DEXTER, Maine — More than 10 members of Dexter Regional High School’s football team were handed suspensions related to an alleged postseason hazing incident during a sleepover at the school.
“There was an incident — it’s a serious incident,” Principal Stephen Bell said Monday evening.
Bell said that on Friday, Nov. 16, the football team had a lock-in sleepover at the high school, and the reported incidents occurred at about 5 the next morning. The perpetrators and victims of the hazing were all minors, he said.
There were multiple incidents that occurred that night, said Bell, but he offered no details.
More than 10 members of Dexter’s football team were suspended from school for between one and 10 days, depending on the level of involvement, he said. Some of the students also were suspended for a month or more from athletics programs.
“In this day and this age, hazing is just not tolerated,” said Bell.
AOS 94 Superintendent Kevin Jordan did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment Monday evening.
Dexter police Sgt. Alan Grinnell said the incident is actively being investigated.
“Possible criminal charges are pending,” said Grinnell, who also declined to give details.
Video from the school’s surveillance system recorded some of the incidents, said Bell.
Darrel Cronkhite of Corinth, a 1990 graduate from Dexter Regional High School, said he heard details about the incident from friends who work at the school.
“What happened was the freshmen were chased down by upperclassmen and were held down against their will and beaten with plastic hockey sticks and Wiffle ball bats to the point of drawing blood,” said Cronkhite. “There’s no excuse for that.”
Cronkhite said the team’s coaches may not have known what was happening.
No decisions have yet been made about whether any coaches on the team will be disciplined, said Bell.
“It’s just an embarrassing situation for the program and it’s an unfortunate situation for the school and town,” he said. “You never want to see this happen to the kids. Those kids were put into a bad situation by some teammates.”
School administrators found out about the incident on Sunday, Nov. 18, and have been investigating it ever since, Bell said.
“These were good kids making bad decisions,” said Bell.
The Dexter football team was coming off its best season in more than two decades, finishing the regular season with a 6-2 record and advancing to the LTC Class C playoffs for just the second time since 1995 before bowing to defending conference champion Bucksport 28-27 in the quarterfinals.
BDN writer Ernie Clark contributed to this report.
Oh, for goodness sakes.
Sleep over?
Why the hell are they having a sleep over at the high school?
Because the athletic director has no common sense and allowed the whole thing.
Sleepover ??
hot cocoa , cookies and a bedtime story.
Did they have on their footy pajamas ?
Because the administration of the district allowed it to happen. The players and coaches were put in a poorly supervised situation and a few students did the wrong thing.
the lack of supervision was a factor, but the administration is getting 100 different stories from 100 different people so they essentially just punished anyone who’s name was brought up just to cover their asses. I am in know way defending the administration. I think they had handled the incident with the field hockey team earlier in the year very poorly. Veazie quit because she was being bullied by the administration, because Bell’s daughter was not named captain. But back to the first matter of discusion on the “hazing” incident it has always happend It is a tradition in high school’s across the country. Is it wrong? yes. But it is something that has always happend and will still happen these boys just happend to get caught.
The sad part is yes they got busted for hazing, but that night could have ended up a lot worse. They had boys running around on the school roof! And some of the boys left in the early morning hours with out their parents knowing it. I know I would be PISSED to no end if I am home sleeping thinking my kids are safe at a school function only to find out they have been beaten with a plastic bat, fallen off the roof, or in a car accident!
They had access to the whole school. Now how smart is that for an administration?
Veazie did not quit because Bell was pushing her to let his daughter be a captain. She was fine with the situation. She didnt care so he did nothing about it. Veazie had told the team that Bell’s daughter and another coach had quit without that even being the case. She had no right to say that and she was being told that shed done the wrong thing. She wasnt being bullied by the administration. They told her she did something wrong and she flipped. Thats why she resigned, not because Bell was trying to give his daughter something she didn’t deserve. Lets push this issue aside. Bell does what he has to. Its his job. He wouldnt favor his daughter like that. He is certainly not that kind of person.
That is pure garbage. Bell was forcing Veazie to make his daughter a captain when she did not deserve it. Veazie did the right thing and stood for honor and integrity, unlike Bell and the athletic director. There should have been an investigation into both Bell and the athletic director. The kids are being cheated all around.
What do you know about the situation? Clearly nothing except the garbage that half the town heard from Veazie herself. Veazie was in the wrong about many things that most haven’t heard about. So unless you people have heard the real truth lets just leave it alone and focus on what the article above is about.
The sad part is it is the victim that usually gets in more trouble. Yes always happened . I would say criminal charges should be brought make examples of these kids so it dose not keep happening.
Hazing, is in some cases, useful for team/organizational bonding and the development of a strong sense of esprit de corps within said team or organization… However, causing injury to people is called assault, not hazing, plain and simple! In my opinion, there is never an adequate or reasonable excuse for causing physical or psychological injury to anyone, for any reason, period!
And………….were there any chaperones?
