The committee will likely go into an executive session in order to determine the next steps that should be taken in the hazing investigation. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. Wilson said he wasnt surprised by news of bullying in Belchers program. 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. And in Woburn, police are "investigating whether a juvenile was hazed and sexually assaulted at the school in an incident involving the football team." GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. The Rams released him in training camp before he was drafted by the Boston Breakers of the fledgling United States Football League. Hazing in sports has long served as sort of an initiation rite, juvenile for the most part, not demeaning and vicious in nature. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. And this has very negatively impacted both Jonathan and his parents, the whole family.. The video appears to show three boys one of them wearing a Haverhill football shirt dragging another teen across the floor of a locker room. PF343 PA206 STREAK2W. One tradition put on hold, while another continues, exposing vulnerable youngsters to physical and emotional harm. 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. It goes on to show a fourth teen in underwear squatting into the victims face, while other boys screamed and cheered, according to reports. 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. Coucelos, fearing for his safety, has transferred to Cambridge Matignon School. Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com. They have known for years they have a bully coaching our kids and they havent done anything to stop him, Kevin Coucelos, Johnathans father, said. "The school official, superintendent, the principal, vice principal, coaches they all should [face] consequences.. The Globe is not identifying the player who alleges he was kicked in the head because a Middlesex Superior Court judge sealed the case in October, citing student privacy concerns. A Woburn family is seeking charges against teenagers accused of assaulting their son in a high school locker room last fall. The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students, the statement said. 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. Sources tell Woburn Police have assigned a detective to the case. I JUST THINK ITS AWFUL. The Globe does not identify victims of alleged sexual assaults unless they give their consent. 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. "Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe. Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said Thursday that he supported hiring an outside firm to conduct the investigation. In Danvers, a member of the boys hockey program publicly accused teammates of using racial slurs and engaging in homophobic hazing with a sex toy during the 2019-2020 season. 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.. Four days later, they stated, Callanan told them she had addressed the issue, without explaining how. TONIGHT IS THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING HERE AT HAV. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. A hazing investigation at Woburn Memorial High School has led to charges against seven high school students. THE MAYOR GOES ON TO SAY IM CONCERNED THIS HAPPENED, AND CONCERNED BY REPORTS THAT OTHER STUDENTS STOOD BY AND DID NOT INTERVENE. 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. THE FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF IS ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. Lowell Highs annual Thanksgiving Day football game against Haverhill has been canceled due to an alleged hazing incident involving Haverhill players that was Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. Something needs to be said, something to be done. CNN A high school near Pennsylvanias capital has canceled its upcoming football season over reports of hazing by members of the schools football team. It's not good. It hurts him to this day. Andrews is gone. His new school joined in seeking the waiver and injunction. Haverhill High School students who saw the video said the lewd acts shown on that video happened in the locker room of the school's football stadium, Trinity Stadium. 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. James Austin's son is on the football team. 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. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. It's a sad situation and hopefully they figure out what happened and it doesn't happen again. 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. Woburn police received a complaint on Oct. 13 regarding an incident earlier in the school year, the joint statement said. He allegedly was punched and struck with water bottles, as well as being indecently assaulted. 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 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. We couldn't do it without you. PARENTS ARE NOW REVISITING BASIC RIGHTS AND WRONGSAT HOME. Jessica Callanan, principal of Woburn Memorial High School said in a statement to Greater Boston, "the Coucelos familys complaint is and should be taken seriously. He told Hanley he took no action after Coucelos reported he was jumped because he saw no visible injuries and no need to pry further.. 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). OVERALL 7-4 0.64 Win %. In his letter, Crowley said the incident that occurred this past September involved student athletes and included allegations of physical and sexual abuse of a student by their teammates. }Customer Service. 