Bob Hohler can be reached at [email protected]. Belcher, 60, has been familiar to many in the Woburn area since he was a three-sport star at neighboring Stoneham High School in the late 1970s. 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. 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. The Rockets improved to 2-0 by dominating Woburn, 35-7, last Saturday at Woburn High. 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 hurts him to this day. Video shows alleged hazing incident that ended Haverhill football team's season, THE UNIVERSITY -- THE VIDEO YOU WILL SEE IS HIGHLY DISTURBING. 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. (WHDH) - Seven Woburn High School students are facing assault and battery charges after they allegedly attacked a former classmate. Bullying and hazing happen when you pit players against each other like he does, Wilson said. Officials said in Saturday's statement that the incident involved a sports team and an alleged incident that occurred "earlier in the school year.". "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. A family in Woburn, Massachusetts, wants The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office has said they have been notified of the incident by woburn police. March 1, 2022 Greater Boston. Saturday's statement did not provide details about the nature of the allegation and did not specifically mention the football team. It did explain that additional details were not released because of the ages of those involved. 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. Two players were suspended from school for two weeks over the incident, but while one quit the team, the other continued playing football during his suspension, the family said. It's been a turbulent few years for the Woburn football program. ""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. Marotta said the investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered Wednesday, impacting the direction of the investigation and the entire school community. 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. OVERALL 7-4 0.64 Win %. "It was gross. Coucelos reported the violent incidents to coaches and the police who did not take enough action. His parents made that decision to withdraw him from the school because it was no longer safe for him to be there. LEAGUE 4-1 2nd Middlesex - Liberty. #ada-button-frame { It gets me emotional every time I have to talk about this.". Hire A Woburn Area Pro To Get A Head Start On Spring Cleaning. Woburn School Superintendent Matthew Crowley issued a statement saying Coucelos was unjustly assaulted by other members of the football team. He wrote that Woburn is committed to providing enhanced training for athletic staff to ensure safe participation in athletics for all of our students., Crowley maintained that Woburns football coaches were aware of the prohibitions against bullying and hazing prior to the school year. I wasnt there to protect my son," Couceles shared. It was dirty. 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.. 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. "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.". Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, A reporter's indulgence no longer a secret The NBA's Damian Lillard made me a fan, Pandemic food assistance that held back hunger comes to an end, The March Drop: Stay on the move with Oscar reels and roller derbies, MIT takes steps to stop foreign espionage, but some faculty say it goes too far, Bostons police oversight office has yet to uphold a single civilian complaint. Follow us so you don't miss a thing! All seven face single counts of assault and battery, while one also is charged with indecent assault and battery for allegedly grabbing Couceloss genitals. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Woburn Police have assigned a detective to the case. >> I DONT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH KIDS TODAY. Two other Woburn students allegedly accosted Coucelos later, he said. The three-year initiative is called Transforming Narratives of Gun Violence. 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. He was attacked in his Spanish class. Lowell staged a miraculous comeback in last year s contest, scoring 34 points in the second half to stun the Hillies, 41-36. display: none; 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. 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. 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. The 25 new centers are expected to ease the burden on emergency rooms for patients with behavioral health crises. 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 He hasnt left his room, he has barely eaten," Couceles said of his son. Get all the latest from Sanditon on GBH Passport, How one Brookline studio helps artists with disabilities thrive. He left his job as a paraprofessional at the Woburn school in April. 2023 by KYMA / NPG of Yuma-El Centro Broadcasting. THE MAYOR GOES ON TO SAY IM CONCERNED THIS HAPPENED, AND CONCERNED BY REPORTS THAT OTHER STUDENTS STOOD BY AND DID NOT INTERVENE. Together, we can create a more connected and informed world. AT LEAST ONE PERSON IS WEARING A HAVERHIL FOOTBALL SHIRT. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Bullying claims date back years in Woburn High School football program By Bob Hohler Globe Staff,Updated February 26, 2022, 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.. }Customer Service, 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. "This is an active and ongoing investigation. Today and every day, I urge every member of our community to be kind to one another and do everything in their power to be part of making our community kinder and stronger. 