I’m pretty sure I couldn’t have been paid to participate in something called a “lock-in sleepover” in high school, particularly with the football team. Common sense would’ve suggested that nothing good was likely to result. If nothing else, rum and the lash are customarily not available on school grounds, which doesn’t leave many options…
i personally think it is the athletic directors fault for everything that has happend with the fall sports teams, for example Bell pressured Pelotte to push Coach Veazie to change the field hockey captains because Bell’s daughter wasn’t named captain. And now the “hazing” incident is being told by 100 different people 100 different ways because these guys are friends and dont want to cause there friends anymore trouble than they are all ready in. And the administration is suspending everyone possible just to cover there asses
It has to be the unions fault .
I think you meant to say it was George Bush’s fault.
I think that the whole “hazing” incident was poorly handled. They have heard 100 different stories from people that have nothing to do with what happened and things get twisted as they get spread around. But either way the administration was over their heads and so they could cover themselves they suspended anyone who’s name was mentioned,
They suspended all the kids they saw on video participating in any manner. Some were standing around watching, some were pinning kids down or restraining them, and some were beating the kids. All of them got punishments for this. They were ALL in the wrong. They got the harshest punishments that the administration is allowed to give.
The adults should be held accountable too. They had full responsibility of those children & parents trusted that their kids would be safe.
Good kids don’t beat classmates to the point of drawing blood. They should all be expelled.
Expell jocks????? LOL….Never happen..
All of the football players who saw it happen were suspended on the spot. Even those who didn’t take part were told to leave school.. And to someone saying “They never expell jocks” Most of them are suspended from playing any sports for the rest of there senior so, please.. Act like you know the choas going on inside the doors of Dexter Highschool, when the only information you know is gossip and news paper articles
Exactly
It obviously wasn’t as severe as people are saying or they would have been expelled. It has been blown way out of proportion. They have been punished on several levels.
At-least ban them from sports
agreed, that is not hazing….to quote Billy Madison “that’s assault brother”
This information you are posting is not even true. The person that reported this to the BDN was not involved and he is going by what he heard. Before passing judgement, please get the facts. They were not held against their will and beaten or bloodied as paper states.
Can you tell us what did happen?
These kids that did do the act are good kids, most of them never been in trouble ever before and have a respectful reputation. Just because they made a bad choice in judgment, doesn’t mean they are bad kids. They made a poor choice in judgement as we all have at one time or another. Know the kids before judging them.
When hazing in school is common knowledge and athletes sign up for the program this type of stuff happens. No big deal. So getting hit with a wiffle ball bat draws a little blood and they were held down against there will…big deal Ever play football? The entire game is about hitting people so hard they bleed and holding them down against their will to keep them out of the play. Back in my day the frosh got it, then they delivered it and when you were a senior it meant something. Today these schools are filled with a bunch of pansies. I’m surprised a team with such softies even put together a 6-2 record. Must have a good coach.
This is pretty ignorant…maybe back in your day the “frosh” got it but this isn’t the 60’s or the 70’s..if my kid came home from a school function (where he should be safe) beat up and bleeding I would be livid…I also don’t think they’re “pansies” they’re children…let’s not teach them right from wrong but what should be done because they’re the “frosh”….somebody needs a reality check.
“When you were a senior it meant something”… Sounds like, in your day, being a senior meant you’d survived being routinely beaten up by older kids and had accrued a 3-year history of holding down other kids and beating them up until they bled. You’re boasting about this?
I like your moniker, by the way; it brings to mind how some former presidential candidate and his buddies ganged up on a high school classmate, held him down, and chopped off his hair.
I remember hearing that about Willard “Mitt” Romney. Try as they may to avoid it, their true colors always seem to shine through.
The whole P.C thing is about making young human males into something else. Humans are a predator species. Those canine teeth we have prove it. Football, Hockey, and other “contact sports” are the release for modren predatory behavior.
I disagree on your use of the word “pansies.” Pansies are the toughest flower in the garden. they pop their heads through the late snow in the spring, and they are still there after several frosts in late fall.
In this case your 15 down arrows are placed by people trying to deny who they are.
People are not “trying to deny who they are” when they disagreed with his statement
Both of you are trying to justify the abuse you inflicted upon others
There is NO justification – your both nothing but insecure bullies who beat on people younger / smaller then you so that you could feel better about your lame lives
Agreed. Nice fact on the pansies. How about we call them dandelions.
It’s sad the culture we have evolved into. Kids that I knew that made it through the hazing process felt a brotherhood and make a sacrifice that all other have made to create that strong bond needed at times when the opponent tries to attack one of your brothers.
The story makes it sound like these kids were treated for blood loss, needed stitches and were scared for their life. This never would have been a big deal 20 years ago and it shouldn’t make news today.
I could care less how many people don’t these posts. Many of them have never been part of anything besides the chess club. Liberal mentality is so predictable.
whatever you have say to try and make yourself feel better.
“Kids that I knew that made it through the hazing process felt a brotherhood”
You think little “billy” forgave you for your 4 years of abuse?
You think he felt a “brotherhood” with you?
Wrong – he hates your guts to this day and would just assume run your behind over and dump you in the back 40 – just saying.
no
So your proud that your nothing but an insecure bully that has to beat up people smaller then you to make yourself feel better?
i enjoy that i spend my time posting a thought filled comment that follows the guide lines and it gets deleted
There are certain words, no matter how well used, that will get your post deleted immediately The other word for a donkey, the name of the German political party during the Second world war, and any of the words which would have gotten you a repremand from your teacher when you were in the first grade.
