New Jersey school cancels football season

 

SAYREVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Officials at a central New Jersey high school that has won three sectional titles over the past four years canceled the football season amid allegations of harassment, intimidation and bullying among players.

 

Sayreville school officials made the announcement Monday night during a meeting with the players' parents. The district already had canceled and forfeited a game that was scheduled last Thursday between Sayreville War Memorial and South Brunswick, and announced that the Middlesex County prosecutor's office was investigating the allegations.

 

''There was enough evidence that there were incidents of harassment, of intimidation and bullying that took place on a pervasive level, on a wide-scale level and at a level at which the players knew, tolerated and generally accepted,'' Superintendent Richard Labbe told reporters Monday night. ''Based upon what has been substantiated to have occurred, we have canceled the remainder of the football season.''

 

Labbe said he could not discuss the investigation, and the prosecutor's office has declined to release any details. No charges have been filed. Labbe said Prosecutor Andrew Carey told him there is credible evidence to back up the allegations of bullying and harassment within the program.

 

Also last week, an assistant football coach at the high school resigned amid allegations that he possessed steroids....

 

Well, what do you think...right thing or wrong thing to do?

It depends on how pervasive and wide spread. I don't like the idea of punishing the innocent, if there were any and by ending the season it seems likely that some innocent kids were punished.

The innocent kids were the ones being bullied, intimidated, and harassed.

If it were truly that widespread, while I'm sure there were more than a few players not involved, kicking off all the guilty might have left the team without enough numbers to safely field a team.

The innocent kids were the ones being bullied' date=' intimidated, and harassed.[/quote']

That is what in getting out of it, that it may be all within the team such as the locker room. If you are on a team and see this, and do not stop it, then you are not innocent either. But it's hard to say with them not saying anything about it, but with the prosecutor and the school discussing it, they seem it's the best thing. Until more comes out there really isn't much to discuss.

I am guessing that the coaches are still getting paid, though no $$$ is coming in. How would you like to be the parent that just shelled out $500+ for cheerleading uniforms?

I am guessing that the coaches are still getting paid, though no $$$ is coming in. How would you like to be the parent that just shelled out $500+ for cheerleading uniforms?

 

Or, how would you like to be the parent of a kid that has been getting bullied and intimidated on a daily basis??

Soft

You have to ask about the last line - was it to put the last nail in the coffin if the other stuff was not bad enough?

 

Also last week, an assistant football coach at the high school resigned amid allegations that he possessed steroids....

 

And how is this related to the story...

Soft

 

Who's soft?

I can't imagine the school district doing this unless it was pervasive and all attempts to deal with it didn't change behaviors. We just don't know any of that, though, without more information which we are not likely to get. Unless it goes to court and they try them as adults.

It's pure speculation on my part, but maybe after realizing how many players they would have to suspend, they didn't have enough players left to safely field a team.

http://www.si.com/high-school/2014/10/07/sayreville-high-school-football-investigation-hazing

This was posted several days ago, maybe last Saturday? As I said then, there are things that appear to be under warps for now with the investigations. From this article, my thoughts about what may have happened are what happened. Sexual assaults, rape, you could go on.

Soft

I'll ask again what Jumper Dad asked.

Soft?