Don’t let anyone fool you. The alleged Pottsville hazing incident is not an isolated football thing.
This speaks to the culture at Pottsville Area School District. It’s a win-at-all-costs mentality. Players and coaches are protected.
And in this case, the most vulnerable among us are at risk of harm.
Here’s where the Pottsville hazing incident stands now:
- At least two school district employees are reportedly currently on administrative leave.
- One of the students alleged to be involved in the incident has a lawsuit filed on his behalf against the school district
- Pottsville Area School District says it’s investigating the alleged incident in-house
Here’s What Pottsville Schools Want You to Believe:
- This was just an isolated incident on the football team.
- They’re equipped to investigate their own.
Both of those are untrue.
First, this is a matter for authorities. Students are alleged to have sexually assaulted a mentally challenged adult man. No school anything is qualified to investigate such a matter.
And, while this did allegedly occur during the football season, it’s not just a football incident.
When you possess a win-first mentality, you don’t suddenly stop that thinking. You can’t ignore it. This mentality is leading to school officials insisting this is a football incident, alone.
Not a Football Incident
Well, let’s look at that first.
At least two of the students play both sports.
Two of the coaches coach both sports.
One of these coaches — who is NOT on administrative leave — is also listed as a special education teacher for Pottsville Area.
The Athletic Director has charge over all the sports in the school.
It’s alleged this incident is no secret. People knew — or at least heard something happened — and did nothing.
Like was said yesterday, either this was the best kept secret in the history of small-town secrets, or people knew and did nothing.
To believe it as Pottsville is laying out here: This happened and only the people there knew about it. They told no one.
Since the incident, with no one apparently knowing a thing about this, the players involved kept playing. The coaches kept coaching.
The football season ended and the basketball season starts. Many of the players and coaches (who allegedly didn’t know about it) and athletic director trade one uniform for another, including the alleged victim!
Not once does someone say, “This isn’t right. These kids should not be playing right now (at least until we resolve this).”
Why? Win first, justice second.
SEE ALSO: Alleged “Hazing” at Pottsville School Exposes Failed Leadership, Puts Students at Risk
The Pottsville Hazing Cover-up Comes Undone
Sure, the football team did a good job of keeping this somewhat quiet from the public.
But let’s look at the timing of the most recent events. This is where we see how un-adult-like the so-called leaders are at Pottsville Area School District. And this is where the school district’s story falls apart rather quickly.
There’s another motivation here and it’s not football-related. It’s basketball.
At least someone at the school knew about this. Safe to say, there were enough “adults” close to the original incident that someone was obligated to come forward before the start of the basketball season — really, during the football season when it happened — and say, “We can’t ignore this.”
Remember, this is a school official’s duty.
But it didn’t happen like that. The basketball season nearly ended before this story broke.
It wasn’t until right before the weather-delayed Schuylkill League basketball playoffs started that noise was being made.
And it was at that time, the school apparently suspended the students involved, including a player noticeably absent from the Pottsville lineup for the semifinal game against Mahanoy Area on Feb. 15.
Check out this tweet posted during the game as one fan noticed a chant among Pottsville Area fans:
“Free Schenk” is some of the biggest bullshit I’ve ever heard. Kid shouldn’t even be allowed back in school and people are acting like that shits funny?? Must have something to do with where you come from…
— Dylan Reber (@ReberDylan) February 16, 2019
It should be noted that during this Twitter exchange, an account purporting to be linked to the Pottsville Area Student Section (a fan group) made its voice heard.
The suspension of the students reportedly is 10 days. Do the math and that ends this Sunday, a day before the first game of the District XI basketball tournament, in which Pottsville is favored to win.
Clever, if you’re a win-at-all-costs kind of person.
If Pottsville lost either of the games these players sat out for, it wasn’t the end of their world. The “most important” thing was to get at least the one player back for the District playoffs.
During this suspension, the school did not publicly say it was investigating an incident. No one even said why this one player was absent from the lineup. Presumably, no one asked?
The school seems like it was hoping the suspension would come and go and everyone would get back to their normal lives. No one said a word about an investigation until the story was leaked to the press.
No one was on administrative leave after the student suspensions were handed down, either. This all started happening after the “investigation” was launched.
The Real Victims
The real victims here, outside of the actual victim of the alleged assault, are the special needs students currently at Pottsville. Really, all the students.
Who is protecting them? If another student assaults them, will their suffering be handled the same way? Who else will the school try to protect? And if this was your child on either side of this incident, would they get the same treatment?
