Yes I'm sure he did go to Law School. Obviously you did not. The "key word" in your post is CHARGED. They have not been convicted of anything.

@jerdeyguy: The coaches at Penn State and Syracuse are ALSO CHARGED and NOT convicted either. Should they be granted a "stay"?? The Giants cut ties with Plaxico BEFORE he was convicted and ONLY CHARGED...Anyone can be "reinstated" AFTER they are cleared...Looks like YOU "jerdeyguy" did NOT attend law school either, so don't TRY to play lawyer, we already have MORE THAN ENOUGH of them

To eyes wide shut: Teachers and other individuals who are in contact with children, are often suspended when charged with similar crimes because the goal is to protect children JUST IN CASE. In this instance, there is no one in danger and these boys should be INNOCENT, until a COURT, not you, find them GUILTY!

@abbie: Where does it say that myself or anyone has found them GUILTY? Of course they are innocent at the moment. They will all have their chance in court. My response was to them being CHARGED..Your problem is, you can read the comment but you just can't comprehend what is written. And that's the most important part of reading, anyone can read, its the comprehension that counts......

Well, Eyes That Don't See: If they are only charged and, as you say, you have not found them guilty, why then do you insist on punishing them? Perhaps you should take a general comprehension class, not just a reading comprehension class!

@abbie; AGAIN. please point out to me where i used or said the word PUNISHED?? Its obvious that YOU are a support of this group of 9. They were ALL charged and will have their day in court. Any individual CHARGED with something that belongs to a group, company or organization should be suspended until they are cleared of ALL charges.. You it seems are just not comprehending yet AGAIN. People caught up in emotions like yourself usually do that. The fact of the matter is, they were arrested & charged with a crime. The police had a good reason to charge them and the prosecutors offices has good reason to proceed with the charges..Hope i made myself clear so even YOU can understand the point...

@Willy...can't you spell? Don't you know the difference between your and you're??? Did you go to school? It doesn't look like you did. Thank you for adding more ignorance to this message board.

the BOE and School are NOT the Judicial system. The BOE and Schools have suspended the players because they violated the schools code of conduct and HIB laws. The HIB Law (Harrassment, Intimidation, Bullying) also applies to teachers and administrators. So when did the Football coaches know about this incident and did they file a report within the 48 hr required time period. If not then they could be charged too. Another way to look at this situatin is (God forbid) one of the injuries was fatal.....would you still argue that the students should not be suspended because they didn't have a trial yet. This is not about football but its about two injured students. lets keep it that way.

Ron.... FACT one of the CHARGED and ARRESTED youths was not even at this party or fight. Has many witness' to support this FACT. Clearly there are not even enough FACTS for the Wayne Police to do a thourough investigation and base their charges. Maybe that is why the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office is now handling the investigation.

The fact is just by being "arrested" for a fight, even if is off school grounds and after school, is a breach of the "Code of Conduct/Ethics" agreement that all student athletes and their parents sign in order to play on a team. That is why they should be sitting on the bench and not allowed to play. Even being accused of such an offense is grounds for suspension from play till the investigation has been resolved. Really this is about 9 young men that are learning a hard lesson. For those that were involved, they shouldn't get to play and for those who were not involved, it stinks but guilt by association. Is it really all about not playing a football game that is the important thing here? Or is it about what happens to these boys at some point in the court room? This arrest will follow them for a long time even if they get probation or the charges are dropped. Shouldn't everyone be worrying about that and not a football game?

Kathy and Ron
Well said!
Life lessons are tough pills to swallow and all of this nonsense would have easily been avoided if parents, coaches and administrators nipped this in the butt early on.
It was a SIMPLE solution that would have saved the coach, players, and the township all of this bad publicity. Now this turns into a public fiasco because ego's have been bruised and at what cost? Listen kids fight... shit happens "so to speak"
but there are consequences to raising your fists and using poor judgement that may have been impaired by the "illegal" consumption of alcohol at a party. A simple consequence is the suspension from extracurricular activities. A much greater consequence will be that of those who are indicted of a crime. I also agree with you that Jerdeyguy and others have failed to realize that there is more to life than football.

