Reported hazing incident involving Damascus High School JV Football team

[Anonymous]

With regard to the earlies post about youth being charged as adults, I agree.
Either charge all youth as adults or none. It makes no sense for it to be based on media coverage, outrage or the height of the youth

We are already in a system where the person with the more expensive lawyer wins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
+1 Another poster completely agreeing with both posts. It is absolutely shameful that MCPS has no desire to find out the culture and prior acts/circumstances. They so quickly hung the perpetrators out to dry and tried to distance all coaches and administration at school and County rather than find out all the history. Do they really not care? Throw a bunch of their 15 year old students (their students) to the media and courts to save face for every adult touching the team. And of course the rapists need to be charged, tried and punished but it was really pathetic that the football program was not suspended until everything was investigated top to bottom. Messed up priorities in the worst form -- and I am a huge sports and football fan. Really shameful.

On the one hand, MCPS wanted to cover it up. On the other hand, MCPS wanted it to have lots of publicity. (Or so I read on DCUM.) Which is it? it can't be both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I obviously have not read all 49 pages but I have read many including the most recent and it seems hard to understand how people would say that canceling football for a year punishes innocent kids. School is at least in significant part about teaching kids about consequences for actions, right and wrong, and all that. Kids also need to know that when they turn their back on obviously improper behavior they should pay a price too, that is what it means when you say there are consequences for your actions. But the real issue here is not what those poor Freshman kids who were running sprints on the field should suffer but that MPCS seems uninterested in what happened to the kids who were brutally assaulted and is instead concerned about conducting a proper investigation that will drag on until people forget about the issue (probably after the Holiday break will work), the privacy rights of students and employees and having to tussle with the union. I am an employment attorney who also handles public employees and all of the coaches, top to bottom could be fired without legal liability, guaranteed. And I think cleaning house would make good sense, and I would probably toss out the Principal too who is actually easier to fire than employees but the County still hesitates to take any actions. How many more kids need to be harmed before the County the acts? If the County fired the employees would the County be sued, maybe, but would they lose, not a chance. Given what has come out so far, it seems this was clearly a ritual, and I suspect a long-standing and well-known ritual, and that is all one would need. But if the Coaches were at all decent, they would also resign to give the program a chance at a fresh start. I think the worst aspect of the Coutny's response is it seems calculated to say that the success of the Varsity program should not be tainted. Shameful, particularly from educators who are supposed to be setting an example. Shameful. As it happens, I watched an episode of Friday Night Lights last night where Coach Taylor says to his wife something like, "I know what would be easiest but don't I have to do what is right?" It would be nice if one person at MCPS asked themselves that issue because as his wife responded, yes you do, and the County should as well but that does not seem to be how it thinks at all.

+1000 Damascus HS is not the only high school with a serious problem on an athletics team that MCPS has avoided dealing with. The difference with Damascus is the level of the crime that was committed has caused what happened to make national news.

Stalling to make decisions so the issue is off everyone's radar is MCPS method of operation. Leaving bad people in non-tenured, non-union coaching jobs is not a new practice. Despite what the Superintendent says at a press conferences, MCPS actively interfered with a police investigation when the Principal interviewed the entire JV Football prior to calling the police. That also is a common practice in MCPS.

The Superintendent was hoping the perpetrators would be tried as juveniles so all records are sealed. Now, MCPS's dirty laundry will be aired on a national media stage. The Superintendent is a puppet that swings in the direction those underneath him points him to. The Board of Education could care less if children are being abused in their schools. Damascus is not the only school children have been abused but the coaches keep their jobs. Damascus is not the only school where abuse takes the form of a hazing ritual but as a parent, would you know how to report child abuse, hazing, or harassment to the school? How long would that process take? As far as an internal investigation, would you ever know the results? The pre-determined outcome would be the same - everything is puppy dogs and unicorns, no evidence of misconduct so the coaches are cleared of any accusations (despite what parents and students know what happened).

For any Damascus parent who is considering filing suit against MCPS for what happened to your child, have your attorney give a public statement so I would know how to contact them. I have evidence that what happened at Damascus is not unique. MCPS should have strengthened it's protections for students years ago. Ignoring problems and faults in their athletic programs has caused children to be injured due to abuse all across the county. MCPS is indifferent to protecting children which is causing the numbers of victims to skyrocket in their schools. MCPS is not publicly talking about what their plans are for the coaches and Princiapal because until they feel the heat, all MCPS employees will remain in place.

