woburn football hazing

A Woburn family is seeking charges against teenagers accused of assaulting their son in a high school locker room last fall. 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. }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. He was called a snitch. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. display: none; 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 (CNN) - Police are investigating whether a juvenile football player was hazed, and sexually assaulted at school. It was dirty. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. After months of waiting, the case is expected to be heard in juvenile court next month. It was very nasty," said student Felix Molina. Because the investigation involves minors, both the Woburn Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorneys Office told NBC10 Boston they cannot provide information about the case. How will the Mass. 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. Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.. There should be a lot more charges," he said. FIRST ALERT FORECAST: Calmer wind speeds and warmer temperatures coming soon, FIRST ALERT FORECAST: More winds and warmer temps on the way, Proposition 17: Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment. ", Watch: Woburn High School accused of ignoring allegations of bullying. The 25 new centers are expected to ease the burden on emergency rooms for patients with behavioral health crises. Woburn officials on Saturday issued a statement confirming that a detective was assigned to an investigation involving a high school sports team.That message from Police Chief Robert Rufo, Mayor Scott Galvin and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Crowley comes one day after sources told NewsCenter 5 that police are investigating whether a juvenile was hazed and sexually assaulted at the school in an incident involving the football team.The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office also said they were notified about the allegations by police and are participating in the investigation.Officials said in Saturday's statement that the incident involved a sports team and an alleged incident that occurred "earlier in the school year. REPORTER: THEY ARE KICKING OFF THAT PROGRAM DECEMBER 8, EVOLVING -- INVOLVING THE MASS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS AND SOCIETY GROUP. The Couceles family reported the assault to police in October. But that disappointment pales in comparison to the disturbing allegations leveled at members of the Haverhill High School football team. Seven Woburn students charged in alleged locker room assaults on former football player, Read the original report: After Woburn football player endures multiple alleged assaults, parents left outraged by official response. 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. Now there was a heavy police presence here at the game, but no issues here tonight. He instills hard work, with strict rules, respect for team members and respect for adults at all times. We couldn't do it without you. Ten football captains six seniors and four juniors circulated a letter to news outlets, saying they were not trying to minimize any allegations that are being investigated by the proper people., In fact, we all condemn bullying of any kind, the captains wrote. The middlesex county district attorney's office REPORTER: THE MAYOR SAYS I SUPPORT HIRING AN OUTSIDE FIRM TO -- TO CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students. The player who was initially hopeful about Belcher said the team engaged in a ritual in 2019 in which one player each week got jumped by his teammates and whacked with foam rollers. Detective assigned to investigate allegations of hazing involving Woburn High School sports team. Belcher, as the head coach, is responsible for the programs culture, according to specialists in student-athlete safety. WE HAVE BLURRED THE LEWD AND VIOLENT SCENEAT LEAST ONE PERSON -- SCENE. Woburn school officials were aware of alleged bullying in the high school football program for several years before 14-year-old freshman Johnathan Coucelos was attacked by a swarm of teammates in the locker room last fall, according to court records and interviews with former players and parents. BOSTON, Ma. It's not good. 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. Lowell Highs annual Thanksgiving Day football game against Haverhill has been canceled due to an alleged hazing incident involving Haverhill players that was Nelson also determined the groping did not meet the narrow definitions of sexual misconduct under the Title IX law. The Coucelos family accused school officials of putting the football teams interests ahead of student safety with their disciplinary measures. Woburn likes to cover things up, said Kevin Coucelos, Johnathans father and a lifelong resident. "I lost half of my friends. The remaining coaches reported hearing nothing unusual from their offices near the locker room, despite the loud commotion, which numerous players recorded. This is an active and ongoing investigation. 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. 2 Player of the Year, High school roundup: Vinny D'Urso, Lowell Catholic blank Haverhill, 1-0, MVC boys basketball: Tewksbury's Ryan Cuvier named Div. GET BREAKING NEWS IN YOUR BROWSER. The Woburn case put a spotlight on numerous violent incidents in high school sports over the last year that have been brought to the attention of government officials, civil rights groups, and student safety organizations. Seven teenagers are facing criminal charges in Woburn police received a complaint on Oct. 13 regarding an incident earlier in the school year, the joint statement said. Crowley did not provide details of the 2019 allegation. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Bullying claims date back years in Woburn High School football program By Bob Hohler Globe Staff,Updated February 26, 2022, 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. Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. Last spring, several schools across the state were faced with the emergence of hazing incidents on their athletic teams, some resulting in criminal charges against athletes and ties cut with coaches, athletic directors, and top administrators. Coaches are, by policy, considered responsible for safeguarding student-athletes against any form of abuse. Hazing Charges Hit Woburn High Football Program The family of a freshman player said the 14-year-old was threatened, punched and sexually assaulted in 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. Its hard on all of us.. The committee will likely go into an executive session in order to determine the next steps that should be taken in the hazing investigation. Woburn Police have assigned a detective to the case. 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 "The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students. It is my understanding that the allegation was made in 2019 and that the High School administration promptly investigated the allegation in accordance with our bullying prevention policy and procedure, and that it was not substantiated. High school students in Woburn, Massachusetts, are facing criminal charges after incidents of hazing, including one that was recorded and posted on social media after a football game last September Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com. Hire A Woburn Area Pro To Get A Head Start On Spring Cleaning. 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. He says there needs to be more accountability. The only game left on the 2022 Haverhill High football schedule was the Thanksgiving rivalry game against Lowell High School. That message from Police Chief Robert Rufo, Mayor Scott Galvin and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Crowley comes one day after sources told NewsCenter 5 that police are investigating whether a juvenile was hazed and sexually assaulted at the school in an incident involving the football team. After News Of Anti-Semitism On Duxburys Football Team, Where Does The Town Go From Here? mm 34 32 Ruben high school football team on the gridiron in a friday night matchup against Melrose. 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. Woburn Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Matthew Crowley sent a letter to the community on Tuesday to provide an update on the "troubling situation involving the WMHS athletics program that has been covered in the news recently. But all these adults need to go.. A Woburn police detective has been assigned to the case. NEW! #ada-button-frame { >> I DONT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH KIDS TODAY. He should have been fired., The Globe asked Belcher and other school officials to comment. Its shocking that there still have been no repercussions for anyone in the athletic department, said Peter Hahn, the Coucelos familys attorney. Warren said a formal announcement is forthcoming. Incidents like these have no place in our community, the superintendent added. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. With Haverhill forfeiting the contest, Lowell will finish the season with a 4-7 record. WOBURN, MA The family of a Woburn 14-year-old who said he was threatened, punched and sexually assaulted in a school locker room is criticizing Woburn Public Schools, Woburn police and the Middlesex District Attorney's Office for lack of action on the incidents, according to a Boston Globe report. The county district attorney has indicated it will join local police in the investigation. The federal Title IX law protects students against many forms of discrimination and violence, including bullying and hazing. Several students, including football players in uniform, are seen pouring water on him and throwing water bottles. Whats more, the boy and his parents allege, school authorities failed to correct the abusive nature of Belchers coaching after they reported the incident. Then I saw it boil over into the locker room because it caused kids to literally hate each other and fight off the field.. The middlesex county district attorney's office says woburn police notified them about the allegations, and are investigating. Multiple investigations are being undertaken. In one well-publicized incident of bullying last year, several members of the Woburn High School football team were eventually arraigned in Lowell Juvenile Court on charges stemming from an assault of a 14-year-old freshman player in the locker room. The report said the freshman was then harassed for months both physically and through text messages, leading to him dropping out of school out of fear for his own safety. In Peabody, members of the football team were disciplined last week after a video showed players unsupervised in a locker room last month using a racial slur and mimicking sexual acts. 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. #ada-button-frame { "As your superintendent I promise that the standards we will set for ourselves, our sports programs and how we are to treat one another will be of paramount importance as we continue to move through this process and learn all the facts and circumstances," Crowley wrote. "I fully support the superintendents actions in cancelling the Thanksgiving game, suspending those involved and conducting a full investigation. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. James Austin's son is on the football team. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Bullying and hazing happen when you pit players against each other like he does, Wilson said. This content is imported from Facebook. ""The boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team," the mayor said in his statement. It did explain that additional details were not released because of the ages of those involved. Peter Hahn, the attorney representing the Couceles family, said five high school students are facing charges for assault and battery for the September incident. 