Needham Girls HS Hazing

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I don't know - I am trying to figure out what the argument would be to get an injunction which I think is unlikely.

The kid(s) claim innocence?

[Unregistered]

If they win the injunction and the substitute coach plays those girls and subsequently they lose and the suspensions are upheld, they would have to forfeit their games. This will hurt the other members of the team who could play without them and win or it would hurt the team they play and beat who perhaps could have continued in the tournament. Lots of impacts here for them to be running to court.

[Unregistered]

Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Anti-Hazing Law

Chapter 269: Section 17. Hazing; organizing or participating; hazing defined
Whoever is a principal organizer or participant in the crime of hazing, as defined herein, shall be punished by a fine of not more than three thousand dollars or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than one year, or both such fine and imprisonment.
The term “hazing” as used in this section and in sections eighteen and nineteen, shall mean any conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any student or other person. Such conduct shall include whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the weather, forced consumption of any food, liquor,
beverage, drug or other substance, or any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity which is likely to adversely affect the physical health or safety of any such student or other person, or which subjects such student or other person to extreme mental stress, including extended deprivation of sleep or rest or extended isolation.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section to the contrary, consent shall not be available as a defense to any prosecution under this action.

Chapter 269: Section 18. Failure to report hazing

Whoever knows that another person is the victim of hazing as defined in section seventeen and is at the scene of such crime shall, to the extent that such person can do so without danger or peril to himself or others, report such crime to an appropriate law enforcement official as soon as reasonably practicable. Whoever fails to report such
crime shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.

Isn't funny how the same parents who object to the dog leashes would be applauding it if it were on a gay rights parade at a school event celebrating diversity.

[Unregistered]

You know, I hate to break it to you people, but if your daughter plans to go on to play soccer in college, they arre going to experience some sort of hazing as a freshman. It is not condoned by the schools or the coach, but it does happen. I had 3 kids go to 3 different colleges (D1-D3) and they all experienced it. Nothing was done to harm them, though they did do some humiliating things - but my kids laughed about it. If the freshman does not want to participate, they are not forced to, but the ones who do are more accepted by the upper classmen. I'm not saying it's right - I'm saying it happens.

[Unregistered]

I can't believe the parents are taking this to court. The only reason I would think that you would is if you know that your kid is not guilty and regardless of the "innocent until proven guilty" I think if you have freshman saying X, Y, and Z dragged us around the field on a dog leash and then smashed pies in our faces" you probably have enough evidence to presume guilt. It doesn't have to be proven in a court of law to suspend a kid for bad behavior in school. These parents do their kids no favor by not letting them take their medicine. This is exactly why our country is as screwed up as they are. We have parents that don't teach their kids that they are responsible for their acts and on the other hand we have school systems where lawsuits are brought at the drop of a hat.

What if the kids who reportedly were hazed have no issue with what occurred as they do not feel it was a bullying or hazing behavior. What if the parents and school have blown this whole thing way out of proportion with the hysteria surrounding bullying and their knee jerk reaction. What if the girls involved actually support the elimination of these suspensions. Maybe the bullying going on here is all this misinformation and crucification of this team before the facts are clear, and is really now becoming more the WBZ and school doing a hatchet job on these kids, the team and the coach without knowing what really happened?

[Unregistered]

You know, I hate to break it to you people, but if your daughter plans to go on to play soccer in college, they arre going to experience some sort of hazing as a freshman. It is not condoned by the schools or the coach, but it does happen. I had 3 kids go to 3 different colleges (D1-D3) and they all experienced it. Nothing was done to harm them, though they did do some humiliating things - but my kids laughed about it. If the freshman does not want to participate, they are not forced to, but the ones who do are more accepted by the upper classmen. I'm not saying it's right - I'm saying it happens.

I've had two kids go and play recently- one D3 and one D1 - no such thing happened to them. Perhaps you are speaking of a longer time ago?

[Unregistered]

Isn't team chemistry an essential component of a successful girls team (more so than for a boys team)? Wouldn't hazing be counterproductive to winning?

[Unregistered]

Good point. The coach needs to go---he was aware of it and did nothing. If there is one thing I learned during my child's high school sports experience is that there are far too many coaches who simply are terrible role models. When they be standing up and doing the right thing for the kids, they never do. This is a chance to send the right message by prosecuting the coach for failure to report and giving the alleged offenders the best lesson of their young lives by prosecuting them as well.

