that authorities are investigating a complaint received earlier in the week involving members of a Woburn High School sports team. "It was gross. His complaint says Belcher witnessed the incident but reprimanded neither the assailant nor numerous players who taunted the alleged victim with vulgarities, insinuating he was soft.. Bullying and hazing happen when you pit players against each other like he does, Wilson said. An investigation into that incident found players violated the school and athletic code of conduct, but that the actions did not legally rise to the level of bullying or hazing. The middlesex county district attorney's office Warren said a formal announcement is forthcoming. Whats more, the family says, no school employee has publicly accepted responsibility for the trauma, while the students answer to criminal charges. Its hard on all of us.. In April, seven Woburn High School students were charged after a 14-year-old football player reported being attacked and sexually assaulted by his teammates in September 2021. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The Haverhill High School football stadium and locker room are located approximately 10 minutes off campus. But former players and parents allege bullying became routine under Belcher, who has posted a 29-20 record at Woburn. Hanley found the team assault was planned, organized, and executed by a substantial number of sophomore players. One player said he punched Coucelos multiple times after the sophomores like 30 kids decided to beat up Johnathan.. "I lost half of my friends. I JUST THINK ITS AWFUL. 7 students face charges in alleged Woburn HS hazing attack April 14, 2022, 10:11 PM Seven Woburn High School students are facing charges after a 14-year-old That week, the Woburn Police Department and Middlesex District Attorney announced they were investigating the incident. In the most disturbing incident, the parent said, her son was a freshman when four older teammates attacked him in a school hallway after Belcher allegedly encouraged stronger players to toughen up those perceived as weaker. He also serves as a substitute teacher in the school. In a statement shared Wednesday evening, Fiorentini said he received a call from Haverhill Public Schools Superintendent Margaret Marotta, briefing him on a hazing incident at the high school. And this has very negatively impacted both Jonathan and his parents, the whole family.. racial slurs and engaging in homophobic hazing, Danvers High wrestling program was suspended. Head football coach Jack Belcher has posted a 29-20 record at Woburn. Multiple criminal complaints have been filed against several New Jersey high school students following two probes into allegations of rampant abuse and hazing. We are strictly responding to how the integrity of the team, the leadership of the athletic department and football program is unfairly under attack in the community., They stated, Head Coach Jack Belcher has always given us nothing short of his undivided attention and passion for his job as our coach and leader. Woburn High made no substantive efforts to curtail the bullying, they stated. "I share in the collective shock and outrage regarding this incident.". I wasnt there to protect my son," Couceles shared. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The student who grabbed him in the classroom, he said, was a former Woburn football player. "It's just so wrong how they're handling it. Police Investigating Woburn High School Team Incident - Woburn, MA - Officials did not specify the team, but WCVB reported Friday that the football team was March 1, 2022 Greater Boston. "Any such misconduct will be responded to swiftly and it will undoubtedly have lasting repercussions for all of those involved.". He was attacked in the bathroom. Contests & Promotions. 2 Men Shot; 1 Dies In Early Morning Shooting In Woburn: Police, Woburn Teachers Ratify, Staff Ratify Contracts To Strike, MA Has Another Mega Millions Winner After $31M Ticket Sold In Woburn, Dive In Commonwealth Virtual Information Session, Free Online Mindfulness Session: Taming the Overactive Mind, Author Event with Sociologist Amanda Freeman, Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Woburn Public Library, Woburn Area Pet Adoption: Little, Roland, Hootie & More, Woburn Area Prospective Homeowners: Look Through 3 New Properties For Sale. "On Wednesday, Oct. 13, the Woburn Police Department received a complaint involving members of a Woburn High School sports team regarding an incident earlier in the school year. Crowley said the school district consulted with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and had a consultant from the Anti-Hazing collaborative work with all of their winter sports coaches. Its hard to watch but Kevin Couceles says cellphone video shared on social media shows his son being assaulted in the locker room of Woburn Memorial High School after a football game last September. "As these matters concern allegations involving minors, there was and remains much we cannot say publicly about this situation," Crowley said. A family in Woburn, Massachusetts, wants I told Belcher hes an adult bully and shouldnt be coaching anybodys kids, the parent said. The Woburn High School football team was on the field Friday night against Melrose High School but off the field, an investigation is underway. 2 Player of Year, Two men arrested on firearms, drug trafficking charges in Tewksbury, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds. Was against it, Hanley described the player as saying posted a 29-20 record at Woburn the has! A former Woburn football player was accused of indecent assault for allegedly yanking down Johnathans pants and touching his in! Head football coach Jack Belcher has posted a 29-20 record at Woburn Content... 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