Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Police investigating ritual hazing involving Conestoga High School football team

FootballHearing reports on the news about Tredyffrin Township police and Chester County detectives investigating alleged hazing at Conestoga High School involving the school’s football team.

According to the report, teams of detectives are interviewing as many as 60 or 70 students about an alleged assault during hazing where one student was seriously injured. The investigation is interviewing current football players and going back two years.

The report said that the investigation centers on ritual hazing by football players which occurred on the same day each week. Apparently some of the students were aware of the hazing going on and would deliberately avoided the high school gym at certain times.

The news report makes it sound like this was a routine weekly hazing … how is that no one knew what was going on? Where were the coaches, teachers, administrators?

All of this attention paid to fencing our schools for safety reasons but what about the safety of our children inside the schools?

Although at this point, the focus is on ‘alleged’ hazing, it’s hard to believe that Chester County DA Tom Hogan would have teams of detectives investigating if there wasn’t significant reason. According to the TE School District’s website, the District is not conducting their own investigation. From an administration standpoint, I would think that the District would want to conduct their own internal investigation and find out ‘who knew what and when’.

The following appears on the TE School District website:

Police Investigation into Alleged Hazing

We have been advised by Chester County law enforcement officials of a police investigation related to alleged hazing by Conestoga High School current and/or former football players. The District places the highest priority on student safety and, to that end, is cooperating in any way it can with law enforcement officials. As this is not currently a school district investigation, we are not in a position to answer any questions or provide more information at this time. However, if you or your child has any information pertinent to this matter, please contact the Chester County District Attorney’s Office or the Tredyffrin Township Police Department.

 

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  1. Not much has changed at Conestoga since I was there in the 80’s. Back then, pep rallies for the ENTIRE SCHOOL only focused on the football team, other children in other sports did not matter, just the football team. Yes, all children, rather than learn in the classroom, must be forced to come to the gym and cheer for what? School spirit? The most wonderful kids on the football teams? Boys who more than likely are bullies.. not all, but you better believe it will be some. The popular ones? and nobody else matters. There was a lot of money to be made, and publicity, even back then. Football players were idolized by the teachers, particularly the coaches.. alot of underage drinking, drinking at prom etc.. not much done about it. I am not surprized to see “the untouchables” in the news again. Let’s hope some children will be made to set an example, as well as any school official tied to this disgusting display of ignorance. I cannot imagine that the parents of these boys are clueless. ALthough we are suppossedly a more tolerant society, I guess ignorance still raines king. My children are at Downingtown East, and they bemoan the pep rallies for the football players, “the rest of us don’t matter mom.” The message the schools are sending are exclusionary, and it reeks of a playbook page from collegel football 101.

  2. Academic success built a culture of arrogance that is destroying us.

    Our problems come from a culture that says people can behave anyway they want because of academic ranking. It has now escalated into hubris to the extent that students are harmed, in an organized and structured way, right under the noses of those that are supposed to protect them and keep them safe.

    We need new strong leadership, people who believe in values and who are committed to high standards of not only academic achievement but personal conduct for themselves and all district employees.

    Instead we’re making error after error like failing to communicate and disparaging citizens in fence reports while failing to keep students safe in the schools.

    We have to get back to operating from the strength of values.

  3. I am a 72 graduate of CHS and stand proud! Although I have the utmost respect for our Chester County DA, I feel this is being sensationalized before all the facts have been gathered. I hope that this will all be resolved in a reasonable and timely manner.

  4. This high school is considered respectable !?? I am nauseated by what I heard on action news! These 3 charged football players should spend years in jail!!

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