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Roncalli Special Needs Manager Assaulted


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As I read this article I couldn't believe that anyone, especially football players, would do this to another peer specifically one with disabilities.  As a man that works daily with children with special needs this article angered me a little more.  The reason I isolated the football team above is because I feel the team, including managers, are family.  They go to school together, they work together, the eat together, they go to battle together, they are there for each other.....always and those managers are typically there every step of the way attending to the needs for the team.  It also bothers me that more young men didn't step in with the integrity of knowing right an wrong and actively stop individuals doing these behaviors.    

With that said....it seems to me that there could be some serious legal problems for coaching staff, school administrators and players involved.  Not reporting these incidents to agencies is a serious legal problem.  Videoing a person's "area" is a serious legal problem, especially if those investigating decide to include intent to share!!  The idea that there was/possibly was a cover up is a serious legal problem!  I think it's safe to say people will pay dearly for these incidents.

I hope in the end this article, this situation, can be used a a serious talking point to educate and train players and coaches alike.  We can always assume that our teams act the way we want them too especially when no one is watching, but the reality is kids don't always make the best choices and peer pressure is a bi%#$  Supervision is of upmost priority , always when you are dealing with teenagers, especially those that need our attention and safe keeping the most!!  Learn from this terrible mistake is all I can say.  

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In this Thanksgiving week, in response to this thread....

I am thankful for the courage of many to come forward in this article.

I am thankful for this young man's unbelievable courage and strength to speak with his mom.

I am thankful for this young man's mother for always supporting her son's dreams.

I am thankful for people to do the right thing moving forward.

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3 minutes ago, Trojan88 said:

which blankets a large segment of people who have nothing to do with this horrible situation.

 

Agree with your whole comment, but especially this part. This goes for more than likely a large portion of the team. Obviously the player that wrote the anonymous letter saw something wrong with it. A stupid, sick, and gutless act, gives a black eye for so many. 

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Administration heads should roll on this and the Juveniles should be handled however the law specifies.  This young man is going to have lasting trama so there should and will be civil implications as well.  Hopefully many changes/improvements come out of this....something good.  My heart hurts for this victim.  He just wanted to belong to something big.

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The first sanction I would hand down would be that the Roncalli football program organize and run Special Olympics Unified flag football, basketball, and Unified Track meets forever.

They would also have to volunteer their time in the life skills classroom at Roncalli.

The only way to learn is through experience.

I teach life skills and was a football coach.  If a player needed to see me, he would also have to see my students and interact with them.

ESPN has a program to look for the most inclusive schools in the nations.  Roncalli's job is to get one of those banners for inclusive schools

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Law is Law...  DCS should have been called.  A person with higher functioning taking advantage of of someone who is not.  It also could fall under the Indiana "Bullying" statute as it happened to the same person at least twice that is known.   Admin heads should roll.  Did admin educate the FB staff about prior incident?  If so, how did it happen again? If FB staff was aware of previous incident and did not prevent another????  FB heads should roll.    Where are the adults monitoring the locker room?  Where is the leadership on the team (players) stepping up and punching somebody in the mouth for taking advantage of their own manager?  We had a special needs manager my senior year.  He loved being part of it. He ran out to get the tee after kickoffs.  Everybody cheered.  

As far as P/P.  Not part of this discussion.  This happens in the best of school corporations. Carmel had some boys BB issues a few years ago.  This is a being a kind human argument.  

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I don't get how the first incident didn't violate some sort of Child Pornography laws in which the person in possession/took the video wasn't held accountable.  The teacher that "helped" the kid delete the video should be terminated, immediately.  

This school terminated an employee for a completely legal (though Catholics deem immorral) relationship.  IF they don't immediately terminate all of those involved they are taking a stand of termination based on sexual preference vs termination of protecting a special needs child.