In fact, I’ve found when commenting in this paper, a good rule of thumb is never use any word or express any thought you wouldn’t say in front of your preschooler.
There are just 3 simple guidelines for posting here. One of them is:
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No vulgarity, racial slurs, name-calling or personal attacks.
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Vulgarity or racial slurs include words or phrases offensive to any group (not just to you) and may encompass words you never thought of in that way.
Lock down sleepover at school means coaches should have been with them constantly, Therefore more than suspensions for the students every coach there should be on the unemployment line tonight, No excuses for any of this at all in this day and age. Do you see lawsuits pending because I sure do from the parents of the innocent victims. They should not hand out suspensions for only days but these football players responsible should be banned from school sports period. How many young people have to commit suicide to realize that this kind of bullying is more than just physical. Don’t come back and say this was “hazing” not ‘Bullying” or not “physical beatings.” Furthermore a physical attack on another is also a crime and should be handled as such. This is a lesson we all should know by the time we are in high school and want to participate in sports programs because first and foremost coaches should teach respect and good sportmanship but it is always all about winning. This administration should be ashamed of itself and I hope all the victims parents involved in this horrific act fight till the end for justice.This is the most shameful story I have read in BDN in a very long time and I am appalled.
The athletic director and the adults responsible for supervision should be held to account.
This is the MOST shamefull story you have read in the BDN in a long time?
Either you do not read much news, or you have a far different view of “shame” than I.
This story is hear say and is so far from the whole truth. People thrive on other peoples pain and love the attention that it brings and it is sickening.
^ Liberal.
Many of their parents are conservatives. Nice try to blame politics.
That I would not doubt in the least bit
As I was talking to my daughter about this situation tonight, this is her thoughts, “They need to just clean out the staff, coaches and administration in this district. I mean when the principle, coaches and some teachers are at an ex, school board members house for a high school graduation party and drinking and parting with underage kids something is not right” And yes my kids have all witnessed this happening at the principles house and at the above mentioned graduation party. So I do believe maybe someone higher up on the state level should look into the goings on of AOS #94.
The principal does not drink or party with underage kids. God forbid if the guy has a beer in his free time. Hes over 21. He has the right to. However, he would NEVER drink with underage kids. If your child is telling you that they have witnessed this especially in his home they are sadly mistaken. Check your facts. Im 100% certain that this is not true at all.
This principal should be investigated if there are allegations. Burying our head got the Rev Carlson and Sandusky the space they needed.
I don’t blame the principal for having a drink after he has to deal with you people.
Theres a difference between the truth and malicious lies intended to hurt people. The principal is not in the wrong for having a drink with his friends. Hes not committing any crimes. Hes not partying with underage kids. Look into it if you’d like. You’d see that people like to start rumors and expand the truth to make him seem like a terrible person.
Kids can and do sneak alcohol when they are not closely supervised and this incident indicates a laxness about supervision that lends credence to the idea that underage drinking could very well have occurred without the principal even knowing it. That would still be his responsibility for a party at his house.
said party was not at his house. I assure you of that. Any party hes at is very tame and its not his responsibility on his off time to be going around punishing people. If hes at a graduation party that is not at his own home, its not his responsibility to punish people. Its not that he agrees with underage drinking, its just that hes probably doing his own thing talking to his friends there and he more than likely wouldn’t notice and he doesn’t need to at someone else’s house where he has been invited to have a good time and relax. He would NEVER in a thousand years allow underage drinking at his house.
Look Bell lover I know for a FACT that my oldest son has come home from Bells parties after drinking. Something you should know is I am NOT a mother that says my kids would never… I am a mother that tells you straight up that yes my kids have done this or that, and my kids have always felt free to tell me what ever they have been up to be it bad good or indifferent. They take their punishment that fits what ever crime they may have done. So I do have my facts straight!! Get yours STRAIGHT!
Your child probably drinks behind your back at your house too.
Not at my house because we never had alcohol at my house. And duh if he came home and told me about drinking at Bells house do you really think he drank “behind my back”? No, I may not have known at the time he was drinking, but yes he told me after the fact.
Oh, Ive got my facts straight, Lady. So go for it, call me a liar. You’re the one without firsthand knowledge of what has happened in the Bell household. You have no ground to stand on.
I sure hope the school board is reading this!
I was talking to my daughter about this tonight and this is her thoughts on the matter..” I think they need to just wipe out the coaches, administration and some teachers. I mean when you have teachers, coaches and the principal all drinking and partying with students, underage students something is just not right here.” And yes my children have all witnessed this happening, at the above mentioned party AND at the principals house. I think some one higher up from the state level needs to look into the goings on of AOS #94.
I would hope you daughter and maybe her friends should take this information to the school board as one day it could be one of them hurt or worse. Good for you that you have a great relationship with your daughter that she can talk with you. To many parents today don’t even know what or where their kids are today and that is so sad. Had this happened to me or my brothers when we were growing up my mother may have thrashed all of them with a wooden bat and there would have been broken bones or worse with their blood splatter on the floor. It is really sad that the so called responsible adults overseeing our children in school these days are just predators and immoral so called role models and teach your kids violence, alcohol and drugs are the norm. Sounds like parents may have to take up school monitor jobs just to make sure kids are in a safe environment since it seems there are all kinds of horrific incidents happening daily. I am glad your daughter sounds very responsible and can keep her head on straight even when evil lurks around her. The best to you both.
