MCPS needs a new spokesperson. Derek Turner threw salt on the wounds of every MCPS family that had their child abused while in the care of MCPS. Praise the Lord the Washington Post and WJLA are covering the story of the JV Football Team at Damascus High School. Without it, MCPS wouldn't be doing a damn thing about the situation at Damascus High School like they have ignored so many other cases of abuse.

What is the magic form to report RAPE to MCPS? Guess what - it doesn't exist.

Everyone's first call should be to the police BEFORE contacting a MCPS principal. The Damascus principal was told on October 31st about the broom rapes but the police didn't get involved until November 1st. Why didn't the principal immediately call the police?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listening to the Kojo show and MCPS representative basically just said that the details should not have been published in the paper, and that it all should have been handled privately so that people will still come forward in the future.

AKA a cover-up

And the representative said they were unaware of any hazing in Damascus. Now he's promoting the video.

Ridiculous, but par for the course in MCPS. They want to cover everything up, and pretend incidents never happened.

NOBODY has named the victims (as it should be). But, it is absolutely reasonable that this story gets media attention. Why would anyone not want the story published? How else can we hold MCPS accountable?

I agree. The more I think about it, the more angry I become.

Just read the MCPS quotes about “hazing.” Bullshit. This was rape, and once again MCPS is minimizing it as “hazing” in a feint attempt to hide the truth and to minimize potential financial damages.

Odd support from a former students' brother.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Josh_Funk/status/1058838703500599298

Anonymous wrote:Who leaked the police report to the Post?

Police reports are public. There is a process to get one.

Anonymous wrote:We live in a neighboring county (Howard) and I am outraged by this incident. Does anyone know if the varsity players have been questioned? Time to find out if this really has been going on for years as implied in the WaPo article. And I agree the whole program needs to be shut down. It is tainted. I feel so bad for those kids who were brutalized and for their parents as well. It is sickening to think this might all get swept away under the guise of boys will be boys, etc. Do these families have any recourse against the perpetrators and their parents? Or even legal recourse against the school system?( of course with the caveat innocent until proven guilty, etc)?

The families should unite and hire legal representation. MCPS was responsible for the lack of supervision that allowed the rapes to occur. MCPS is responsible for the climate that promoted the ritual.

If other victims exist from prior assaults, they should report what happened to them to Special Victims Investigations of the Montgomery County Police Department.

Anonymous wrote:Agree the program should be shut down. At least for a year or two. When there’s hazing at colleges, they kick out the fraternities. I think this is analogous but worse. These are boys who raped their teammate with a broomstick. WTf.

Minor teammates! These poor kids were 14/15? And I had also read that it was recorded and posted online. All around horrific.

If it is proven to be true, the program needs to be shut down. JV AND Varsity. These are serious charges, and lame videos do not address the problem in any meaningful way.

Anonymous wrote:Who leaked the police report to the Post?

Who cares, really? I'm grateful that they did. Or else, MCPS would continue to play it down as if it was NBD.

Who leaked the police report to the Post?

Agree the program should be shut down. At least for a year or two. When there’s hazing at colleges, they kick out the fraternities. I think this is analogous but worse. These are boys who raped their teammate with a broomstick. WTf.

Anonymous wrote:Just saw the story on the Yahoo home page. Hopefully as the story gains more traction, MCPS will be forced to take more action.

Still referring to this as hazing is definitely a disservice to the victims. This was rape. Hazing is shaving off a teammates hair, or something silly. This was rape. Plain and simple. MCPS needs to stop lumping this in with hazing/bullying. This was sexual assault of minors. Insane.

+1,000

We live in a neighboring county (Howard) and I am outraged by this incident. Does anyone know if the varsity players have been questioned? Time to find out if this really has been going on for years as implied in the WaPo article. And I agree the whole program needs to be shut down. It is tainted. I feel so bad for those kids who were brutalized and for their parents as well. It is sickening to think this might all get swept away under the guise of boys will be boys, etc. Do these families have any recourse against the perpetrators and their parents? Or even legal recourse against the school system?( of course with the caveat innocent until proven guilty, etc)?

Anonymous wrote:Just saw the story on the Yahoo home page. Hopefully as the story gains more traction, MCPS will be forced to take more action.

Still referring to this as hazing is definitely a disservice to the victims. This was rape. Hazing is shaving off a teammates hair, or something silly. This was rape. Plain and simple. MCPS needs to stop lumping this in with hazing/bullying. This was sexual assault of minors. Insane.

Agree, it was a violent, criminal act plain and simple and they need to start referring to it as such.

Just saw the story on the Yahoo home page. Hopefully as the story gains more traction, MCPS will be forced to take more action.

Still referring to this as hazing is definitely a disservice to the victims. This was rape. Hazing is shaving off a teammates hair, or something silly. This was rape. Plain and simple. MCPS needs to stop lumping this in with hazing/bullying. This was sexual assault of minors. Insane.

Anonymous wrote:Jeff Sullivan posted a letter to the community on twitter

https://twitter.com/MCPSAthletics/status/1060331826219286528/photo/1

https://twitter.com/MCPSAthletics/status/1060331826219286528/photo/2

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listening to the Kojo show and MCPS representative basically just said that the details should not have been published in the paper, and that it all should have been handled privately so that people will still come forward in the future.

AKA a cover-up

And the representative said they were unaware of any hazing in Damascus. Now he's promoting the video.

Ridiculous, but par for the course in MCPS. They want to cover everything up, and pretend incidents never happened.

NOBODY has named the victims (as it should be). But, it is absolutely reasonable that this story gets media attention. Why would anyone not want the story published? How else can we hold MCPS accountable?

I agree. The more I think about it, the more angry I become.