Even though the alleged victim’s family is said to be trying to come to a positive solution to this situation — another suggestion this is more than an alleged incident — you can not ignore the future implications.
(Correction: Originally, we reported that tweets from a Pottsville Area student section have been deleted. It was another account we looked at and we were wrong. The tweets originally referenced are still on the social site. They SHOULD have been deleted.)
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Donna
February 23, 2019 at 9:09 pm
Let me just say. I don’t have a child in Pottsville School district, but I do have a grandson who played football. To come to a game and watch him stand in the side lines for 4 quarters to play 2 min left in a game. Yes those coaches have win only attitude. Kids go out to learn weather good or bad everyone is their to learn and improve not to sit on the bench. Now to address what happened or not. If it did those boys and any boy that knew and did not step up and say something just because of the the popular boys should be held accountable. You are to play as a team and stand together as a team so if you what these boys were doing was wrong they all should of stood up. To the boys family this happened to. My suggestion is to leave the proper authorities handle this. If not these boys will never learn because apparently their parents did not teach them right from wrong so someone has to
Jc
February 25, 2019 at 4:05 am
It is nothing new that if youre not the top talent youre sitting until the game is taken care of.
I understand the frustration as I was a bencher as well, However competition is just that.
Your grandson is learning if hes going to practice. That is when he has the opportunity to learn and grow, not during the game. This is why kids today are so soft, people like yourself expecting participation trophies.
As for the “incident” … Let the authorities do their job.
Bill Riely
February 24, 2019 at 3:49 am
It’s been well know the school board is corrupt. Dr.Smink had the board hire his son who didnt even have a Pa teaching certificate. They passed over 2 great candidates who had many years experience and because they would be required to be paid in the $60000 range due to education credits. And hired a subpar 1 year of experience Mr Smink (son) only got paid in the range of $38000.
Jc
February 25, 2019 at 4:00 am
Mr smibk (son) is one of the most loved, and extremely gifted new teachers Pottsville has. My son and daughter both had him, talked about him frequently and learned a lot during their time with him. The same cannot be said for all of the teachers.
More importantly, he cares. He was in direct contact with us many times throughout both our kids experiences with him, to say hes subpar is an insult- hes a better teacher than most in this area.
Sports parent
February 25, 2019 at 12:33 pm
The nepotism is a problem here. Scott Krater gets unqualified spouse a job as transportation coordinator. Wtf. John boran makes sure his daughter gets hired. Ann blankenhorn makes sure her son gets hired.when does it end, lets just hire the board members entire entitled family already!
Becky Reaves
February 25, 2019 at 1:59 pm
You forgot most important one – board President Karen Rismiler protects her brothers job Eric (athletic director) & got him assistant cuz he couldn’t do paperwork. Borans wife also teacher. Thomas that’s gone has his mom in caf.
Rick Harrison
February 25, 2019 at 4:54 pm
Becky, the athletic director at Pottsville has ALWAYS had an assistant. Perhaps you need an assistant to help with your improper typing…
Unrelated, Mr. Boran’s wife and daughters are extremely qualified BELOVED teachers. Cody Blankenhorn was a long-term sub that all of the kids adored. How about you talk to some of their students instead of forming idiotic, irrelevant opinion.
Sports parent
February 25, 2019 at 8:07 pm
Well Rick my son was a student of the for an wife and she was a god awful bully to kids who had so many parental and child complaints against her for this behavior. So there’s that. And the daughter and son were new grads. Tell me no one applied with prior experience. Highly doubtful. New grads are unlikely to be most qualified candidates. Duh!!
JJ
February 26, 2019 at 1:36 am
Actually, Sports parent, I’ve had Mrs. Boran, Mr. Blakenhorn, and Mr. Smink during my 12 years in the Pottsville district. All were phenomenal mentors who pushed me to be the successful person I am today.
That’s simply my opinion and the opinion of many of my peers.
michelle rees
February 27, 2019 at 2:25 am
yes and she cut transportation!!
Miscellaneous
February 27, 2019 at 5:21 pm
He is also the tennis coach at our school. Did these other “more qualified” teachers have anything like this to add? No? Didn’t think so.
John Deatrich
February 24, 2019 at 5:56 am
I think MANY schools, not just Pottsville can stand to do a better job with working on strategies to “assist” with lowering instances of bullying and hazing in schools. However these fad sometimes corny programs that districts buy into and force feed to kids, along with droning on with well thought out rules and incentives were thought out by adults, derived and rationalized by the adult brain, the way the adult brain works WHICH, only insures the information does not compute with teens and pre-teens. It’s a waste of time a resources.