Um, on the one hand you’re deploring violence and blaming it on parents who are poor role models (“they teach your kids violence”), and on the other hand you’re bragging that your mother would have beaten up people with a wooden bat, leaving broken bones and a trail of blood.
mkkkkk
Even good parents have children that make poor decisions.
Bell and Athletic director need to go!
There is a difference between Adults parting and People just haping to bring their kids there. Or Adults Parting with other Adults with kids around. There are many family functions that people drink and hangout, Thanksgiving, people having a few beers, Watching the Super Bowl, or any other sunday watching football for that matter. What you are implying is that they went out of there way to make sure they were parting with Kids.
they were parting with the kids.They were allowing the kids to drink with them! My daughter decided that it wasn’t right and came home. I would go to the school board with it but in Dexter they are all intertwined. And the grad party was at a board members house!
Bell doesnt party with kids. If kids are at a party they arent drinking. I know this from being at every party Bell has been to in about 20 years. Im assuming youre talking about a board member who hasnt been on the board for years. Bell doesnt “party” with many people. Hes good friends with the people he will sit down and have a drink with. I think partying is the wrong word completely here. Bell doesnt drink with underage kids. I can assure you of this.
My oldest son HAS drank at one or two of Bells parties before and YES he was underage at the time. And if Bell knew or not it is HIS responsibility to know what is going on at one of his parties. As an ” AUTHORITY” figure in the school you need to be more responsible than most. And he shows none!
Do you honestly think you know about everything that your children have done? You’d probably be disgusted if you did. It’s not as if he handed your child a beer and said here you go. Your child should know better than to do so if they are underage.
I never said I know everything my kids have done but yeah I probably do know most of what they have done. You need to understand we have a very open house here and they are not afraid to say anything to their father and I, or anyone else for that matter. I know more then I need to know about what my kids do or have done,
If he was drinking at a party at Bell’s (those are few and far between, i might add) Then it was not known by any adult there and It was not Bell’s fault. There are state troopers who have been to every one of these parties, too. I suppose its also their fault that your son was stupid enough to drink underage at a party too? The parties at bells house are specifically for friends and family. Its not supposed to be an open invitation. If your son was there it was because he was trusted well enough to not be so stupid as to do something illegal and irresponsible. Stop putting the blame on people. If your son was there, it was on his own time and Bell doesn’t need to play babysitter. Especially if he just showed up without anyone from the household even knowing it.
Actually he WAS invited and yes Steve is still responsible for what happens at his house. Knowing or not. And by the way this was not started as an attack on Steve. It is a lot of the coaching staff, teachers and board members who have done this.
Well youre throwing people under the bus that dont dont deserve to be. And if he were invited then he was clearly not supposed to be drinking. And if you think Bell is so horrible of a guy why would you let your son go? Its not his fault that your son broke the law. Everyone is responsible for their own actions.
I know the principals daughter personally as well as many of her friends that hang out there. I also know that she and most of her friends have never had a sip of alcohol in their lives. All adults have little get togethers where they may drink but who’s gonna call a babysitter for their child who is a senior in high school?
Someone should check into Kevin Jordan’s past as a coach at PCHS. Partying with students and alcohol.
This was a situation that never should have been allowed to happen by school administrators. Hopefully the parents of the kids that were hazed will let them know, possibly legally, what a serious mistake they made in judgement.
How does the principal/superidentent have a job today? If this had occurred in a private home I do believe the parents would be held responsible as well.
the principal/superintendent cant control things like this. it was a group of kids making horrible choices. It wasnt the principal/superintendents job to be watching those kids at that point in time. they cant be at the school 24/7. Its not their fault, so people need to stop putting the blame on them. The kids are responsible for this completely. The coaches should have been paying closer attention too. Theyre the ones in the wrong, not the administration.
“the principal/superintendent cant control things like this.” … you’re wrong there. They can control it by not letting it take place in the first place! Sleepover, at a school, under their control … seriously?!?!?!!! How about the principal or superintendent saying “no way!!!!” when the idea gets brought up? That’s the precise moment they both lost control!
There are plenty of schools that do something like that, you do not see them in the paper.
This goes back to the old saying “if your friend jumped off a cliff, would you follow”. Just because another school does it, does not make it a sound decision. Plain stupid decision for high school aged students to be sleeping over in a school!! It was only a matter of time before “something” (whether it was hazing, assault, injury etc) was going to happen. Poor leadership at the coach, school and administration level to allow this.
Well no, This is the kids the people there that where at fault. Not the administration. All other schools have football teams, does that mean this school should? That saying doesn’t apply here. You can say that about everything. The kids where irresponsible and the adults there were obviously not doing enough, but to blame the administration is a stretch.
“All other schools have football teams, does that mean this school should?” .. what does that even mean??? You can’t start using examples that make no sense. The saying does apply and you fail to see it. Which is what the administration failed to do as well. No “sleepovers” going on in our high school. Glad for strong, smart decision makers!
