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. One football player was accused of indecent assault for allegedly yanking down Johnathans pants and touching his genitals in the locker room episode. The only game left on the 2022 Haverhill High football schedule was the Thanksgiving rivalry game against Lowell High School. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Hire A Woburn Area Pro To Get A Head Start On Spring Cleaning. They stated in their civil complaint that they reported the incident to the principal, Jessica Callanan, soon after it occurred. KYMA KECY is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. display: none; "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. Officials in Woburn said Saturday that authorities are 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. He said he witnessed Belcher routinely pit players against each other during practice. I told Belcher hes an adult bully and shouldnt be coaching anybodys kids, the parent said. Couceles says a student pulled down his sons pants and groped his genitals. 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. Lauren Boebert Gets Absolutely Schooled By Jamie Raskin Using Trump's Own Words, SoCal storm timeline: More snow, heavier rain expected Wednesday, The Killer New Volvos Will Leave You Breathless, See how your Pennsylvania county ranks on voter friendliness with this interactive scorecard, SpaceX launches second-generation Starlink internet satellites. A Woburn police detective has been assigned to the case. 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. Coucelos alleged he also was punched by another student on a school bus, but the investigation determined Coucelos himself was the aggressor. It hurts him to this day. 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.. Marotta said the investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered Wednesday, impacting the direction of the investigation and the entire school community. "As school leaders, we acknowledge and have offered support to the student and family that had the strength to come forward to report this deeply troubling matter," the superintendent wrote. juvenile justice system handle the Woburn bullying case? And this has very negatively impacted both Jonathan and his parents, the whole family.. 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 an independent investigators report obtained by the Globe. A family in Woburn, Massachusetts, wants Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. WE NEED TO DETERMINE HOW THIS HAPPENED AND WHAT WE CAN DO SO THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. It's not good for our school. 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. He is a good person that cares tremendously for us.. It was disgusting. The committee will likely go into an executive session in order to determine the next steps that should be taken in the hazing investigation. Haverhill School Superintendent Margaret Marotta notified parents Wednesday that the school department is looking into misconduct involving some members of the high school football team. He hasnt left his room, he has barely eaten," Couceles said of his son. 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. He also serves as a substitute teacher in the school. One has an additional "indecent assault and battery" charge. Woburn officials issue statement about investigation involving football team. 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. In 13 seasons there, Belcher went 78-63 and was named the Globes coach of the year in 2008, after guiding his team to a 10-2 record and the league title. 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. I don't think any town or any school is immune from it. CNN A high school near Pennsylvanias capital has canceled its upcoming football season over reports of hazing by members of the schools football team. Woburn police and the Middlesex District Attorneys office are now investigating. It's a sad situation and hopefully they figure out what happened and it doesn't happen again. 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 "It's just so wrong how they're handling it. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. It's really not a bad school.". Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time. 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. Coucelos reported the violent incidents to coaches and the police who did not take enough action. 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. In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area. He was attacked in his Spanish class. 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. Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com. There should be a lot more charges," he said. Multiple investigations are being undertaken. "Any such misconduct will be responded to swiftly and it will undoubtedly have lasting repercussions for all of those involved. While the coach generally treated his son relatively well because he was one of the teams better players Logan is now a quarterback at Fitchburg State University Wilson said he was aware of Belchers practice of pitting older, stronger players against other teammates. Bullying and hazing happen when you pit players against each other like he does, Wilson said. Hahn said he provided notice to the city and school district about their intent to sue. mm 34 32 Ruben high school football team on the gridiron in a friday night matchup against Melrose. Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time.". How will the Mass. 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. In 1983, Belcher was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the ninth round of the NFL Draft. Seven Massachusetts students charged in connection with alleged assaults on high school football teammate. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. 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. It was dirty. Contests & Promotions. And in Woburn, police are "investigating whether a juvenile was hazed and sexually assaulted at the school in an incident involving the football team." And at some point, he had to leave the school for his safety. Hanley presented his investigative findings to Carl Nelson, a Woburn middle school principal designated as the decision maker for a federally mandated Title IX review of Couceloss sexual misconduct complaint. The Rams released him in training camp before he was drafted by the Boston Breakers of the fledgling United States Football League. 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. It was very nasty. "They haven't given my son or even us any support whatsoever," Kevin Coucelos said. 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