It’s more important to create a safe school whatever that means to any particular school based on it’s individual needs respectively. Safe schools have happier more successful kids. Having a secure school is not the same as having safe school. All the locked doors, camera’s, I.D. badges, and electronic sign in equipment doesn’t give you a safe school. Not to the students that walk the halls there everyday. Those things just made the school secure. In fact those things may have made the student feel more unsafe. To a 12 year old boy or a 14 year old girl facing torment these measures just took away their alternative escape routes. Now they have to face their tormentor. If asked they would say you made it worse.
True safe schools are built from the inside out over a period of time. It means more than securing the doors. It means creating an entirely new school climate and that takes time.
The improvement of school climate will fail if ALL students, staff, and most importantly students family do not buy into the importance of this improvement. If students learn several things in school only to have them squashed at home and in their immediate communities, it’s just another waste of time and resources.
Now who ultimately is at fault here? Everyone! We all are. Todays parents suffer from “Not My Kid Syndrome”. You punish a kid for doing something wrong, give the student 3 days out. Some people will say “Not Enough”, 10 days out some say “too much”. If the kid is straight up caught, modern parents will blame lack of supervision and start rifling through the yellow pages for a lawyer. You punish a good player it’s because your trying to get a friends kid more playing time. You dont, it’s because the kid is an athlete. Everyone has a school board member on speed dial and honestly I dont think any of them have a background in education sooooo? Everyone is so quick to see if they have the power to get a teacher or coach fired. For what? Because as a parent YOU failed to teach your kids to respect others?
If there are too many instances of student write ups containing key words such as “bullying” and “hazing” when districts enter their reporting data at the end of the year to the Dept of Ed their funding could be in jeopardy if those words are used? Do you think the higher ups would pressure building admin to skirt some issues and blow smoke if the schools budget was a stake.
I don’t know the details of the specific incident. It doesn’t sound good. Trust me though in real time, it’s not always as clear as it is weeks later after all the facts are gathered. We are all responsible for this.
Rick Harrison
February 24, 2019 at 11:20 am
Maybe you should wait for the fact before you decide to write false articles.
CandyForDinner
February 24, 2019 at 2:35 pm
Rick, you seem to have inside information about this situation! Why don’t you share it instead of trolling articles claiming they’re false without saying why.
Deniece Harper
February 24, 2019 at 3:02 pm
Amen !
silence dogood
February 24, 2019 at 1:19 pm
You all seem spiteful in my opinion.
Lisa Curran
February 24, 2019 at 1:35 pm
Agree with Rick Harrison. Whoever you are, you absolutely do not know the truth of this incident. But “let’s rush to judgement”. Hide behind your coalregioncanary. If the Republican can’t get it right, I’m not surprised you can’t get it correct.
CandyForDinner
February 24, 2019 at 2:40 pm
Rick Harrison and Lisa Curran, since you both claim to know the truth about this incident, let’s hear it! Rick, you’ve been trolling these articles saying they’re false. Still waiting to hear what is false about them. No one denied the incident occurred, so that’s clearly true. Two employees are currently on administrative leave, so there’s another fact. Two students have been suspended — also fact. What truth can you shed on this situation? Please — we’d all love to know!
Donna
February 24, 2019 at 8:33 pm
It is an alleged CRIME, yes a police matter. As for facts, my kid dropped out of BM high school, got a GED, and won a scholarship to college. She left Blue Mountain bc she was (and she reported it) sick of the small minded race jokes. My other child did not make a single friend in her first school year but heard the n word plenty in the hallways. Yes, she left too. Great place to raise white kids that like sports. With money, cuz in this century there still is no after school activity bus in BM. Not much changed since the Spanish guy working two jobs was killed by teens six years ago. Wait, was that football also?
Concerned mom
February 25, 2019 at 12:35 pm
There’s n word problem at pottsville too. My kids go there, the place blows
Trent Barnes
February 24, 2019 at 9:54 pm
This is one of the dumbest articles I have ever read. Talk about clickbait. Pottsville basketball has nothing to do with this situation so why even bring it up.
Rick Harrison
February 25, 2019 at 1:18 am
Amen, Trent.
admin
February 25, 2019 at 10:26 am
We didn’t ask who you were. We’ll look into the timing of the suspensions. You may be right. Thanks for pointing that out in the most meme-ish way possible.