You clearly dont understand that the principal and superintendant were not in the wrong to let a team function like this happen. It was supposed to be a team bonding thing. Many teams and clubs do this year round. Nothing bad like this has ever come out of a sleepover at the school before. It was the students choice to do something so unbelievably stupid. You cannot pin this on the administration. The administration sees that there are chaperones there to watch the kids and before this happened, there were enough coaches there. Some coaches left and the ones that were there were not paying close enough attention. Its not like the administration was watching this happen. In their minds all the coaches were there watching all the kids and keeping everyone safe. That wasnt the case. Its not the fault of the administration at all. And why should they say no to something like an end of the season team bonding sleepover? It would make no sense to say no to the football team, then when the Key club wants to do a lock-in 2 months later they allow it. Nobody could have ever predicted this outcome.
Why did “some” coaches leave and then there wasn’t enough supervision? The buck stops at the administration. They hired the coaches who obviously did not have the good sense to “not leave” a bunch of high schoolers to get into trouble.
The administration hired them to do a job. They did not do the job. people do not do their job a lot and they suffer the repercussions. These coaches will suffer from this. They let down their bosses. their bosses couldn’t have controlled this.
How about at the high school age no one, repeat no one, should be having sleepovers in a school!!!!! Ridiculous! Do the students hold the greatest amount of responsibility, sure. They committed the offense. However, the administration hold responsibility for making a stupid decision to allow it to take place in the first place. Remember, if they had not allowed it to take place, it would not have occurred!
Just because this insanity was allowed before with other groups and nothing happened, does not mean it was a sound idea. With that logic, someone could say “well, I drove drunk 10 times and nothing happened, so it can’t be a bad decision.”. This was a bad decision on the administrations part, and thus they hold some amount of responsibility.
It happened under the principal/superintendents watch (military term). The district is liable when these types of transgressions happen on District property. I do not encourage the victims to sue the district, I expect the administration to be held accountable.
Yes, the district is liable, but people need to stop directly blaming the administration. Theres nothing they could have done to prevent this from happening. It makes no sense to tell the team that they cant have a team bonding sleepover at the school when so many other teams do it. They had no idea what was happening. Its nobody’s fault but the kids who did the crime and the coaches that should have been paying closer attention.
If he does not fire someone in administration (Bell or Athletic director) the Supt should be let go by the school board. With a salary of over 100k you think someone could lead a school district of 500 kids or less. The taxpayers are relying on the elected school board members to do something about this!!!!!!
some were suspended for a month from other sports.
Why are they even allowed to participate in sports when they have proven they have no regard for fellow students or the school
Just look at the mentality in high schools across the country; athletics supersedes everything, including common sense and
especially academics….
Because most of the kids that did this are not bad kids, they made a poor choice in judgement and you can’t believe what was posted in the paper. Most of it is all lies. Some of the boys that were involved in this have never been in trouble before this night. They didn’t see it as doing something horribly wrong. All of these boys are friends. They were then and still are now. This is being blown out of porportion way more than needed. People need to stop and think and walk in others shoes. Just because kids did this, doesn’t mean they are bad. It means, they made a poor decision, and I am sure they will learn from it. They don’t need criminal charges brought against them and ruin their lives over this. People are human and we have all done things we are not proud of and made poor choices.
Spoken like a true parent of one of the offending student that believes my kid wouldn`t do anything bad. the students have to learn that there are concequences for every poor judgement they make in life
Its an unfortunate happening. Nobody is to blame but the kids that did it. Functions like this happen all the time. They are perfectly normal. The administration did nothing wrong by allowing a team sleepover. Many clubs and teams have lock-ins throughout the school year. So long as there is supervision, there is no problem. The problem is that the kids weren’t being properly supervised. That can’t be controlled by anyone who was not at this function. From the administrators point of view, these kids should have been properly supervised at all times. Several chaperones left and some were with other kids at this point in time. They aren’t releasing names because all these kids involved are minors. The administration isn’t trying to “Cover their asses” by suspending all the kids involved, they’re doing the right thing legally and ethically. Everyone involved got a punishment. They did something wrong and they need to understand that. even kids that just stood and watch were committing a crime by not going to get the coaches that were there to stop it. Its not okay by any means. They need to understand that and take the punishment they are given. They deserve what they get. This is an incident that you can not pin on the administration or the school system. Its not like Steve Bell handed the kids a whiffle ball bat and said “Have at it. Then ill punish you all!” That makes absolutely no sense. These kids did this on their own. And anyone saying its a lie, they have it all on video. There are cameras that caught most of what happened. Nobody that does not deserve punishment is being punished. Say what you will, but dont tell blatant lies about people. Be civil here. Its not going to help your point.
Finally someone with some common sense^
Where – exactly – are these “sleepovers” happening “all the time” at public schools.? What schools have they happened at? You state this, so please be specific, I certainly haven’t heard of any such “functions”.happening in the Bangor area.
They happen often when there are fundraising events. They are chaperoned, this story is not the norm.
They were chaperoned here. The chaperones just weren’t taking their job seriously and some left and some were doing other things and not paying attention. Nobody could have expected that. And they were doing this as like an end of the season thing. They were going to clean the school and just hang out one last time. It turned into this awful situation.