@jerkeyguy: Neither a "charge" nor a "conviction" is necessary to suspend the right AND RESPONSIBILITY of ALL involved from extracurricular activities. BTW ... Have you noticed how few of the Wayne citizens support your arguments? But you just care about yourself ... not the general community, right?

well, i can't answer that, but i can tell you they could've picked a better lawyer. ricci has a horrible track record in court (he mostly loses). this athlete ended up getting 3 years...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=5018234

What happens if the kids play and they win? Do they hand the trophy over or ask for a do over?

No.

Now, THIS is one of the smartest comments on here, Bobtwo - I agree...Let's all remember all this BS when it comes time to vote on another outrageous school budget!! AMEN!!

The outrageous side which includes the school budget in the property taxes...you?? Why don't we separate property taxes from school taxes (and create a 'sin' tax to pay for the schools)?? Did we really need to build a $10 million school when we could have renovated the State Farm building on Rt. 23 (OH MY - Wayne children might have had to go to school.....*gasp* near a highway!) or did we really have to practically give the former Anthony Wayne MS to Hartz Corp, and then the Salvation Army....and now it's a senior complex... c'mon - THAT'S all a little outrageous, dontcha think?? Every year the school wants more and more money for what? And then the PTO has to have fund-raisers to buy things that the school should be supplying....someone needs to take a long hard look at the budget and where it's going. But, that's neither here nor there with this topic - These kids should all have repercussions for their actions...not a slap on the wrist!

well remember ira, the flip-flopping BOE has to hire another two very important people to figure that complicated procedure out.

Even you have to think that your comment is a little absurd??

I would say so, or maybe his bigtime pro football player son who likes to tweet about highschool football then worry about how sucky his pro team is.

Thats not what you said!! Thank you for clearing up what you said!

I love this!!! Like beating up 2 kids and being charged with aggravated assault won't have any impact on there college careers!!! Just makes me sick...

The suit, filed in Passaic County Superior Court in Paterson, also alleges that the players’ suspension from playing football and participating in other extracurricular activities could cause irreparable harm to their prospects for scholarships.

@ira this is what you said I agree with, Thetis names are not being released. If someone wants to bring a roster and deduce that a player it on the field must be one of the 9 then so be it. Lawyer is grasping for straws and it will cost Wayne some $$. all the rest of it is a step too far.

This is approaching what seems to me to be a SLAPP lawsuit....oh and an opportunity for Delgardo, of course.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation

Ira if you are so worked up on getting these kids names, then take a page out of your own book and reveal your identity. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. You don't want to be a hypocrite now do you?

good question!

They are fine. They posted Facebook pictures a few hours later bragging about it. They were only treated for minor scrapes and abrasions and released within hours. He also apparently competes in martial arts competitions...so he is no stranger to fighting. Oh how about that fun fact for you? In fact, he has been disciplined in the past for fighting IN school. How many of you "parents" have sons and tell your boys that when someone initiates a fight to turn the other cheek? The answer is 0. You all tell your sons that when someone hits you first that you defend yourself. End of story.

@Anne - Maybe you are right. Maybe none of us "parents" tell our sons to turn the other cheek if someone initiates a fight (although some of us would prefer that's what they do). Kids fight. I don't condone it, but I also don't condone a "group" of kids beating up on 1 or 2. I'm not sure what the Hills boys were "defending themselves" against when THEY drove up to the 2 Valley students who had already left the party and were walking. Doesn't seem to me the Hills boys were in any physical danger at that time. Knowing they had a big game (or series of games) coming up, and assuming they were not in any immediate danger, maybe the smart thing for those boys to do that one time would have been to just "walk away".