[Unregistered]

Isn't funny how the same parents who object to the dog leashes would be applauding it if it were on a gay rights parade at a school event celebrating diversity.

Go to the Politics Board, troll.

[Unregistered]

but the ones who do are more accepted by the upper classmen.

Which is a form of bullying

[Unregistered]

What if the kids who reportedly were hazed have no issue with what occurred as they do not feel it was a bullying or hazing behavior. What if the parents and school have blown this whole thing way out of proportion with the hysteria surrounding bullying and their knee jerk reaction. What if the girls involved actually support the elimination of these suspensions. Maybe the bullying going on here is all this misinformation and crucification of this team before the facts are clear, and is really now becoming more the WBZ and school doing a hatchet job on these kids, the team and the coach without knowing what really happened?

Finally a response from Needham?

What ever happened to taking responsibility for ones actions? What about good parenting and not "excuse parenting?

What if a coach is too connected with his own ego to see/do the right thing?

What if?

[Unregistered]

You know, I hate to break it to you people, but if your daughter plans to go on to play soccer in college, they arre going to experience some sort of hazing as a freshman. It is not condoned by the schools or the coach, but it does happen. I had 3 kids go to 3 different colleges (D1-D3) and they all experienced it. Nothing was done to harm them, though they did do some humiliating things - but my kids laughed about it. If the freshman does not want to participate, they are not forced to, but the ones who do are more accepted by the upper classmen. I'm not saying it's right - I'm saying it happens.

You are right, these things do happen. However, there is a big maturity difference between a 14 year old high school freshman and a 18, 19 or 20 year old college student.

[Unregistered]

What if the kids who reportedly were hazed have no issue with what occurred as they do not feel it was a bullying or hazing behavior. What if the parents and school have blown this whole thing way out of proportion with the hysteria surrounding bullying and their knee jerk reaction. What if the girls involved actually support the elimination of these suspensions. Maybe the bullying going on here is all this misinformation and crucification of this team before the facts are clear, and is really now becoming more the WBZ and school doing a hatchet job on these kids, the team and the coach without knowing what really happened?

MIAA rules adress all these what ifs'!!! As for the school suspensions the Needham student handbook addresses the ability of the principal to suspend and the procedure to do it!

[Unregistered]

Your point is well taken and brings about the part of law that has to consider the danger of the alleged wrong-doer to society.
The weapon used in your example suggests that the person is potentially a danger to society. The alleged hazing in Needham (dog-leashes) is not of the same 'calibre'.....although I suspect you might argue about not really knowing what a person is truly capable of....

These girls have not been arrested for a violent crime. Even if they had, however, and had posted bail, that would not mean their school would have to let them go to playoffs or tryout for a team until they were proven guilty or innocent. Schools set their own rules, and getting arrested for a violent crime would no doubt breaks one of them. Bully/hazing breaks the rules as well.

They have no legal recourse as far as the playoffs go. The school sets the rules and the school obviously feels confident that they broke them.

These girls (& their coach) have much more to worry about than the playoffs. This was a highly visible incident with many witnesses and what they are accused of doing is illegal. They'd better hope the victims parent's don't head towards that court house as well to press changes.

[Unregistered]

You know, I hate to break it to you people, but if your daughter plans to go on to play soccer in college, they arre going to experience some sort of hazing as a freshman. It is not condoned by the schools or the coach, but it does happen. I had 3 kids go to 3 different colleges (D1-D3) and they all experienced it. Nothing was done to harm them, though they did do some humiliating things - but my kids laughed about it. If the freshman does not want to participate, they are not forced to, but the ones who do are more accepted by the upper classmen. I'm not saying it's right - I'm saying it happens.

My children also played D1 sports at college and experienced the same thing. No harm, no foul and it was more a rite of passage the freshmen experienced to become more accepted by their upper classmen teammages. In a way, it made the team more suportive of each other when playing another team since they were more bonded as a unit. As long as it remained at this level, I had no problem with it. Problem is, difficult to keep at this level which I see as the coach and captain's reponsibility. If you never played sports on a competitive team, I realize how easy this can be misunderstood and taken out of context or misinterpreted by others.