"The matter has also been referred to the Haverhill Police Department for further investigation, according to the school officials' message. Coucelos, fearing for his safety, has transferred to Cambridge Matignon School. 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. It was dirty. Some Woburn residents are upset that alleged assailants were allowed to play at Fenway in the Thanksgiving game against Winchester. BOSTON, Ma. "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. Four days later, they stated, Callanan told them she had addressed the issue, without explaining how. 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. His new school joined in seeking the waiver and injunction. 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. I JUST THINK ITS AWFUL. OVERALL 7-4 0.64 Win %. #ada-button-frame { KYMA/CBS 13/KECY is an equal opportunity employer. Breaking News Belcher told Hanley he had left the building before the incident. racial slurs and engaging in homophobic hazing, Danvers High wrestling program was suspended. NEW! 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. 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. >> WHO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE VIDEO? And at some point, he had to leave the school for his safety. Crowley said in his letter Tuesday that the district has cooperated fully with the law enforcement investigation. He said he witnessed Belcher routinely pit players against each other during practice. Former Woburn High School football player Johnathan Coucelos said he was assaulted and bullied by teammates in the locker room, 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. The Haverhill High School football stadium and locker room are located approximately 10 minutes off campus. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy |Community Guidelines | FCC Applications | Jobs/Internships |, Daily News Updates The 25 new centers are expected to ease the burden on emergency rooms for patients with behavioral health crises. 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. I'm Peter Iliopoulos, WCVB News Center five, Okay. I want to cry every time I see that. 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. The only game left on the 2022 Haverhill High football schedule was the Thanksgiving rivalry game against Lowell High School. I feel like parents need to be more involved and acknowledge who their kids friends are. 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. Woburn, MA Police are pursuing criminal charges against seven students at Woburn Memorial High School after a freshman football player, 14-year-old Johnathan HOME3-3 AWAY4-0 NEUTRAL0-1. THE STUDENTS INVOLVED HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. He allegedly was punched and struck with water bottles, as well as being indecently assaulted. 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. 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 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. Seven Massachusetts students charged in connection with alleged assaults on high school football teammate. 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. This content is imported from Facebook. Officials said in Saturday's statement that the incident involved a sports team and an alleged incident that occurred "earlier in the school year.". 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. The player alleges Woburn head coach Jack Belcher instigated the kick by encouraging older teammates to in Belchers words toughen up younger ones. Callanan is leaving after the school year to become the director of academic achievement at Reading Memorial High School. The two teams were scheduled to play in Haverhill at 10 a.m., the time all high-school games are played on that season-ending day for most teams. "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. "The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students. Instead, Belcher instructed the traumatized player to return to the field for 35 more minutes of contact drills, his complaint states. Two more students face charges for subsequent harassment in the weeks after the assault in the locker room. The Rams released him in training camp before he was drafted by the Boston Breakers of the fledgling United States Football League. 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. 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 urge all people involved to cooperate completely with the investigators so that the best and most just outcome can be reached. "Any such misconduct will be responded to swiftly and it will undoubtedly have lasting repercussions for all of those involved.". How many examples of this appalling behavior will it take to preempt the next hazers in waiting? 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He should have been fired., The Globe asked Belcher and other school officials to comment. Stream GBH's Award-Winning Content For Parents And Children. But all these adults need to go.. Multiple criminal complaints have been filed against several New Jersey high school students following two probes into allegations of rampant abuse and hazing. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. Marotta said the investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered Wednesday, impacting the direction of the investigation and the entire school community. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE ALLEGED HAZING INCIDENT IN THE FOOTBALL LOCKROOM. PARENTS ARE NOW REVISITING BASIC RIGHTS AND WRONGSAT HOME. 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 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. ", The teen was joined by his parents Kevin and Jeanny and his lawyer Peter Hahn, who said the school failed Coucelos. An alleged hazing incident is under investigation at the high school in Woburn, Massachusetts. The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office also said they were notified about the allegations by police and are participating in the investigation. 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 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. Head football coach Jack Belcher has posted a 29-20 record at Woburn. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Severe Weather Alerts It was very nasty. James Austin's son is on the football team. Sources tell One has an additional "indecent assault and battery" charge. Asked to cite an inaccuracy, Callanan did not respond. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. #ada-button-frame { 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. 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. AT LEAST ONE PERSON IS WEARING A HAVERHIL FOOTBALL SHIRT. Bullying and hazing happen when you pit players against each other like he does, Wilson said. 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. Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. GBH News brings you the stories, local voices, and big ideas that shape our world. The Middlesex County District Attorney's office says Woburn police notified them about the allegations and are investigating. It did explain that additional details were not released because of the ages of those involved. He was harassed by a number of different students, said Hahn. 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 Andrews, a 2020 graduate of Endicott College, indicated his football experience was limited to Pop Warner and high school. 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.. The county district attorney has indicated it will join local police in the investigation. Crowley said they have reached out to the Couceles family. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. ", 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. (CNN) - Police are investigating whether a juvenile football player was hazed, and sexually assaulted at school. The Woburn Police Department received a complaint Wednesday involving members of a Woburn High School sports team regarding an incident earlier in the `` Any such misconduct will be responded to swiftly and it will undoubtedly have repercussions... 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