 

I then want charges against those responsible... The kids, adults, teachers, staff, etc.  ALL OF THEM

Edited by 1st_and_10
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This story infuriated me. Because I am Catholic and love high school football. It saddens me that not one bystander saw the cruelty in the situation. It disgusts me that all the young men could watch this, maybe even document it, and be able to sleep at night. 
I will have family members that will be playing a first year in Junior High football and High School football. I am scared for my family members and what type of hazing that they may go through. I pray that they tell me if anything like this happens to them or others. 

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3 minutes ago, Ihsaafootballfan said:

This story infuriated me. Because I am Catholic and love high school football. It saddens me that not one bystander saw the cruelty in the situation. It disgusts me that all the young men could watch this, maybe even document it, and be able to sleep at night. 
I will have family members that will be playing a first year in Junior High football and High School football. I am scared for my family members and what type of hazing that they may go through. I pray that they tell me if anything like this happens to them or others. 

In all honesty situations like this one are very much outliers in football. Most hazing does not take place and if it does it is because the culture of the program allows it. If you family is playing at LCC then I don't think you have much to worry  about that program has been top notch for years.

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56 minutes ago, Tanka Jahari said:

People with Down Syndrome are some of the sweetest, most loving souls on the planet. I've seen kids do some pretty stupid things, but this situation is beyond a kid making a dumb mistake. This needs to be dealt with through the legal system.

End zone cameras might have prevented all of this.  

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I have been so upset since I read this article. Assuming everything in the article is factual and there is no reason to believe it is not. Everyone responsible should be held accountable but the school officials who helped cover it up should be held to an even high standard. 

This is not just bullying - it is sexual assault against someone who doesn't have the capability to consent to anything. It should be put in the hands of the authorities. 

It is also very telling of the locker room situation/culture at this school that whoever was disturbed by it had to remain anonymous most likely for fear of retaliation against them. Surely, I pray that one kid tried to stand up for him. At least one. 😞

I agree that if Roncalli can fire a counselor who did nothing illegal, then surely anyone who helped cover this up will also be held to the same standard as well as being reported to the authorities. 

Anyone that works at the school has a legal obligation to report any cases of suspected abuse and it seems like they failed this child at this point. He will be have everlasting effects and trauma from this as well as his parents losing trust in others as well. It is such a sad case. 

This young man was FAILED. The school failed. The players failed him. Disgusting and disturbing. I hope the family can get the justice they so deserve!

 

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2 hours ago, Obi-Wan said:

I feel like the school or the Archdiocese should get out in front before the IHSAA gets involved. Again this is super sad, but Roncalli and the Archdiocese need to show that they have the needs of their students front in center after this issue. As a teacher myself this bothers me to my core.

Roncalli and the Archdiocese aren’t exactly on the best of terms. An ongoing and open class action lawsuit between former Roncalli staff and the Archdiocese has splintered this relationship and the trust between the two. The Archbishop is too pre-occupied mitigating sexuality In the high schools to also govern a situation like this. 

I guess the Archbishop and the Vicar Counsel could use this malfeasance as an excuse to shed the leadership at Roncalli, but I think they would be too exposed to a wrongful termination suit for all the missteps both the Archdiocese and the Roncalli administration made during the Fitzgerald fallout and the subsequent staff thereafter. 

Yucky situation on the southside. You would think after all the sensitivity and inclusion training they have had lately, it might spill over to the athletics program. 

Edited by IndianaWrestlingGuy1
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Really good example of poor leadership at Roncalli.  From the players all they way to administration.  If all of this is indeed true, they need to clean house.  I wouldn't be surprised if the school folded.  What parent would want to send their child to a school with this type of leadership........I just can't imagine how a group of players got to the point that they thought this was a good idea.....what kind of kids do this?  What are they teaching these kids? 

I'm generalizing a bit here so my apologies..........the argument that kids that go to P/P schools are better kids, work harder, etc......just doesn't hold true.  Never thought I'd say this but they are not 1.5X......and this is a perfect example.

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