It took a big toll on him, very big toll.. I urge all people involved to cooperate completely with the investigators so that the best and most just outcome can be reached. CLICK HERE TO TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS. 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. It did explain that additional details were not released because of the ages of those involved. He says there needs to be more accountability. Contests & Promotions. Video shows alleged hazing incident that ended Haverhill football team's season, THE UNIVERSITY -- THE VIDEO YOU WILL SEE IS HIGHLY DISTURBING. The freshman football player is seen pulling up his pants in the video. ", "The boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team," the mayor said in his statement. "Very heartbroken.. All of those charged are students at Woburn Memorial High School. What happens when providers turn to medication first? I FEEL BAD. He was attacked in his Spanish class. Marotta said the investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered Wednesday, impacting the direction of the investigation and the entire school community. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. We're live in Woburn. He was attacked in the bathroom. He said he witnessed Belcher routinely pit players against each other during practice. HOME3-3 AWAY4-0 NEUTRAL0-1. Then I saw it boil over into the locker room because it caused kids to literally hate each other and fight off the field.. Callanan hired him in 2017 to succeed Woburns legendary coach, Rocky Nelson, and a former student who played in three of Belchers first four years at Woburn said, My first impression of him was positive. Johnathan Coucelos (center) and his family have helped drive the scrutiny of Woburn's football program. It was very nasty. "Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe. With Haverhill forfeiting the contest, Lowell will finish the season with a 4-7 record. This is an active and ongoing investigation. He says there needs to be more accountability. 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.. Morning Weather 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.. 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. display: none; 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. "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. Seven Woburn High School students are facing charges after a 14-year-old football player reported being attacked and sexually assaulted by his teammates. "As your superintendent I promise that the standards we will set for ourselves, our sports programs and how we are to treat one another will be of paramount importance as we continue to move through this process and learn all the facts and circumstances," Crowley wrote. ""The boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team," the mayor said in his statement. It's a sad situation and hopefully they figure out what happened and it doesn't happen again. I didn't like what I saw," said student Elliot Batista. The court is expected to decide in early March whether charges are warranted. 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. It's been a turbulent few years for the Woburn football program. 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. It was disgusting. 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. Lowell staged a miraculous comeback in last year s contest, scoring 34 points in the second half to stun the Hillies, 41-36. Hahn said he provided notice to the city and school district about their intent to sue. The Woburn Police Department received a complaint Wednesday involving members of a Woburn High School sports team regarding an incident earlier in the 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. 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 Woburn officials issue statement about investigation involving football team. Woburn police received a complaint on Oct. 13 regarding an incident earlier in the school year, the joint statement said. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Belcher also serves as a substitute teacher in the school. KYMA KECY is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Woburn High made no substantive efforts to curtail the bullying, they stated. Because the investigation involves minors, both the Woburn Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorneys Office told NBC10 Boston they cannot provide information about the case. It goes on to show a fourth teen in underwear squatting into the victims face, while other boys screamed and cheered, according to reports. 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. 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. It's really not a bad school.". 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. It's a shame. Whats more, the boy and his parents allege, school authorities failed to correct the abusive nature of Belchers coaching after they reported the incident. "I lost half of my friends. "This is an active and ongoing investigation. He played two seasons for the Breakers after they moved to New Orleans and Portland. juvenile justice system handle the Woburn bullying case? 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WCVB-TV. Officials in Woburn said Saturday that authorities are investigating a complaint received earlier in the week involving members of a Woburn High School sports team. "Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.". 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. 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. Something needs to be said, something to be done. The family, meanwhile, is asking a judge to review a Woburn District Court clerk magistrates decision to reject applications for criminal complaints against Callanan and Woburn Detective Edward Fumicello, the school resource officer, for allegedly allowing video surveillance footage of the hallway outside the locker room and coachs offices to be deleted after they viewed the recording, despite an ongoing investigation. "Haverhill Public Schools will not tolerate hazing, harassment or retaliation in any form," the message reads. 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. "The Woburn Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorneys Office are currently investigating the incident. 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. Woburn officials on Saturday issued a statement confirming that a detective was assigned to an investigation involving a high school sports team. 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.. Multiple investigations are being undertaken. The Woburn Police Department and Woburn Public Schools will continue to work together to ensure the safety of all students, the statement said. Andrews is gone. Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.. "We wish to state, without reservation, that the Woburn Public Schools took this matter seriously as soon as we learned about it and that our response was comprehensive and thorough.". 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. The Globe's most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. (CNN) - Police are investigating whether a juvenile football player was hazed, and sexually assaulted at school. We couldn't do it without you. 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. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE ALLEGED HAZING INCIDENT IN THE FOOTBALL LOCKROOM. 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. It hurts him to this day. The Middlesex County District Attorney's office says Woburn police notified them about the allegations and are investigating. The student who grabbed him in the classroom, he said, was a former Woburn football player. The county district attorney has indicated it will join local police in the investigation. Nelson concluded Coucelos was indeed assaulted and groped in the locker room. 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. Seven teenagers are facing criminal charges in Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said Thursday that he supported hiring an outside firm to conduct the investigation. "The school official, superintendent, the principal, vice principal, coaches they all should [face] consequences.. "We need to determine how this happened and what we can do so that this never happens again," Fiorentini said. 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. Incidents like these have no place in our community, the superintendent added. The Coucelos family accused school officials of putting the football teams interests ahead of student safety with their disciplinary measures. Callanan is leaving after the school year to become the director of academic achievement at Reading Memorial High School. LEAGUE 4-1 2nd Middlesex - Liberty. Join us. Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time.. ", Watch: Woburn High School accused of ignoring allegations of bullying. 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. "He just wants to be by himself all the time. The family is asking for accountability from the school. "The Woburn Police Department and the Middlesex District Attorneys Office are currently investigating the incident. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. "As these matters concern allegations involving minors, there was and remains much we cannot say publicly about this situation," Crowley said. Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time. PF343 PA206 STREAK2W. 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. 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. Several students, including football players in uniform, are seen pouring water on him and throwing water bottles. THE STUDENTS INVOLVED HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. REPORTER: THEY ARE KICKING OFF THAT PROGRAM DECEMBER 8, EVOLVING -- INVOLVING THE MASS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS AND SOCIETY GROUP. He should have been fired., The Globe asked Belcher and other school officials to comment. It doesn't feel the same anymore to be out in public," he said. Crowley said in his letter Tuesday that the district has cooperated fully with the law enforcement investigation. >> WANT TO GET STUDENTS -- STUDENT ATHLETES AND ADULT LEADERS IN A ROOM AND START TALKING ABOUT HOW TO BEAT HUMAN BEINGS. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The only game left on the 2022 Haverhill High football schedule was the Thanksgiving rivalry game against Lowell High School. Officials said in Saturday's statement that the incident involved a sports team and an alleged incident that occurred "earlier in the school year.". How will the Mass. 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. Woburn officials on Saturday issued a statement confirming that a detective was assigned to an investigation involving a high school sports team. A video of the incident allegedly shows members of the Haverhill High School football team hazing a teenage boy. Hearing In Woburn Football Assault Case Postponed The probable cause hearing initially scheduled for Tuesday will not take place until March, the attorney for the I told Belcher hes an adult bully and shouldnt be coaching anybodys kids, the parent said. 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