Who is holding the Chaperons responsible? Somebody needs to be held accountable for shirking their duties.
Theyre being held responsible as much as the kids are.
They happen more than people realize. the public doesn’t need to hear about them. Its not something that needs to broadcast for the world to hear. Maybe its more common in smaller towns, but I know that it happens more than you’d think. A lot of times its for fund raisers, but they were supposedly going to clean up the school a bit while sleeping over. They’ve happened at guilford, milo, and dexter. I know this for a fact.
Where were the adults?
They should be kicked off of the team and not be permitted to play any sports for the remainder of their high school career at the very least.
Yeah and maybe tossed out of school forever, condemmed to a life of slavery on a sailing vessel, or just sumarily executed.
What one does when nobody is wtching is a true judge of character.
Further proof that this athletic director needs to be terminated!
“In this day and this age, hazing is just not tolerated,” said Bell. But we do allow cronyism and favoritism for family and friends. Bell, you are the reason the field hockey program is in decline and the football team is hazing. Time to resign and take the athletic director with you!
The field hockey team had one loss on the year and lost to a tough team in a close game in the Eastern Maine final?
That is true but they lost more important things along the way. The team was not a team nor did they have a coach who could perform the task. With better coaching they may have been able to better their record from last year especially with the many stars they had!
They did better their record from last year. The coaches did a phenomenal job stepping into the position that they were asked to. The team was a team. You have no insight on the situation, clearly.
Totally agree. Coaches help but it’s the kids that make a difference.
green, do you forget that the field hockey coach came into the season with NO preseason with the team? she is one of the most decorated field hockey players ever to come out of maine field hockey, she most certainly has the skills to coach the team. the problem was half the girls on the team had attitude problems because they were being encouraged by the gym teacher to give the coach and other players a hard time. bells daughter may not be captain worthy in the skilled side of things, but she is an outstanding young lady with a great heart. the field hockey team will be very lucky if the coach decides to return after all this crap!
How can you even say that? you clearly dont know Bell. Hes not the reason the field hockey team is “in decline”. The field hockey team had an unbelievable season. Favoritism for family and friends? please. You dont know the whole story when it comes to anything. How is he to blame for the football team hazing? Hes one of the least aggressive, most level headed people I know. The athletic director is an unbelievable person too. They both do an incredible job doing what they do. They do everything they can for the benefit of the kids. All the kids. Not just bell’s daughter. Hes not the type of parent that would bully someone for not making his daughter a captain. Thats the most absurd thing i have heard in my life. If you took the time to look into things and hear more than one side of a story you’d see that. If you dont know what you’re talking about, dont say anything.
“Hes not the type of parent that would bully someone for not making his daughter a captain” is a exactly what happened and it caused dissension within a tight-knit group and fractured the team. You need to check your source of information.
Move on already. This has NOTHING to do with that and is about the football team.
Why do you keep dragging up some other sport and what happened with that?
I have the most reliable source of information available on this subject, thank you very much. Im very close friends with the Veazies and the Bell family. You are the one that needs to check your source because im literally laughing at your stupidity right now. And he isn’t the type of person that would give his daughter something she didn’t deserve. Trust me. I know from first hand experience with that one.
I’m with ——– on this. I as well have one of the closest sources possible on this subject, in fact probably the best source possible and what I’ve heard differs from that of greenisacolor
Field hockey team bonded well together and stayed a float just fine even with the new coaches.
“What happened was the freshmen were chased down by upperclassmen and were held down against their will and beaten with plastic hockey sticks and Wiffle ball bats to the point of drawing blood,”
Although I have never seen an entire hockey game the scraps of the hockey games
I have seen on TV show the players pounding each other with sticks. Perhaps
children wanting to get into serious hockey were only manifesting professional
hockey behavior. And would not those who know no more of hockey than what is
aired on the evening news have the impression that hockey is no more that fist
fights or pounding each other with sticks?
From time to time we hear on the news of hockey players with broken necks or concussions. We have to assume that the only folks who suit up for hockey and football can cheerfully tolerate or inflict the crunching of bone and tearing of ligaments.
But then perhaps the rules permit one to pound only the members of the other team.
The humble Farmer
I seriously doubt you have ever seen high school level hockey games where players were permitted to beat the cr*p out of other players without being ejected and likely suspended from their own school’s program.
I still can’t get past the fact that some of the leadership in this school actually met and decided that a sleepover at the school was a good idea. They are suppose to be putting kids in situations where they will succeed. Someone should be held accountable here.
Schools do this kind of thing a lot.
where? I don’t live near Dexter but I do live in Maine and I have never heard of such a thing. What is the thinking? “Hey, let’s have an end of the year party for the football team so they don’t go out unsupervised and get into trouble! Yea, we could have all of them sleep in the gym…it will be great!” Said no responsible administrator ever.
Often the sleepovers are part of a fund raising event. It does happen, this isn’t the norm.
got it. thanks
These things happen a lot. Its not rare. Teams have bonding events and end of the season sleepovers and things like this all the time. This was definitely not far from the norm. At the school the kids should have more supervision than if they went to some kids camp somewhere. The kids dont have access to drugs or alcohol at school. Its safer to do things at the school so long as the chaperones are paying attention and doing what the administration expects them to do. That unfortunately wasnt the case here.
yes, I get it. I have been involved in various levels of sports my entire life and have had kids who participated at the varsity high school level as well, but I have never heard of anyone suggesting a sleepover at the high school. Also, kids (they are smart) will get access to alcohol no matter where they are. This incident, albeit well intended, never should have happened and shows poor judgment from all involved.
