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…
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
An attorney representing four current and former Maine West High School students in a bullying and hazing lawsuit said proposed legislation that would stiffen disciplinary action for education employees that fail to report hazing would not affect the suit
An attorney representing four current and former Maine West High School students in a bullying and hazing lawsuit stopped short of saying proposed legislation validated his clients’ complaints, but Antonio Romanucci, of Chicago-based Romanucci and Blandin, said the recent action acknowledged hazing incidents do occur. The bill, which Illinois Rep. Marty Moylan, 55th District, announced in a public statement on Tuesday, would make employees of education institutions that fail to report hazing incidents equally responsible for the actions as those who carried out the acts. “It certainly indicates that there’s a problem out there, and the problem needs to be stopped,” Romanucci said. “And certainly Rep. Moylan is addressing that.” If passed …
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
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…
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, …
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 …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Attorney: Michael Divencenzo, of Maine West, common link in hazing reports in complaint.
Allegations continue to emerge in reports of hazing and bullying on Maine West High School athletic teams. Three plaintiffs were added to a lawsuit Wednesday which names D-207 administrators, faculty, coaches and staff. Four families, three involving soccer players and one involving a baseball player, have made accusations. The mother of the student who was reportedly assaulted in May 2008 while on the baseball team spoke to reporters with her attorney, Antonio Romanucci, about why she joined the suit at the law firm’s Chicago office on Wednesday. The woman's identity was being witheld to protect the identity of the student. The woman said her son was pinned against the lockers in the locker room by a group of children, his pants were …
Four families have filed a lawsuit against D-207 administrators, faculty, coaches and staff over hazing, bullying, physical and sexual assault allegations. Three plaintiffs were added to the suit on Wednesday.
Shielded by a cap and sunglasses to conceal her identity, the mother of a former Maine West student spoke to reporters with her attorney, Antonio Romanucci, about why she joined the hazing and bullying lawsuit at the law firm’s Chicago office on Wednesday. The woman said she was “sickened” when she heard about the report of a Maine West High School student being hazed and bullied recently. Some of the same coaches were employed at the Des Plaines high school, including varsity soccer coach Michael Divincenzo, she said, as were when her son was the target of similar assaults in 2008. Her son was transferred to Maine East High School in Niles, and continued to suffer as a result of being repeatedly targeted by other student athletes, she …
kevin
6:31 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
So many people are going to be really upset when they find out this guy who they think is so great allowed the sexual abuse of teens to occur and did nothing to stop it. This has been going on for 4 year and taking place on the field during practice, there is no way he didn't know this was happening. more ›