2023 by KYMA / NPG of Yuma-El Centro Broadcasting. Today and every day, I urge every member of our community to be kind to one another and do everything in their power to be part of making our community kinder and stronger. But, the former student said, he soon became disturbed by Belchers coaching methods, which he described as abusive. Belcher told Hanley he had left the building before the incident. Belcher, who with Callanan hired Andrews in 2021, remains, as does Duran, who supervises the football coaches and also is considered responsible for player safety. The Globe's most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. It's not good for our school. A parent who asked not to be identified said her son, who graduated in 2021, was bullied on the practice field, in the locker room, and elsewhere in the school by his football teammates. CNN A high school near Pennsylvanias capital has canceled its upcoming football season over reports of hazing by members of the schools football team. Run by Black journalists at The Boston Globe, Black News Hour, a new radio program, delivers reliable news that connects with our community and expands on deeper issues impacting our city. Severe Weather Alerts Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com. ", "The boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team," the mayor said in his statement. "I fully support the superintendents actions in cancelling the Thanksgiving game, suspending those involved and conducting a full investigation. TONIGHT IS THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING HERE AT HAV. Belcher started his high school coaching career as an assistant at Bishop Fenwick in 2001. At the conclusion of the Title IX investigation, a second investigation, in the form of an administrative review and policy analysis will be conducted by a second outside agency, a firm headed by former Massachusetts Secretary of Public Safety and Security Daniel Bennett, Former State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin and Attorney John Benzan. And at some point, he had to leave the school for his safety. Former Woburn High School football player Johnathan Coucelos said he was assaulted and bullied by teammates in the locker room, He said he witnessed Belcher routinely pit players against each other during practice. 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 You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Seven teenagers are facing criminal charges in connection to a hazing investigation in Woburn, Massachusetts. Woburn High made no substantive efforts to curtail the bullying, they stated. The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students, the statement said. A FOOTBALL PLAYER IS TRYING TO PULL OFF CLOTHING FROM ANOTHER YOUNG MAN AND LATER ENDS UP ON TOP OF THE ALLEGED HAZING VICTIM. Hahn said he provided notice to the city and school district about their intent to sue. "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. Belcher, 60, has been familiar to many in the Woburn area since he was a three-sport star at neighboring Stoneham High School in the late 1970s. It's a shame. "Saturday's statement did not provide details about the nature of the allegation and did not specifically mention the football team. 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.. HOME3-3 AWAY4-0 NEUTRAL0-1. Seven Woburn High School students are facing charges after a 14-year-old football player reported being attacked and sexually assaulted by his teammates. It's really not a bad school. 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. And several players who face criminal charges remained on the team through a prestigious Thanksgiving game at Fenway Park and continue participating in offseason workouts. The former Woburn player asserted the waiver was warranted in part because of the trauma he allegedly endured in Belchers program. Andrews is gone. Two players were suspended from school for two weeks over the incident, but while one quit the team, the other continued playing football during his suspension, the family said. "Haverhill Public Schools will not tolerate hazing, harassment or retaliation in any form," the message reads. Police are investigating and members of the teams coaching staff have been placed on administrative leave. Belcher also serves as a substitute teacher in the school. Unfortunately, Lowells seniors wont be able to experience that joy of victory or agony of defeat. Andrews, a 2020 graduate of Endicott College, indicated his football experience was limited to Pop Warner and high school. It was very nasty. "It's just so wrong how they're handling it. April 14, 2022, 10:11 p.m. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. One tradition put on hold, while another continues, exposing vulnerable youngsters to physical and emotional harm. He hasnt left his room, he has barely eaten," Couceles said of his son. The player alleges Woburn head coach Jack Belcher instigated the kick by encouraging older teammates to in Belchers words toughen up younger ones. The Globe's most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. "This is an active and ongoing investigation. "We acknowledge and support the student and family that had the strength to come forward to report this deeply troubling matter," Woburn Superintendent of Schools Matt Crowley told the Globe. Specifically mention the football team police have assigned a detective to the city and school district about their to! Safety of all students charges after a 14-year-old football player reported being and. To ease the burden on emergency rooms for patients with behavioral health crises by Belchers coaching methods which! Another YOUNG MAN and LATER ENDS up on TOP of the teams coaching staff have been placed on leave... Is on the gridiron in a friday night matchup against Melrose responsible for the programs culture, according specialists..., he had to leave the school players against each other and off... Of hazing by members of the teams coaching staff have been fired., the Coucelos family accused school of! Over into the locker room because it caused kids to play High football! 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