They wouldnt be able to have alcohol in the school. especially if they had proper supervision. Its a pretty simple concept. The chaperones weren’t doing their jobs.
I agree that the supervisors failed, but if kids wanted to get alcohol in there, it wouldn’t be too difficult. Think about it.
If they wanted to they would have, yes, but they would have been caught if they were being supervised and it would not have continued. Supervision is what failed. Thats my point.
no….people failed. Then again, you’re asking a handful of adults to handle 25 high school boys? That’s usually a no win. Unless these kids were held in a lockdown in 1 common area for 12-14 hours and had escorts to the bathroom, etc. Sounds like a fun night to me. I wish we had team sleepovers when I was a kid.
Other schools bother to supervise the students who are their responsibility. That is why you don’t see any news stories about them.
sounds like the kids from Dexter are the problem.
The reason this even hit the paper is because of someone reporting hear say. This person doesn’t even live in the district or have kids that go to this school.
Sounds like coaches need to be fired for not properly supervising kids. Kids involved suspended from all sports. Apologies issued to parents and students by administration. This is not a situation that should be tolerated in the least. Bullying/hazing is ridiculous. Teach your children that any group that would see them hurt or humiliated to belong is not a group you want to be in. I played varsity level sports (field hockey, basketball and track) all through high school and there was never even a suggestion of hurting a team member. We were there to support each other not hurt each other. Anyone who thinks this type of “initiation” is okay is dangerous. My sympathies to the families and students hurt by this terrible incident. I hope this is used by all Maine schools to put an anti hazing policy in place that calls for immediate suspension from all sports for duration of high school for anyone who takes part in these activities!
I just do not see this as ‘hazing’. It was assault! They picked up weapons and repeatedly hit other people with them. How is this even close to ‘hazing’?
Get your facts straight and know what you are talking about before you post such ignorance. Stop believing everything you read in the paper. It is so far from the truth
You are are ridiculous. Picking up something and smashing it into someone is not ‘hazing’. It’s assault. You know, I really take offense at your comment. I got this from a football player who was in the school and knows what happened. I got my facts straight, shygirl. I hope they are charged for what they did to those freshmen.
If he does not fire someone in administration (Bell and or Athletic director) the Supt should be let go by the school board. With a salary of over 100k you think someone could lead a school district of 500 kids or less. The taxpayers are relying on the elected school board members to do something about this!!!!!!
Why are we so quick to blame someone other than the kids?
For gods sake. You have no idea what youre even saying. Stop putting the blame where it doesnt belong. A different administration wouldnt have stopped this from happening. How could it? Id like to hear how you think it could have.
A different administration wouldn’t have stopped this from happening. That’s a joke. This never should have been allowed in the first place. This isn’t the first incident that has taken place at the high school and it won’t be the last if the same administration stays. They cover each others back sides and if your in the administration your kid is automatically a captain apparently.
Thats completely not true. The administration isnt as tight knit as you might think. They dont “cover each others back” unless its the right thing to do. If one of them screws up royally, they will tell each other that. And you didnt answer the question of how another administration could have prevented this from happening. They couldnt. And no, being in the administration doesnt make your kid a captain automatically. Remember Bell’s other daughter? Oh.. no, you dont because there were no rumors ever spread about it. She was never a captain in basketball. Played for four years. Nobody made a stink about that. Why would Bell bully a coach into making one daughter a captain when he wouldn’t do the same for his other daughter. You guys know absolutely nothing about what youre talking about. Think before you start flapping your gums and making fools of yourselves.
A real news story would tell us more abolut why children and coaches were sleeping overnight in the taxpayer supported school. In this day of Bob Carlson, and Jerry Sandusky perhaps it is not a good idea to have this potentially litigious situation on school property?.
It does happen particularly when some fundraising events happen. They are well chaperoned, nothing insidious about them.
look at the parents, enough said
Cronkhite said the team’s coaches may not have known what was happening. ??????? I mean, duh!
Cronkhite has no clue what in hell he is talking about. He is going on hear say and not facts.
Dexter High School needs to step up to the plate and get serious, very serious about this situation!
Ok I believe that these boys should have been punished but i believe the ones that were watching were just as involved as the ones that were holding the bats or hockey sticks. I dont think they should be expelled but i believe that if you watched you are just as guilty I also believe that the chaperones should suffer some repercussions as well There should have been enough people there to watch the kids that were there and if so and they were chaperoning then maybe none of this would have happened . As i am sure that this has happened year after year it doesnt make it right by any stretch its wrong and i will not make excuses for the boys that were involved I feel these boys are old enough to know right from wrong but i also think this may all have been blown out of proportion a little. Hazing is not right and should not be tolerated on any level it goes along on the same guidelines as bullying . 10 days suspension along with the punishment they will get from their own parents/families is firm. But I think that better supervision would have been a much needed approach. Im sure the Seniors that were involved had gone through the same thing not that its right but that just goes to prove their is far from adequate supervision at the Shut Ins
I think everyone needs to stop laying blame on the administration and coaches until the FULL STORY has been heard and ALL details have been read. People that jump to conclusions and say things that they get second hand always cause more of an issue. Yes the students that were involved were absolutely wrong to do what they did but to blame the athletic director, coaches and the principal is just wrong. Get all the facts before you start blaming people.