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 Crowley said they have reached out to the Couceles family. 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 video appears to show three boys one of them wearing a Haverhill football shirt dragging another teen across the floor of a locker room. He also serves as a substitute teacher in the school. PARENTS ARE NOW REVISITING BASIC RIGHTS AND WRONGSAT HOME. The Middlesex County District Attorney's office says Woburn police notified them about the allegations and are investigating. He was attacked in the bathroom. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. Whats more, the family says, no school employee has publicly accepted responsibility for the trauma, while the students answer to criminal charges. This content is imported from Facebook. Crowley said the school district consulted with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and had a consultant from the Anti-Hazing collaborative work with all of their winter sports coaches. Then I saw it boil over into the locker room because it caused kids to literally hate each other and fight off the field.. Thats a perversion of sports culture, which instead of building character, produces cowardly thugs. "He just wants to be by himself all the time. The middlesex county district attorney's office says woburn police notified them about the allegations, and are investigating. 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. "I fully support the superintendents actions in cancelling the Thanksgiving game, suspending those involved and conducting a full investigation. The 60-page report includes statements by Chase Andrews, the first-year volunteer assistant who was 23 at the time, and head freshman coach Chris Scichilone that they were not formally trained about hazing before Coucelos was accosted. TONIGHT IS THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING HERE AT HAV. 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 I feel like parents need to be more involved and acknowledge who their kids friends are. The Couceles family reported the assault to police in October. 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. Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Asked to cite an inaccuracy, Callanan did not respond. Now, five years into Belchers coaching career at Woburn, the culture of his program and the school districts supervision of the former Boston College football standout are under scrutiny. This week, the Danvers High wrestling program was suspended after an investigation into a fight that allegedly occurred over a racial slur led to the discovery of a team Snapchat group that included racist and biased language. 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. But conflicting witness statements prevented Nelson from establishing who groped Coucelos, he stated. Nelson concluded Coucelos was indeed assaulted and groped in the locker room. They're spirits of loved ones, Bill needs a kidney: Tyngsboro man searches for lifesaving donor, Lowell Catholic boys basketball team blows out Belchertown, No end in sight for case involving Dracut doc charged with patient's death, Toddler safe, car theft suspects apprehended, MVC girls basketball: Dracut's Ashlee Talbot named Div. THE TEAM IS FORFEITING THE REST OF THE SEASON. Haverhill Public Schools will not tolerate hazing, harassment, or retaliation in any form, the school district said in the statement. It's not good. Its shocking that there still have been no repercussions for anyone in the athletic department, said Peter Hahn, the Coucelos familys attorney. Support GBH. Woburn officials on Saturday issued a statement confirming that a detective was assigned to an investigation involving a high school sports team. It was dirty. How will the Mass. Woburn police and the Middlesex District Attorneys office are now investigating. KYMA KECY is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. "The school official, superintendent, the principal, vice principal, coaches they all should [face] consequences.. It's not good for our school. Peter Hahn, the attorney representing the Couceles family, said five high school students are facing charges for assault and battery for the September incident. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. On Sept. 25, 2018, three years to the day 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. Whats more, the boy and his parents allege, school authorities failed to correct the abusive nature of Belchers coaching after they reported the incident. Now there was a heavy police presence here at the game, but no issues here tonight. 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. Andrews, a 2020 graduate of Endicott College, indicated his football experience was limited to Pop Warner and high school. 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. Hahn said he provided notice to the city and school district about their intent to sue. "The only game left on the 2022 Haverhill High football schedule was the Thanksgiving rivalry game against Lowell High School.The Haverhill School Committee was scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday. He should have been fired., The Globe asked Belcher and other school officials to comment. The freshman football player is seen pulling up his pants in the video. There should be a lot more charges," he said. One has an additional "indecent assault and battery" charge. Due to the ages of those involved, no additional information is available at this time. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. It took a big toll on him, very big toll.. 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