Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A former Maine West High School soccer coach, Michael Divincenzo, faces multiple misdemeanor charges related to reports of hazing at the Des Plaines high school, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Michael Divincenzo, the former varsity boys soccer coach named in a bullying and hazing lawsuit filed by current and former students and their families, was charged on May 15 with multiple misdemeanor charges related to the reports of hazing incidents, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The criminal charges are separate from the civil lawsuit, which was filed by four current and former students. Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing the students and their families, released the following statement in response to the criminal charges filed against Divincenzo: "The fact that Coach Divincenzo has been criminally charged brings no joy to the families whose children were brutally sexually abused while educators stood idly by allowing it to…
Friday, May 10, 2013
The attorney representing Maine West High School students in a hazing lawsuit stated a report from Maine Township High School District 207 does not address key issues.
The lawyer representing four current and former Maine West High School students and their families in a bullying and hazing lawsuit stated there were significant omissions in a report on hazing incidents in the school district. Maine Township High School District 207 hired an attorney to complete an independent investigation into hazing incidents and policies within the district, and report back to the board of education. That process concluded and D-207 released a copy of a report on the investigation and a statement about it this week. The report stated D-207 and Maine West staff responded properly and appropriately to reports of hazing in September 2012. Antonio Romanucci, the attorney representing the four students in the bullying and …
Monday, May 6, 2013
Windows were broken at the Des Plaines high school over the weekend, Journal and Topics Newspaper reported.
Authorities are investigating a possible attempted arson incident at Maine West High School, which occurred over the weekend, Journal and Topics Newspapers reported. Windows were broken sometime between Saturday and Sunday at the Des Plaines high school, according to Journal and Topics Newspapers’ report. Updated, 10 p.m. on May 6: Staff at Maine West High School cleaned up the press box and near the gymnasium, near where the windows were broken late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, and removed the broken glass before police arrived on the scene, Des Plaines Police Chief William Kushner said. A charred neck from a Southern Comfort liquor bottle was recovered from the scene, Kushner said, but no evidence the building caught fire was …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The Maine Township High School Board of Education will receive a status update on reports of hazing at Maine West High School in Des Plaines on Wednesday, according to a D-207 spokesperson.
Maine Township High School District 207 announced it will convene a special board meeting to discuss the report of hazing at Maine West High School on Wednesday. During the closed session portion of the meeting, board members are scheduled to discuss employment of employees and pending and probable or imminent litigation, according to the agenda. The public meeting, which is scheduled to take place in the principal’s conference room at Maine West at 4:30 p.m., according to the agenda, will include a period of time for public comments. David Beery, spokesperson for D-207, stated in an email to Patch that the board would not take any action at the meeting on Wednesday. “The board is getting a status update on matters relating to the hazing …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
All Maine Township High School District 207 teachers and administrators were given a presentation on their role as mandated reporters of hazing incidents in January, according to a D-207 spokesperson.
Maine Township High School District 207 is continuing to work on initiatives in response to reports of hazing at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, said David Beery, spokesperson for D-207, in response to news of proposed legislation that would increase the responsibility of education employees that neglect to report hazing incidents. The bill, announced by Illinois Rep. Marty Moylan, 55th District, in a statement on Tuesday, would expand the definition of a hazing violator to include not only those carrying out the acts, but any employee that fails in his or her duty to report an incident of hazing. All D-207 teachers and administrators were given a presentation on their role as mandated reporters of hazing incidents in January, Beery…
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Students from Maine West, Maine East and Maine South high schools received special recognition from D-207’s board of education for their academic success.
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Thursday, February 14
The following information was submitted by David Beery, spokesperson at Maine Township High School District 207. Three seniors selected by Maine Township High School District 207 as "207's Best” for February were recognized by the Board of Education on Feb. 4. All three – Jill Patel of Maine East, Caralin Schneider of Maine South and Pariyamon Thaprawat of Maine West – were recognized for academic achievement. Jill Patel Jill Patel earned a 4.83 grade point average through a rigorous schedule that currently includes advanced placement classes in Macro/Micro Economics, Biology, Psychology, Calculus-BC and English Literature and Composition. In his introductory letter, Maine East Principal Dr. Michael Pressler wrote, “Multiple teachers …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The law firm representing four former and current students in a hazing lawsuit against D-207 administrators and faculty claims a letter sent to Dr. Audrey Haugan from the parent of a student at the Des Plaines high school in 2008 is evidence Maine Townshi
A lawyer representing current and former students in the Maine West High School hazing case alleged that the school's principal knew about the abuse in 2008. Antonio Romanucci, of Romanucci & Blandin, said a letter sent to Maine West Principal Audrey Haugan in 2008 showed she knew about the abuse, and did not report it to District 207, as required by law. Ken Wallace, superintendent at D-207, said in November that the first reports the district received of bullying and hazing at the Des Plaines high school were in September 2012. Romanucci addressed the press outside the District 207 boardroom, where members were meeting in closed session about a variety of hazing-related issues. Romanucci said that the school board has acknowledged the …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Employee discipline and other issues related to the investigation of bullying and hazing reports at Maine West High School in Des Plaines will be discussed by Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education in Park Ridge on Thursday.
A special school district meeting to discuss a variety of issues related to bullying and hazing reports at Maine West High School in Des Plaines will be held in Park Ridge on Thursday. Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education voted in favor of initiating the dismissal process on one coach, Michael DiVincenzo, named in a lawsuit filed by four families of current or former students in November at a meeting in December, and other administrators, coaches and district employees are named in the complaint. Listed on the agenda for the closed session portion of the special board meeting, announced by D-207 on Tuesday, are matters related to individual students, appointment, employment, compensation, performance, discipline or …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Hundreds attended a special Maine Township High School District 207 meeting in Park Ridge on Wednesday to discuss personnel issues related to the bullying and hazing allegations at Maine West High School.
Impassioned statements made by current and former Maine West High School students, and one parent, in support of coaches scrutinized by the school district over bullying and hazing allegations were not enough to convince board members to continue employing the varsity soccer coach and high school teacher Michael DiVincenzo. Tait Jensen said he played on the varsity soccer team at Maine West for three years, and was co-captain of the team for one year. “The culture Divo and Rodriguez created and sanctioned was exactly what you want your schools’ athletic programs to have,” Jensen said. “It wasn’t a culture of hazing or mistreatment or assault; it was an atmosphere of friendship and understanding that fostered trust amongst players and …
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…
Sam
1:21 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
In the May 16th Suntimes, the charges were dropped against the students who were involved because their peers (victims) didn't want to press charges. So are these kids saying it wasn't as bad as they claimed? If that's the case what is the coach being charged for? Did the coach force his team to hold down other students on the team and sodomize them? They interviewed 100 people regarding the … more ›