Read the Memo Sent to Parents of Swampscott High School Football Players

To: Parents of SHS Football Players
From: Edward J. Rozmiarek, SHS Principal
cc: Superintendent Pamela Angelakis
Athletic Director Kelly Farley
Coach Robert Serino
Re: Incident of September 25, 2015
Date: October 2, 2015

The following memorandum is an explanation of the facts, investigation, and decision regarding an incident that occurred on September 25, 2015.

Initial Facts

On Friday night, September 25, 2015, a group of football players were found by police at the SHS practice field. Five team members were completely undressed, and were performing a variety of exercises and athletic drills, while other team members stood around shouting. The shouting was a variety of comments, from encouragement to obscenities. When the police officer broke up the activity, many players ran off, while about 20-30 stayed and gave their names. To my knowledge, nobody was arrested or charged with any crime at the scene.

On Monday morning, September 28, this incident was reported to Superintendent Pamela Angelakis, who then called together a meeting including SHS Principal Ed Rozmiarek, Assistant Principals Frank Kowalski and Lytania Mackey, Athletic Director Kelly Farley, head football coach Bob Serino, and school resource officer Det. Rose Cheever. Detective Cheever shared the facts of the incident of Friday night. The school staff then discussed how to proceed and decided to interview several of the players directly. Detective Cheever departed, and the investigation began.

Process

School administrators conducted interviews of several football players who participated in the event on Friday night. The police had no role in the investigation and were not present in any student interviews at the school. The interviews included team captains, the five alleged “victims” of the incident, and other members of the football team.

Parents were notified by email on Monday afternoon that the school was aware of the incident and was beginning an investigation.

A parent meeting was conducted at SHS on Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. Discussion centered on whether this incident constituted “hazing” as defined by Massachusetts General Laws chapter 269, Sections 17-19. Several parents at the meeting suggested that this sort of activity had been occurring among SHS football players for many years; one parent suggested as long as 20 years. There was also discussion about the overlap of police action and school action.

Discussion and Outcome

It is important to note at the outset that a school investigation is not required to follow the same standards and procedures as a police investigation. As a school, our focus is on whether the behavior of our students is respectful, supportive, and safe. In addition to teaching the academic subjects, we are generally charged with helping our students grow, mature, and be prepared to be good members of society after graduation. A portion of the Mission Statement of the Swampscott Public Schools says that we strive to “build respectful, caring relationships among all members of our community.” Under the title, “Code of Conduct,” our District Handbook further states the following expectations:

Students in the Swampscott Public Schools are expected to treat all members of the school community with dignity and respect. Each person in the school must have the opportunity to grow personally, socially and intellectually, as well as the opportunity to exercise his/her rights in a positive and constructive way, Thus, all members of the school community have the responsibility to conduct themselves in a way that demonstrates respect for all individuals, their rights and their property. All members of the school community must also understand and support the standards of conduct of the school and assist in the enforcement of rules and regulations.

I do not need to determine whether the incident that took place on Friday night fits the statutory definition of hazing. That is a matter for the police and the district attorney, if they choose to proceed with further action. It is enough for me to determine that the activity was inappropriate under the Swampscott Public Schools Code of Conduct and general expectations for our students.

The result of our interviews with students was generally consistent. It is “understood” among the players that, as sophomores, they are “invited” to participate in a gathering that has been called the “Sophomore 50,” in reference to the gathering at the 50-yard line. The students gather, the sophomore players disrobe, and they perform the exercises or drills at the direction of upper class players. None of the students who were interviewed reported that they felt harassed, belittled, endangered or in any other way upset by the incident. Two older members of the team said that in their sophomore years they chose not to participate in the “Sophomore 50,” and they have felt no repercussions from that refusal. This incident has been described as team-building, bonding, or simply a “tradition.”

Nevertheless, I am making the determination that this activity – whether or not a “tradition” – is not the kind of behavior that we expect of our students and student-athletes. Participating in an event that includes students getting naked and being yelled at – out in a public park – is not an example of “treat[ing] all members of the school community with dignity and respect.” Whether or not the sophomores involved in this incident expressed feelings of harassment or intimidation, I believe I can reasonably draw the conclusion that teen-age boys will not willingly get naked in a public park unless some form of pressure is exerted on them.

In the parent meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, many parents encouraged me not to “scapegoat” this year’s players for something that has been a tradition for many years. I have been unable to determine from our interviews just how long this practice has been occurring, but that is irrelevant to my ultimate decision. Whether students last year, the year before, or ten years ago may have done something that I consider wrong does not change what happened last Friday night. My focus is on our current students, particularly our current football team. The word “tradition” may have added to the pressures involved here, but it does not excuse the events of Friday night.

Part of our Code of Conduct states that “[a]ll members of the school community must also understand and support the standards of conduct of the school and assist in the enforcement of rules and regulations.” According to the reports that I have received, a majority of the football team was present at this event. I will never know precisely the names of all students who participated or the level of participation of each one. Nevertheless, I can, and do, conclude that this was primarily a team activity. For that reason, it is appropriate to discipline the team as a whole. In consultation with the School Superintendent, the Athletic Director and the Head Coach, we have decided that the team would forfeit one game against its next scheduled opponent. That game is the regularly scheduled game against Saugus High School, October 3, 2015.

Team captains are put in their roles for their leadership and for the assistance that they can provide the coaches and particularly younger players. While I recognize that the pressure of “tradition” may be a difficult challenge, if that is what this was, I still expect better behavior and judgment from someone who is placed in the leadership role of team captain. I believe that the captains were aware that this event took place on an annual basis. At any time, they could have reached out to a coach, the athletic director, a parent, or any other trusted adult, to raise concern about this inappropriate activity. That did not happen. For that reason, the captains will be removed from that role for the remainder of this season. I am not making any decision about their eligibility to be captains of other teams in other sports. I leave that to those coaches.

Following this event, and with an interest in preventing future incidents like this, the Athletic Director will be investigating and implementing leadership training programs that will be required for all students who seek to be team captains of any sport.

The role of discipline in a school environment is primarily to teach students the differences between appropriate and inappropriate behavior. With that in mind, the football team will immediately engage in an

anti-hazing education program at the direction of the Athletic Director. Going forward, we will make anti-hazing education a requirement for all SHS student athletes.

Individual students who we find were leaders of this activity will be disciplined privately.

Conclusion

As noted above, the role of discipline in a school environment is primarily to teach students the differences between appropriate and inappropriate behavior. It is not meant to belittle or degrade. A group of students took actions last Friday night that were inappropriate and that did not live up to the expectations that we have for our students and student athletes. If this was indeed part of a “tradition” that has occurred for some time, I can understand the pressure that this may have put on our current students. I hope that they are realizing now – if they didn’t know before – that such behavior is not acceptable under any label. Along with this decision, we are implementing steps to educate and limit any future incidents.

Edward J. Rozmiarek
Principal
Swampscott High School
October 2, 2015