Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Current and former Maine West High School students spoke in support of two teachers on paid leave, pending the results of D-207’s investigation into bullying and hazing allegations.
Hundreds of community members filled the Maine Township High School District 207 boardroom in Park Ridge Wednesday as the school board met to discuss personnel matters related to the bullying and hazing investigation at Maine West High School in Des Plaines. Approximately a dozen current and former Maine West students, and one parent, addressed board members in support of Michael Divincenzo and Emilio Rodriguez, both teachers and coaches at the Des Plaines high school. A 2012 Maine West alum who spoke to the board on Wednesday night, Tait Jensen, said he played soccer under the supervision of Coaches Divincenzo and Rodriguez for three years. Jensen said the environment the two coaches promoted was one of respect, and they would not condone…
A special meeting for the Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 19.
A special meeting of the Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education to discuss personnel matters related to the investigation into bullying and hazing allegations was scheduled for Wednesday. The meeting will include an opportunity for public comment, said David Beery, spokesperson for D-207. The board will go into closed executive session, Beery said, return to open session and take a vote, if needed, on any personnel matter. Five D-207 employees were reassigned following the allegations of bullying and hazing. Michael Divincenzo and Emilio Rodriguez have teaching contracts with D-207 and are coaches at Maine West High School in Des Plaines. Divincenzo and Rodriguez were reassigned with pay, pending the result of D-207’s …
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Daily Herald reported several experts’ explanations about how and why hazing occurs.
In light of reports of hazing at Maine West High School in Des Plaines and Hoffman Estates High School, the Daily Herald reported what experts on the subject had to say about what it is, why it persists, what can be done about it and more. In a Patch poll which asked readers, are schools doing enough to stop hazing, bullying?, 39 readers voted no, schools are too often a breeding ground for this type of behavior. Eight readers voted yes, the ultimate responsibility falls on the students and their parents, not the schools. Four families of current or former Maine West students filed a hazing and bullying complaint against Maine Township High School District 207 administrators, faculty, coaches and staff in November. The Illinois Department …
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Patch readers voted in a poll which asked, are schools doing enough to stop hazing, bullying?
In our Patch poll last week, we asked Patch readers, are schools doing enough to stop hazing, bullying? Eight readers, 17 percent of the total votes, voted, yes, the ultimate responsibility falls on the students and their parents, not the schools, as of Dec. 9. The majority of readers, 39, which was 82 percent of the vote, voted no, schools are too often a breeding ground for this type of behavior. Readers also discussed the issue in the comment section, where, as of Dec. 9, 79 comments were posted. Here is a roundup of some of what readers wrote in the comment section. GuitarMan: Our community is at fault, just as much as schools are. We shrink from telling others they are disrespectful to others, and create a standard, bullying, that is …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Hundreds like page started to express support for two coaches named in a bullying and hazing lawsuit.
An outpouring of support for two Maine West High School coaches named in a bullying and hazing lawsuit has quickly grown on a Facebook page started for that purpose on Nov. 29. In less than one week approximately 800 people have “liked” the “Support for Divo and Coach Rodriguez” page, which was, according to the description, “A page created by students of Divo and Coach Rodriquez to show their support of these men in hopes of combating the negativity surrounding them.” Michael Divincenzo, physical education teacher and varsity boys soccer coach at Maine West, and Emilio Rodriguez, applied arts and technology teacher and freshman boys soccer coach at Maine West, were named in a lawsuit filed by four families in November, which accused Maine…
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services referred reports Maine Township High School District 207 officials knew of bullying and hazing incidents prior to 2012, but did not report them to DCFS, to the Cook County State's Attorney.
The state has referred allegations to the Cook County State's Attorney that Maine Township High School District 207 officials knew about hazing and bullying incidents, but failed to report them. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services stated on Monday it referred to the state’s attorney to determine whether Illinois’ Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act was violated. A lawsuit filed on behalf of four Maine West families accuses D-207 administrators, faculty, coaches and staff of allowing multiple instances of bullying and hazing to occur, and failing to report some of the cases immediately to DCFS. Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing the Maine West families, presented an enlarged copy of a letter sent to Audrey …
Monday, December 3, 2012
Athletes at the Des Plaines high school were given letters with information about hazing to present to their parents on Nov. 28.
Maine West High School student athletes were given agreement letters regarding hazing for them and their parents to sign on Nov. 28, as previously reported, the same day a press conference regarding a bullying and hazing lawsuit, and Maine West Township High School District 207 released a statement about investigations into reports of bullying and hazing at the Des Plaines high school. D-207 distributed the anti-hazing agreements to some Maine West athletes and club members, coaches and faculty advisors, Dr. Ken Wallace, superintendant, said, and plans to ask all student athletes, club members, coaches and faculty advisors in the district to sign them as they roll the new initiative out in the next few weeks. Included here are copies of …
Friday, November 30, 2012
Maine Township High School District 207 released a statement about investigations into reports of hazing and bullying at Maine West High School in Des Plaines on Nov. 28.
A few hours after the parent of a former Maine West High School student spoke about her son being hazed and bullied in 2008, and the response from school and district officials, at a press conference at her attorney’s Chicago office on Nov. 28, Maine Township High School District 207 released a statement regarding investigations into the allegations. In part, D-207 stated: “Maine Township High School District 207 is aware of correspondence from 2008 between the mother of a student and Maine West High School administrators concerning a hazing incident that occurred that spring. As previously stated, that incident, involving members of West’s freshman baseball team, came to the attention of Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Wallace on November 16, …
A parent of a Maine West High School student wrote a letter to the principal in August 2008 outlining the reasons why she wanted a transfer for her son to Maine East High School.
In a letter from a parent of a Maine West High School student in 2008, a mother outlines the reasons why she was requesting a transfer for her son to Maine East High School. In a letter to Dr. Audrey Haugan, principal at Maine West, on Aug. 5, 2008, the parent stated the following: “Due to the lack of supervision which occurred in the locker rooms on the Maine West property my son endured a hazing by the freshman baseball A team. The incidents that occurred but are not limited to are physical aggression, a sexual assault, humiliation, verbal abuse, and ongoing emotional distress. These occurred at the hands of a core group of young men on the team.” Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing four families from the Des Plaines high school…
Athletes at the Des Plaines high school were given letters with information about hazing to present to their parents on Nov. 28, according to a Patch reader.
Maine West High School student athletes were given agreement letters regarding hazing for them and their parents to sign on Nov. 28, according to a Patch reader, the same day a press conference regarding a bullying and hazing lawsuit was held, and Maine West Township High School District 207 released a statement about investigations into reports of bullying and hazing at the Des Plaines high school. In the comments section of a story about three plaintiffs being added to the lawsuit, Patch reader “jsjs” stated: “My daughter came home yesterday with an agreement that needed to be signed by her and a parent that said she would not participate in any hazing activities.” Patch reader “jsjs” added: “This is all just making Maine West look so …
George K.
11:19 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
It is a shame that there is such blind faith. Did these kids and parents read the text messages about kids complaining of being depants? Is this normal behavior for kids to do this? The principal, and both coaches responded to these texts yet nothing really happened. The bottom line is that those in these positions of authority have to do more to protect our children, then just ask the kid if he … more ›