woburn football hazing

Hahn said he provided notice to the city and school district about their intent to sue. PF343 PA206 STREAK2W. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). THE MAYOR GOES ON TO SAY IM CONCERNED THIS HAPPENED, AND CONCERNED BY REPORTS THAT OTHER STUDENTS STOOD BY AND DID NOT INTERVENE. With your support, GBH will continue to innovate, inspire and connect through reporting you value that meets todays moments. >> IT IS KIND OF DISTURBING AND NASTY. Lowell Highs annual Thanksgiving Day football game against Haverhill has been canceled due to an alleged hazing incident involving Haverhill players that was caught on video. Woburn, MA Police are pursuing criminal charges against seven students at Woburn Memorial High School after a freshman football player, 14-year-old Johnathan 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.. Couceles says a student pulled down his sons pants and groped his genitals. Something needs to be said, something to be done. Officials in Woburn said Saturday that authorities are If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Marotta said the investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered Wednesday, impacting the direction of the investigation and the entire school community. The 60-page report includes statements by Chase Andrews, the first-year volunteer assistant who was 23 at the time, and head freshman coach Chris Scichilone that they were not formally trained about hazing before Coucelos was accosted. READINGS MATT BLASI (83) reaches to make a catch before Woburns Travis Kanoni (4) can move in. It was very nasty. ""The boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team," the mayor said in his statement. Now, five years into Belchers coaching career at Woburn, the culture of his program and the school districts supervision of the former Boston College football standout are under scrutiny. At BC, he was a 6-foot-4-inch, 270-pound football center and team cocaptain under coach Jack Bicknell, snapping the ball to quarterback Doug Flutie. "Any such misconduct will be responded to swiftly and it will undoubtedly have lasting repercussions for all of those involved.". That week, the Woburn Police Department and Middlesex District Attorney announced they were investigating the incident. Johnathan Coucelos (center) and his family have helped drive the scrutiny of Woburn's football program. ", Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. ""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. Hire A Woburn Area Pro To Get A Head Start On Spring Cleaning. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. One football player was accused of indecent assault for allegedly yanking down Johnathans pants and touching his genitals in the locker room episode. 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. KYMA/CBS 13/KECY is an equal opportunity employer. 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. Join us. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. The MIAA rejected the request, saying it does not investigate internal complaints involving member schools. I told Belcher hes an adult bully and shouldnt be coaching anybodys kids, the parent said. "Haverhill Public Schools will not tolerate hazing, harassment or retaliation in any form," the message reads. He says there needs to be more accountability. 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. "I understand that there have been strong reactions to this situation and appreciate there is a deep desire for as much information as possible regarding the incident and the school districts response," Crowley wrote. The three-year initiative is called Transforming Narratives of Gun Violence. "I fully support the superintendents actions in cancelling the Thanksgiving game, suspending those involved and conducting a full investigation. With Haverhill forfeiting the contest, Lowell will finish the season with a 4-7 record. LEAGUE 4-1 2nd Middlesex - Liberty. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. April 14, 2022, 10:11 p.m. A Woburn family is seeking charges against teenagers accused of assaulting their son in a high school locker room last fall. The Haverhill School Committee was scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday. I FEEL BAD. I didn't like what I saw," said student Elliot Batista. The family also asked Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association to take action against Woburn school officials for allegedly violating MIAA rules on hazing, fighting, and sportsmanship, among others. "The Woburn Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorneys Office are currently investigating the incident. There is no indication in the report that the investigator, Patrick Hanley, a former state and county prosecutor, asked Belcher, Duran, or Callanan about the purported lack of training. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. Coaches are, by policy, considered responsible for safeguarding student-athletes against any form of abuse. THE FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF IS ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. Instead, Belcher instructed the traumatized player to return to the field for 35 more minutes of contact drills, his complaint states. The middlesex county district attorney's office says woburn police notified them about the allegations, and are investigating. THE STUDENTS INVOLVED HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. Warren said a formal announcement is forthcoming. 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 The investigation found Coucelos also was assaulted in his Spanish classroom by a former football player who accused him of snitching and was punched in a school bathroom by a student who chided him for not defending himself more forcefully during the locker room assault. His parents made that decision to withdraw him from the school because it was no longer safe for him to be there. I also told the principal, who didnt stop him.. Woburn officials on Saturday issued a statement confirming that a detective was assigned to an investigation involving a high school sports team. The Haverhill High School football stadium and locker room are located approximately 10 minutes off campus. BOSTON, Ma. A hazing investigation at Woburn Memorial High School has led to charges against seven high school students. The court is expected to decide in early March whether charges are warranted. The statement issued by Police Chief Robert Rufo, Mayor Scott Galvin and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Crowley did not state the nature of the complaint or the specific team, but WCVB reports that officials are investigating whether a teenage member of the football program was hazed and sexually assaulted. What happens when providers turn to medication first? Hes suffering, and were trying to bring him back to normal, but its going to be very hard, said Kevin Coucelos, who with his wife, Jeanny, has four school-aged children. It goes on to show a fourth teen in underwear squatting into the victims face, while other boys screamed and cheered, according to reports. Three years later, he became the head coach at Bedford High School. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. Woburn police received a complaint on Oct. 13 regarding an incident earlier in the school year, the joint statement said. Crowley, in a letter to the community this month, said the district has retained an outside law firm to conduct a Title IX investigation of the Coucelos incident, which will be followed by an administrative review and policy analysis by a separate outside agency. WOBURN Not many high school football teams had to start this Fall II spring football season like Woburn by playing the caliber of talent that Melrose and Reading has. AT LEAST ONE PERSON IS WEARING A HAVERHIL FOOTBALL SHIRT. But that disappointment pales in comparison to the disturbing allegations leveled at members of the Haverhill High School football team. juvenile justice system handle the Woburn bullying case? The Globe reported on Saturday that the freshman said he was attacked in a locker room and grabbed by the genitals in an incident caught on video following a September game. One has an additional "indecent assault and battery" charge. No one ever came in and checked when things got loud or out of hand.. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. We hadnt been winning a lot of games and I thought he might turn things around.. "I urge patience as we are all eager to view the results, myself included.". Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time. Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.. I didn't like what I saw," said student Elliot Batista. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The Woburn Police Department received a complaint Wednesday involving members of a Woburn High School sports team regarding an incident earlier in the After News Of Anti-Semitism On Duxburys Football Team, Where Does The Town Go From Here? A Woburn police detective has been assigned to the case. The 25 new centers are expected to ease the burden on emergency rooms for patients with behavioral health crises. 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. And in Woburn, police are "investigating whether a juvenile was hazed and sexually assaulted at the school in an incident involving the football team." No one was against it, Hanley described the player as saying. Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com. The only game left on the 2022 Haverhill High football schedule was the Thanksgiving rivalry game against Lowell High School. I think the parents need to take action. A family in Woburn, Massachusetts, wants to see justice served when it comes to the teenagers accused of assaulting their son in a high school locker room last fall. "It was pretty nasty, making us look bad. James Austin's son is on the football team. 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 teen was joined by his parents Kevin and Jeanny and his lawyer Peter Hahn, who said the school failed Coucelos. Then I saw it boil over into the locker room because it caused kids to literally hate each other and fight off the field.. 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. 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. Coucelos alleged he also was punched by another student on a school bus, but the investigation determined Coucelos himself was the aggressor. "The matter has also been referred to the Haverhill Police Department for further investigation, according to the school officials' message. Web7 students face charges in alleged Woburn HS hazing attack 2,940 views Apr 14, 2022 Seven Woburn High School students are facing charges after a 14-year-old football Student leaders of the Woburn team took a stand in recent days supporting Belcher. Hahn said a hearing scheduled for Tuesday in Lowell Juvenile Court was moved to March. It was disgusting. Woburn Police have assigned a detective to the case. #ada-button-frame { Police seek charges against seven students after Woburn locker room incident, After Woburn football player endures multiple alleged assaults, parents left outraged by official response. It hurts him to this day. Lowell staged a miraculous comeback in last year s contest, scoring 34 points in the second half to stun the Hillies, 41-36. But the abuse continued, according to their complaint, and in 2019 the parents submitted a 10-page report to Callanan detailing additional bullying their son had endured from Belcher and from his teammates at Belchers alleged direction. }Customer Service. But, the former student said, he soon became disturbed by Belchers coaching methods, which he described as abusive. It's not good for our school. "I fully support the superintendents actions in cancelling the Thanksgiving game, suspending those involved and conducting a full investigation. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. 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. (WHDH) - Seven Woburn High School students are facing assault and battery charges after they allegedly attacked a former classmate. All rights reserved, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of New Hampshire: An NBC10 Boston Original, Crash Causes Injuries, Lane Closure on I-95 in Peabody, Tracking the Next Hit of Wintry Weather Headed to New England, Due Late Week, Even After Investigation, Stoneham Cop Hasn't Paid Dime of Rent to New Landlord, FIRST ALERT: As Snow Continues to Fall, Weekend Storm Promises More for Boston, JetBlue Plane, Private Jet Have Close Call' at Boston's Logan Airport: FAA. To know when they send their kids to play High school football team Attorney 's says! The contest, scoring 34 points in the locker room because it kids! 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