by Alex Lloyd Gross
Hazing is illegal. It is sometimes done to new people in an organization but once it reaches a level where someone gets hurt it is against the law. According to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, he announced that four Cheltenham High School football coaches and six players have been charged in connection with two assaults that happened in the locker room last year.
These assaults were brought to light, even after head coach Terence Tolbert, 55, of Elkins Park; associate head coach Darian “DJ” McFadden, 42, of Roslyn, Pa.; assistant coach Benjamin Johnson III, 45, of Cheltenham; and volunteer coach Ralph Burnley, 60, of Elkins Park tried to cover it up and downplay it, When Burnley drove the victim home after an incident, instead of reporting it to the police, Burnley is accused of telling Coach Tolbert and then not reporting it farther, when it was clear the coaches wanted to keep the incident in house. Burnley, in a text message to other coaches wrote ” This has to be handled and kept quiet. It’s just like hazing…I’m telling you if this gets out, they could put the whole team in jeopardy”.
When authorities found out about the matter,the entire season was canceled, just as Cheltenham was about to play Truman High School.
There were two alleged assaults. During one, several members of the team held down the victim and at least one tried to put a broomstick up his anus. According to the victim, during his grand jury testimony “It did not go it, it touched his butt”. Several participants in the assault took cellphone video and shared that video with other students, not staff or administrators, according to the indictment.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo Delaware Valley News.com Montco DA Kevin Steele
There was no adult supervision during the assaults, as the coaches were not in the lock room. The indictment said the coaches were rarely in the locker room , as most elected to use other offices nearby. The assault with the broomstick only stopped when buses came to take them to a destination, the indictment said.
The students who were arrested are Isiah Simpson and Josiah Peeler. As they were released from jail after their preliminary, the two players ran away from press cameras, hiding their faces. Other coaches did not hide their faces but offered no comment.
The assaults happened August 14 and again on September 3 of last year. During the last assault, one of the players is alleged to have stomped on the penis of the victim, causing him a contusion, sending him to an Urgent Care Center.
They are charged with Endangering the welfare Of A Child and related offenses. Peer is charged with False swearing and Simpson faces both aggravated and simple assault charges. The other four students were juveniles and cannot be named.