However, if there is practice on a weekend and it’s a school activity, doesn’t that count? You seem to have inside info here, too.
Seems a lot of people are hellbent on protecting this basketball team, though. Do you think people change when the sports uniform is different? There definitely is a lot of cross-over in this situation.
Don
February 25, 2019 at 10:42 am
This hazing is typical skook bs, (The entitled kids have been protected by officials for years!!!!
The skook is the most politically corrupt area in the country and sadly it starts at the little league level in these small towns with the cheating, corruption and the favoritism.
Pottsville Area clearly isnt alone, Shenandoah Valley, Mahanoy Area, Tamaqua, Williams Valley, Tri Valley and North Schuylkill etc had its share of major problems throughout the years.
The Consolidation of the school districts is one way to go. The small district model is a pillar for small town corruption. People are in some leadership positions that have no business making important decisions as they do in these small districts. Most are clearly not qualified and just have their kids or families special sports interests in mind.
And yes pottsville really isnt a big school district. Only in the skook delusional state of mind.
Penn State and the PA Catholic church however weren’t the best examples for current parents over the years. They make Pennsylvania look like a national joke and it gets passed down to the youth and high school sports programs. The clear non integrity ideology, sports and power at all costs vs child welfare that breed cover ups!
CoalRegionCanary’s Fact Checker
February 25, 2019 at 11:29 am
I don’t have any information other than when what’s been put our there in official reports- not this anonymous article bullshit. As someone who served out of school suspension during my time at Pottsville- I know how it works. We had a 3 day snowstorm which extended mine- as is the case here. When I attended Pottsville, I was in that student section for every basketball game and I can tell you that the peers I grew up with that were in that program treated the victim with the uttermost respect. It didn’t happen during basketball season- the story broke then. Once again that’s the only Connection between the two. No one in this small close minded county knows the cold hard facts- you know what you heard from so and so who heard it from so and so. You all feed off of the drama and love the headlines. Unless you’re a district administrator or within law enforcement/ you have no right to make harsh comments towards kids until everything is settled. I feel god awful for the parents who have to see these middle aged adults criticizing their sons while the situation is still under investigation. I was a student of both the basketball and football coach and can attest to their high character. They were good teachers and great coaches. Whatever happened or didn’t happen will be decided and handled by the people in their respective authoritative positions. Until then/ cut the shit.
CoalRegionCanarys Fact Checker
February 25, 2019 at 11:30 am
I don’t have any information other than when what’s been put our there in official reports- not this anonymous article bullshit. As someone who served out of school suspension during my time at Pottsville- I know how it works. We had a 3 day snowstorm which extended mine- as is the case here. When I attended Pottsville, I was in that student section for every basketball game and I can tell you that the peers I grew up with that were in that program treated the victim with the uttermost respect. It didn’t happen during basketball season- the story broke then. Once again that’s the only Connection between the two. No one in this small close minded county knows the cold hard facts- you know what you heard from so and so who heard it from so and so. You all feed off of the drama and love the headlines. Unless you’re a district administrator or within law enforcement/ you have no right to make harsh comments towards kids until everything is settled. I feel god awful for the parents who have to see these middle aged adults criticizing their sons while the situation is still under investigation. I was a student of both the basketball and football coach and can attest to their high character. They were good teachers and great coaches. Whatever happened or didn’t happen will be decided and handled by the people in their respective authoritative positions. Until then/ cut the shit.
PAHSGrad
February 25, 2019 at 12:56 pm
Dear FactChecker,
1. I see you have no new information to present. Therefore, what facts are you checking? Seems to me this article is opinion/observation. No one is claiming to have inside information.
2. This is not as much about the kids and more about the “adults” and how things are systematically mishandled in the schools. This not the first time an incident like this has occurred and been swept under the rug, and it certainly won’t be the last, unless people are held accountable.
3. NO OTHER article about someone from the area suspected or accused of wrongdoing is afforded the “benefit of the doubt,” so why should this situation be any different? Check out any article on an area person accused of something and see how many people assume guilt. Perhaps one of them was you! We as the public (and taxpayers) have a right to know what is going on at the school, who is responsible, and what is being done about it.
You can call it clickbait all you want — you clicked on it! But you can’t shout someone down for putting out there what the people deserve to know.
Birch
February 25, 2019 at 4:40 pm
Following
Rick Harrison
February 25, 2019 at 5:11 pm
@ CoalRegionConary’sFactChecker : I’m glad someone else finds the authors’ of these articles idiots. This page just attempts to add fuel to the fire and is based off of nothing but falsehoods and bullshit.