Exactly!
Ban for the rest of the season and if it happens again no sports for a year
Having served as a High School teacher years ago I dumbfounded as to why these people would think that you can leave these 15 to 18 year old kids alone all night when you’d not let them supervise themselves during the day for half an hour.
Why are they having a lock in sleep over at the high school? Weird. And what do you expect to happen with 30 something teenage boys get together? And why is this getting a write up in the paper? I should have been taken care of in house with parents coaches and teachers. It makes Dexter High School look really bad.
Glad the BDN published the expert commentary from Cronkhite.
I heard the story recently from a football player there who was not involved. It sounded like assault to me. Those students should have been arrested.
Isn’t the town of Dexter strongly against violence? Don’t all the kids wear the purple bracelets? Apparently 10 kids didn’t get the message and a few adults as well. Shame on those kids for saying one thing and doing another. Shame on the adults who were supposed to be “controlling” the situation.
Its easy to play the blame game with this situation. The kids made one bad choice and it is being blown way out of proportion. People should stop making stupid comments and wait for the real story to come out and not trust the story from a guy who heard the story from somebody else. This should have never happen and the administration should never have allowed it to happen. So people should just get a life and stop commenting anonymously. This whole story is word of mouth and most people like to stretch the truth, so unless you know the real story stop commenting.
85% of the comments on here are absolutely ridiculous. Before flapping your gums, wait for the True/real story comes out… in the mean time.. Grow Up.
Always more to the story, would be interesting to know. “point of drawing blood” not condoning any of it, but it tends to put a gruesome spectacle that may be being sensationlized in the paper. They are still investigating? They just found out, the final report should be interesting to say the least.
Sleep-over at the high school? Let’s see- what could possibly go wrong? All adults at the school that night and working for the school district need to be dismissed. All student offenders need not apply to any sports program – ever. Parents of the beaten kids – call your lawyers.
As a student in DRHS, I would just like to say this whole situation has been taken to such extremes.. A few hours before it happened football players, cheerleaders, and there familys all attended a banquet celebrating such a sucessful season.. There was only a friendly prideful atmosphere.. They talked about each player individually about high-lights and achievements of the season. The lock-in is a tradition in Tiger History as a night with you’re team mates who are also considered you’re Tiger family in Dexter, they were aloud to go in the cafeteria and gym, and teenage boys shouldnt have to have there hands held to go to the bathroom. It was expected (speaking it had been done all season) to give full respect to one another, so only two coached were there for the whole night. The couching staff is being blamed for absolutely everything that night, when in reality its administrations fault. THREE boys later that night decided to hit a few freshman… No its not okay. Anyone who saw, heard, laughed, or took part in it were suspended on the spot a few days later.. Players who knew about it, but stayed quiet because of being fearful of also getting hit were also punished. They were suspended and some were banned from playing sports… So please do not leave ignorant comments talking about the boys… There were three boys who did it, and there are around 50 boys on the team… Some players after the incident took time to reach out to the families who’s sons had been hurt that night, they offered most sincere apologies…
How is it administration’s fault?
Dexter Regional High School needs to do some serious “cleaning out” If the “kids” are being reprimanded then the “ADULTS” who were involved in this function need to be as well. Principal – in charge of the school and functions etc, Athletic director- in charge of the sports within the school, and the Coaches- in charge of the players on the team. Such a shame as a former player and Tri-athlete to see this in the paper. I am not proud to say I was a Tiger.
Okay people, none of you know the real situation, you’re just going off of what the media says, which is usually blown up into something 10 times bigger. I graduated from Dexter and played football with all the kids involved and know they’re great kids. this kind of stuff is nothing new, its been happening for years it just got blown out of proportion this time and nobody was “Beat to the point of drawing blood”, im pretty sure if that happened there would be arrests made.. They made a poor decision as we all have done and continue to do and they’re facing consequences for it. To slap a label on these kids and conform like sheep to everything the media says is just as ignorant.
Okay people, none of you know the real situation, you’re just going off of what the media says, which is blown up into something 10 times bigger. I graduated from Dexter and played football with all the kids involved and know they’re good kids. this kind of stuff is nothing new, its been happening for years it just got blown out of proportion this time. Nobody was “Beat to the point of drawing blood” im pretty sure if that happened there would be arrests made.. They made a poor decision as we all have done and continue to do and they’re facing consequences for it. Maybe the media should focus more on covering the towns serious drug problem and less time trying to ruin these kid’s lives.
I am very proud of the principal for standing his grounds and not giving in to the pressures from parents……….this situation is wrong…………no matter how much people were hurt physically………………………..I am sure friendships have been deeply affected………..sad…………….I hope the parents of these students will be supportive of the consequences of these behaviors……….well done Mr. Bell,,,,,,,,,,,,,,