But, the former student said, he soon became disturbed by Belchers coaching methods, which he described as abusive. Now there was a heavy police presence here at the game, but no issues here tonight. mm 34 32 Ruben high school football team on the gridiron in a friday night matchup against Melrose. But off the field, an investigation is underway, Sources tell News Center Five Police are investigating whether a juvenile was hazed and sexually assaulted at the school in an incident involving the football team. 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. I wasnt there to protect my son," Couceles shared. It doesn't feel the same anymore to be out in public," he said. He instills hard work, with strict rules, respect for team members and respect for adults at all times. 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. Many Woburn residents have expressed anger that Belcher permitted three of the alleged assailants, including the player facing a possible indecent assault charge, to remain on the football team through a prestigious Thanksgiving week game at Fenway Park. 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. Support GBH. We couldn't do it without you. It's not good for our school. Marotta said the investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered Wednesday, impacting the direction of the investigation and the entire school community. "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 boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team," the mayor said in his statement. BOSTON, Ma. "Very heartbroken.. 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. 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 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. How will the Mass. The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students, the statement said. Seven Woburn High School students are facing charges after a 14-year-old football player reported being attacked and sexually assaulted by his teammates. 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. 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 Several students, including football players in uniform, are seen pouring water on him and throwing water bottles. >> WANT TO GET STUDENTS -- STUDENT ATHLETES AND ADULT LEADERS IN A ROOM AND START TALKING ABOUT HOW TO BEAT HUMAN BEINGS. 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. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. "It was gross. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. 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. It was disgusting. 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. With your support, GBH will continue to innovate, inspire and connect through reporting you value that meets todays moments. 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.. "I fully support the superintendents actions in cancelling the Thanksgiving game, suspending those involved and conducting a full investigation. A hazing investigation at Woburn Memorial High School has led to charges against seven high school students. THE STUDENTS INVOLVED HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. "Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe. 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. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Multiple criminal complaints have been filed against several New Jersey high school students following two probes into allegations of rampant abuse and hazing. He was attacked in his Spanish class. 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.. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy |Community Guidelines | FCC Applications | Jobs/Internships |, Daily News Updates 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. Hire A Woburn Area Pro To Get A Head Start On Spring Cleaning. "I urge patience as we are all eager to view the results, myself included.". Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. Warren said a formal announcement is forthcoming. 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 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. Callanan said in an e-mail, I can reaffirm that I acted appropriately throughout my handling of the familys claims and that much of the information provided to you to date, and which you have printed, is inaccurate.. Hahn said a hearing scheduled for Tuesday in Lowell Juvenile Court was moved to March. Editorial: Put sports hazing out of its misery, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Editorial: Sports betting rollout still ironing out kinks, Editorial: Give localities control over age to vote, Editorial: DNA sleuth tracks down suspects, kin, Seeing orbs in photos? He hasnt left his room, he has barely eaten," Couceles said of his son. 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.. 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. 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. The court is expected to decide in early March whether charges are warranted. Detective assigned to investigate allegations of hazing involving Woburn High School sports team. The player alleges Woburn head coach Jack Belcher instigated the kick by encouraging older teammates to in Belchers words toughen up younger ones. After News Of Anti-Semitism On Duxburys Football Team, Where Does The Town Go From Here? 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. I also told the principal, who didnt stop him.. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. "I lost half of my friends. THE FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF IS ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE. It did explain that additional details were not released because of the ages of those involved. I don't think any town or any school is immune from it. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "It was gross. The MIAA rejected the request, saying it does not investigate internal complaints involving member schools. HOME3-3 AWAY4-0 NEUTRAL0-1. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. >> IT IS KIND OF DISTURBING AND NASTY. "As these matters concern allegations involving minors, there was and remains much we cannot say publicly about this situation," Crowley said. We hadnt been winning a lot of games and I thought he might turn things around.. He said one punched him several times in a school bathroom, and the other entered his Spanish classroom, grabbed him by the shirt, and warned him not to snitch. What happens when providers turn to medication first? Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Three years later, he became the head coach at Bedford High School. 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. 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. Whats more, the boy and his parents allege, school authorities failed to correct the abusive nature of Belchers coaching after they reported the incident. Woburn police are seeking assault charges in Lowell Juvenile Court against seven Woburn students, including five football players, for the alleged locker room attack and two subsequent incidents in which Johnathan was the alleged victim. "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. He left his job as a paraprofessional at the Woburn school in April. Coucelos, who is 14, told Jim Braude on Greater Boston Monday that his life has changed drastically since the attack, and the harassment has not stopped. 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. A hearing is scheduled before the Supreme Judicial Court in April on the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Associations appeal of a lower court injunction that permitted the former Woburn player to compete this year for another MIAA schools football and basketball teams after the MIAA denied his waiver request for a fifth year of eligibility. 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. Woburn officials on Saturday issued a statement confirming that a detective was assigned to an investigation involving a high school sports team. It goes on to show a fourth teen in underwear squatting into the victims face, while other boys screamed and cheered, according to reports. "This is an active and ongoing investigation. I didn't like what I saw," said student Elliot Batista. To my knowledge, there have been no other bullying allegations made to the administration regarding this individual.. 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 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. 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. 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. Andrews is gone. Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.. Nelson concluded Coucelos was indeed assaulted and groped in the locker room. Its shocking that there still have been no repercussions for anyone in the athletic department, said Peter Hahn, the Coucelos familys attorney. Seven Woburn High School students are facing charges after a 14-year-old football player reported being attacked and sexually assaulted by his teammates. 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. We're live in Woburn. Callanan is leaving after the school year to become the director of academic achievement at Reading Memorial High School. A Woburn police detective has been assigned to the case. I'm Peter Iliopoulos, WCVB News Center five, Okay. 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. Bullying and hazing happen when you pit players against each other like he does, Wilson said. THE MASSACHUSETTS INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION CREATING A PROGRAM WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE TO STOP HAZING AND TO REMIND STUDENTS PLAYING SPORTS IS A PRIVILEGE. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. The county district attorney has indicated it will join local police in the investigation. "The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students. The student who grabbed him in the classroom, he said, was a former Woburn football player. 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. It's not good. 2023 by KYMA / NPG of Yuma-El Centro Broadcasting. Head football coach Jack Belcher has posted a 29-20 record at Woburn. The federal Title IX law protects students against many forms of discrimination and violence, including bullying and hazing. 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.. Its hard on all of us.. 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. 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. Belcher told Hanley he had left the building before the incident. Coucelos alleged he also was punched by another student on a school bus, but the investigation determined Coucelos himself was the aggressor. They stated in their civil complaint that they reported the incident to the principal, Jessica Callanan, soon after it occurred. "We are committed to a thorough, multifaceted fact finding operation, and we pledge to be forthcoming regarding the results of those investigations and to enact their findings and recommendations., "As these investigations remain active and ongoing, we will continue to allow that process to unfold," he added. All of those charged are students at Woburn Memorial High School. 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. This content is imported from Facebook. Former Woburn High School football player Johnathan Coucelos said he was assaulted and bullied by teammates in the locker room, and the school did nothing to protect him. Kevin Couceles says cellphone video shared on social media shows his then 14-year-old son being assaulted in the locker room after a football game last Crowley said in his letter Tuesday that the district has cooperated fully with the law enforcement investigation. Couceles said his wife decided to pull their son out of the Woburn school for his safety in December. For people with disabilities needing assistance with the Public Files, contact Glenn Heath at 617-300-3268. 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. (WHDH) - Seven Woburn High School students are facing assault and battery charges after they allegedly attacked a former classmate. But all these adults need to go.. #ada-button-frame { }Customer Service. Morning Weather NEW! "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. 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.. I think the parents need to take action. AT LEAST ONE PERSON IS WEARING A HAVERHIL FOOTBALL SHIRT. 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. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. The Woburn High School football team was on the field Friday night against Melrose High School but off the field, an investigation is underway. On Sept. 25, 2018, three years to the day His new school joined in seeking the waiver and injunction. 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