Joeseph
February 25, 2019 at 7:44 pm
Does anyone actually know the whole story or is it just speculating?
How did this go from hazing involving a disabled student to a bunch of jocks dancing naked in the locker room in the presence of a 25 year old autistic guy who isn’t a student, but assists the coaches to a full out sexual assault against a disabled student/player?
The bullying at Pottsville is no different than anywhere else and people fail to realize that a lot of these victims are bullies themselves and start trouble with other kids but when the kids retaliate, then they are the bullies.
McGruff
February 26, 2019 at 1:12 pm
“Joseph” take your cavalier attitude toward hazing and abuse and shove it up your ass like a Tide lollipop.
enoughofthisscbull
February 27, 2019 at 7:08 pm
End of story, don’t piss on people and nothing would happen. You’re all a bunch of idiots, how are any of you overlooking the fact that he physically took the time out of whatever he was doing and urinate on another child and his things! The child, with recognized disability within the school district, was obviously not going to say anything, because remember, this kid is a “beloved” member of the Pottsville community, so nothing will happen to him,remember? Mommy and Daddy will get me a lawyer, everything is fine. It’s not fine, the parents should be reprimanding the child, because I know FOR A FACT, anyone with sensibility would punish their child for such an act. If it was taken care of during football season, it wouldn’t have reached basketball season. End. Of. Story. Stop protecting the “ beloved “ members who more than less seem to be the problem in many cases. I pity the child who this act was take out upon and all of you should too.
Wendy l nester
February 28, 2019 at 5:37 pm
Geez Louise, that the officials handle it.
The truth
February 28, 2019 at 10:20 pm
The cover up is starting it went from several members of the junior class now it’s just one kid now wow I’m not surprised used and they suspended the kid during basketball season y not when it happened good how ole Pottsville politics I’m now ashamed to say roll tide
Potts. Grad
February 28, 2019 at 11:54 pm
While everyone squabbles please pause and say a prayer for the Murphy family, I just learned Patrick Murphy lost his life today so please for once come together and pray for the family and friends of a big man of our community.
Shelly
March 1, 2019 at 12:52 pm
I don’t understand how Pottsville School District is qualified to investigate this “hazing” incident. If all facts are correct, this sounds like sexual abuse & not the first time it has happened. This is like colleges covering up rape incidents. Every member of a school district is mandated to take a course to protect it’s children & report any incident that May be sexual or physical abuse. So, where is the board of education??? Pottsville needs to take a look at Wilson high schools stand on honesty. They might learn something. What kind of people cover up something like this! I hate to say..
Jennifer
March 3, 2019 at 3:03 am
It’s not “hazing” idiot!! Google what hazing is!!! I’m sick of hearing it!! The kids and staff did their time now time to shut up!! That 25 year old never should of been there in the first place!! Did he have clearances to be around children??🤔 probably not!! Find something else to bitch about!!! It’s over it’s done move on haters!! 😘
Hambone
March 3, 2019 at 10:40 am
I really feel bad for you with that type of attitude. Blame the innocent and justify the guilty. Your a sad example of a human being!
Hambone
March 3, 2019 at 10:35 am
Everyone needs to keep making noise about this incident and not let it die. Someone will finally step up & stop this bullshit. I believe since its a handicapped person that the state will step in just like they did in Shenandoah. Thats how justice will be served. Prison time will open the eyes of these little shitbags!
Hey now
March 3, 2019 at 11:49 am
Agree hambone. It’s not something to be swept under the rug as Postville likes to do. From what I heard from people who work at the high school it involves more people than were singled out.
Potts. Grad
March 3, 2019 at 2:26 pm
The pat Murphy murder suspect turned herself in, now everyone behave and move on except jen, you should probably see someone for your outbreaks, I will pray for you!!!!
1sextoys
May 13, 2019 at 3:10 am
While everyone squabbles please pause and say a prayer for the Murphy family, I just learned Patrick Murphy lost his life today so please for once come together and pray for the family and friends of a big man of our community. I don t understand how Pottsville School District is qualified to investigate this hazing incident. If all facts are correct, this sounds like sexual abuse not the first time it has happened. This is like colleges covering up rape incidents. Every member of a school district is mandated to take a course to protect it s children report any incident that May be sexual or physical abuse. So, where is the board of education??? Pottsville needs to take a look at Wilson high schools stand on honesty. They might learn something. What kind of people cover up something like this! I hate to say..