Contact the Parents' Coalition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With regard to the earlies post about youth being charged as adults, I agree.
Either charge all youth as adults or none. It makes no sense for it to be based on media coverage, outrage or the height of the youth

We are already in a system where the person with the more expensive lawyer wins

They are being charged as adults because the crime for an adult carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Not because of media coverage or otherwise.

This is a criminal case and will be tried by the state, not a high paid attorney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With regard to the earlies post about youth being charged as adults, I agree.
Either charge all youth as adults or none. It makes no sense for it to be based on media coverage, outrage or the height of the youth

We are already in a system where the person with the more expensive lawyer wins

They are being charged as adults because the crime for an adult carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Not because of media coverage or otherwise.

This is a criminal case and will be tried by the state, not a high paid attorney.

"They are being charged as adults because the crime for an adult carries a maximum sentence of life in prison."

Why does it matter what sentence the crime for an adult is? They aren't adults, they are children. It's not like they are going to sentence a child to a lifetime in prison.

Oh, I forgot, we live in the only country on planet Earth that sentences children to die in prison, my mistake.

[Anonymous]

http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/17507010/otl-investigation-trend-sodomy-hazing


These boys appear to be doing nothing new. It’s crazy that this goes on and apparently has been going on for quite awhile all over the country. I wonder why these boys are the ones finally being made an example of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/17507010/otl-investigation-trend-sodomy-hazing


These boys appear to be doing nothing new. It’s crazy that this goes on and apparently has been going on for quite awhile all over the country. I wonder why these boys are the ones finally being made an example of.

I think the country has had it with all kinds of abuse, whether it's related to #metoo or this type of situation. Timing is everything. You could say the same thing about a lot of events in the news. Things have happened to me in MCPS that were treated as totally acceptable but would be completely verboten post-metoo era. Or at least there'd be more awareness that it was sexual harassment. I often wonder if I would have had an easier time if my situation occurred now instead of several years ago, or if what happened to me would have happened at all. I also know what to do now if it happens again to me or anyone who else who shares it with me. Part of the awareness is telling people how to report, whether it's child abuse, rape, harassment, you name it. There were no repercussions for the people who were abusive to me. I just moved within the county, as so many of us do.

[Anonymous]

Is it? Or is it because these boys are black? Or perhaps because they did this to a cops son?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it? Or is it because these boys are black? Or perhaps because they did this to a cops son?

I think doing it to a cop's son could have persuaded the police to fully investigate the case. They sometimes aren't as thorough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it? Or is it because these boys are black? Or perhaps because they did this to a cops son?

Read the press conference. The State's attorney said that by law the charge of 1st degree rape must be filled in criminal court. It is MD law, not because of race.

[Anonymous]

It is maryland law but if you read the espn article above you see that this has been going on in for a while. It’s happened in multiple settings and multiple states but it appears that most get off with a slap on the wrist. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be penalized. I just don’t think they should face life in prison. These kids for some reason are the ones that have been chosen to made an example of getting nation wide attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is maryland law but if you read the espn article above you see that this has been going on in for a while. It’s happened in multiple settings and multiple states but it appears that most get off with a slap on the wrist. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be penalized. I just don’t think they should face life in prison. These kids for some reason are the ones that have been chosen to made an example of getting nation wide attention.

No child should face life in prison. That's not justice. And to tolerate or look the other way when hazing like this goes on only to decide now to punish the kids is also a sign that maybe it has something to do with who the father of a victim is, or the skin color of the children who committed the crime.

This should not be swept under the rug, and the adults who allowed it to happen need to be punished. The children who committed the crime also need to be punished, but in a way that is appropriate for children so they get proper treatment and is geared towards their rehabilitation.

I'm disgusted that the idea of life in prison for them is even a thought that people would have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope they pay attention to the Damascus Wrestling coaches and athletes too. I do not know of any hazing, but I was appalled at the unsportsmanlike conduct of their coach last year.

I think all parents of student athletes need to sit their children down and find out what goes on within teams. I was floored to find out that it's a ritual for boy and girl Lacrosse players at our W school to do cocaine together at the beginning of the season.

Oh my God.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sickening, just sickening.

So, what can parents with kids in MCPS do to make our voices heard? Do we need to protest in front of Damascus HS to demonstrate that parents stand firm with these brave RAPE victims? Do we need to demand resignations of ANY staff member who should have been paying attention and wasn't? Do we need to have a march? A sit-in?

What do we do to say that THIS IS TOO MUCH AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO STAND FOR IT???????

Signed,
MCPS Parent

What to do?
Yes, protest. And call the State of MD - or write - and demand an investigation.

[Anonymous]

Life in prison for juveniles has been ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.