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.. Callanan is leaving after the school year to become the director of academic achievement at Reading Memorial High School. "The Woburn Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorneys Office are currently investigating the incident. The freshman football player is seen pulling up his pants in the video. Hire A Woburn Area Pro To Get A Head Start On Spring Cleaning. "They haven't given my son or even us any support whatsoever," Kevin Coucelos said. Whats more, the family says, no school employee has publicly accepted responsibility for the trauma, while the students answer to criminal charges. ""The boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team," the mayor said in his statement. 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. The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office also said they were notified about the allegations by police and are participating in the investigation. Some Woburn residents are upset that alleged assailants were allowed to play at Fenway in the Thanksgiving game against Winchester. "I lost half of my friends. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, A reporter's indulgence no longer a secret The NBA's Damian Lillard made me a fan, Pandemic food assistance that held back hunger comes to an end, The March Drop: Stay on the move with Oscar reels and roller derbies, MIT takes steps to stop foreign espionage, but some faculty say it goes too far, Bostons police oversight office has yet to uphold a single civilian complaint. Johnathan Coucelos, with his family: from left, mother, Jeanny, brother Jaxon, Johnathan, sister, Karmen, brother Jacob, and father, Kevin. I didn't like what I saw," said student Elliot Batista. Seven teenagers are facing criminal charges in connection to a hazing investigation in Woburn, Massachusetts. Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time.". If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. >> WHO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE VIDEO? The student said he felt ill and experienced a lingering headache, but he did not seek treatment from the team athletic trainer for fear of being further characterized as weak. April 14, 2022, 10:11 p.m. "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. What happens when providers turn to medication first? It's really not a bad school.". The remaining coaches reported hearing nothing unusual from their offices near the locker room, despite the loud commotion, which numerous players recorded. ", Watch: Woburn High School accused of ignoring allegations of bullying. WE NEED TO DETERMINE HOW THIS HAPPENED AND WHAT WE CAN DO SO THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. The moments before were obstructed from view by the crowd gathered around. 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. I want to cry every time I see that. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE ALLEGED HAZING INCIDENT IN THE FOOTBALL LOCKROOM. But all these adults need to go.. Police Investigating Woburn High School Team Incident - Woburn, MA - Officials did not specify the team, but WCVB reported Friday that the football team was The committee will likely go into an executive session in order to determine the next steps that should be taken in the hazing investigation.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. What happened to that boy in the locker room was heinous, said Lee Wilson, whose son Logan played for Belcher and graduated in 2020. Its also heinous that Belcher kept those kids on the team.. 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. 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. While school officials told the Globe their response was "comprehensive and thorough" and the DA's Office said there is an ongoing investigation, the family said it is outraged at what they say was relatively light school discipline against the football players involved in the assault and the lack of any criminal charges at those they say are responsible for the assault and ensuing harassment. The Woburn hazing accusations are the latest in a series of troubling charges of inappropriate behavior within high school athletic programs in Greater Boston. The county district attorney has indicated it will join local police in the investigation. "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. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. It was dirty. A FOOTBALL PLAYER IS TRYING TO PULL OFF CLOTHING FROM ANOTHER YOUNG MAN AND LATER ENDS UP ON TOP OF THE ALLEGED HAZING VICTIM. "It was pretty nasty, making us look bad. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 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. 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. Crowley did not provide details of the 2019 allegation. Unfortunately, Lowells seniors wont be able to experience that joy of victory or agony of defeat. WOBURN SENIOR FOOTBALL CAPTAINS (l-r) Derek Dabrieo, Jake Daniell, Derek Baccari, Anthony Palmieri and Yahya Aksadi. "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. The Coucelos family accused school officials of putting the football teams interests ahead of student safety with their disciplinary measures. While arraignments have begun in Lowell Juvenile Court for seven Woburn students, including five football players, charged with assaulting Coucelos, his parents say the report underscores that Woburn school officials head football coach Jack Belcher, athletic director Jim Duran, and principal Jessica Callanan, among them failed to adequately protect their son. 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.