Sayreville, NJ High School Football Team Under Investigation for Alleged Sexual Assault of Freshmen Players
A New Jersey high school football team has become embroiled in a hazing and sexual abuse scandal that has seen the team's season canceled and has led to a criminal investigation.
Last week, details came to light of hazing within the Sayreville War Memorial High School football team of a sexual nature, leading to an investigation by police and school authorities.
The allegations came to light on Oct. 1 when the police approached Superintendent Richard Labbe with allegations of sexual assault within the high school's football team, according to NJ.com, which has been following the story closely.
Parents of some of the abused freshmen players spoke with police after their children revealed what happened in the team's locker room. As the freshmen players congregated in the locker room, someone would turn off the lights, and one junior player would be grabbed and held down by upperclassmen. Then, "the victim would be lifted to his feet while a finger was forced into his rectum." At times, the same finger was forced into the victim's mouth.
"[For] 10 seconds, the lights would go off, and they would grab a freshman, and they would go on," said a parent of one of the victims. "Right on the floor. ... It was happening every day. They would get the freshmen.
"Kids would just sit around and witness [stuff] like this."
Labbe canceled the team's season as the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office and the Sayreville Police investigate the incident. Players have been interviewed, and no charges, as of now, have been filed.
Parents of other football players became outraged when the season was canceled, deeming it an unjust punishment for the players not involved. In a board of education meeting on Tuesday, players and their parents asked for the season to be reinstated but the board stood by Labbe's decision.
"I feel for these kids," board member John Walsh said, referring to the innocent players affected. "But we have a moral, legal and ethical obligation to ensure the safety of every student, and that supersedes any extracurricular activity."
One player denied the allegations at the meeting.
"Everyone keeps saying that there are aggressive things going on in the locker room," senior Justin Gallagher said. "Nothing makes me believe that there was anything going on."
Parents were upset at the school administration for also not paying closer attention to what was happening.
On Wednesday, NJ.com released audio from a closed meeting between Labbe and parents Monday night. In the meeting, the school explains the investigators have not found any evidence as of yet that showed the coaches or other staff knew of what happened but that the investigation "shows that that this behavior was accepted and tolerated by the players."
Head Coach George Najjar, who was one of New Jersey's Coaches of the Year and was inducted to the New Jersey Football Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in 2014, has refused to answer questions about the investigation.
However, a Facebook page has appeared lending support to the embattled coach and team.
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