@Wayne Resident: You helped me convey my point…knowing they had a big game coming up…why would they jeopardize it? This goes against logic. I am not condoning fighting; I do condone finding the truth. There is information that has been circulated which is inaccurate. I am attempting to make people realize that not everything they read in print is true. Also, everyone needs to ask themselves what if it was one of your children that were falsely accused? It is my job to seek truth even if it is not what the general consensus wants to hear.

Wah Wah Wah....let me wipe away your tears, Billy Boy. What's wrong with a sin tax?? And what about the lottery??? How come sin taxes work for other states, but not good old Joisey?? Because of democrats like you - gimme gimme gimme - at all the hand of the hard-working community. You must be part of the 'entitled' generation of today - it's all about me, right?? I said nothing about the "service" in Wayne, but every time someone farts in a school in Wayne, they want to renovate the bathrooms. Ohhhhhh....wait, you must be a teacher - god forbid you would have to teach 50 kids!!! It's done in colleges....I guess you never went to college, though, and experienced a lecture hall. I guess you went to Wayne Hills High School... played football?? one too many hits to the head??

And to dmbfan624 - wouldn't it be nice to know how those kids are actually doing? you won't hear any mention of that, because either A) they don't play football (I didn't read anything in the past couple of weeks that said they did and B) that would show a caring side of Wayne....apparently it's not on this site - what a shame.

Linda...keep on believing that if you throw enough money at the rich it will magically trickle down to you. I am not a teacher. I am actually in the 1%. I work on wall street and am well paid. But people like you who want to destroy our schools just destroy our property values. So stupid and short sighted. You want to be a place to live...but we dont have full day kindergarten. And I didnt go to Wayne High Schools. I grew up in NYC...I moved to Wayne, in part, to send my kids to good schools. Good schools that dimwits like you dont want to pay for. It isnt shocking that most educated people are predominantly democrats. The sad thing is that too many of you republicans vote that way because of the pro-life and anti-gay type issues and then convince yourselves that you believe in the economic policies as well so you can sleep at night.

And as for your idea for a sin tax...what is the sin you are taxing? Going to school? If that is what you are proposing, you are too dumb for words (and yet, maybe smart enough for the Republican primaries).

Look at the amount of money that is paid on Nellis drive. Look at jobs that are created for people that really don't need to be on Nellis Drive. Look at the 6 to 9 percent raises that were given " On Nellis Drive" after the budget was voted down. I have voted for every Budget the past ten years but this year might be different. I use to think a vote for the budget was a vote for good schools. I now know a vote for the budget is a vote for more money going to " Nellis Drive". After this whole football mess do you think "Nellis Drive" deserves those large raises. Look at the person who is in charge of bullying in Wayne. Look at her large raise. When it got hot in her corner of this mess she called in sick. Just how I want my taxes spent.

You're way off topic, but since you are going there, teachers will wind up teaching 50 in a class and out of trailers because union salaries are negotiated to go up every year per their contract. 1. Private sectors aren't receiving equivalent percentage increases in salary. 2. The taxpayer is responsible for paying the teachers when they retire, which is much more than someone in the private sector can save for their retirement. 3. The healthcare njea members is far better than those working 12 hour days and they pay very little for those benefits. It's simple, needing to pay salaries is cutting into the luxuries kids used to have in class like extra pens and paper. How about this, let's lower public servant salaries, than we can afford better service. 130k per year, working 9 hours a day for 10 months plus holidays off, a pension and hardly paying for healthcare sounds like one sweet deal... Oh, and tenure, can't forget that.

Wow Billy Boy, you are really clueless, aren't you - google 'sin tax' and see what it means (you'd be supporting the school systems directly with all the Colt 45 malt liquor you imbibe and camel no-filters you smoke).... You are just a name callin' fool, aren't you. "simple" and "K" get it - stop paying outrageous salaries to the BOE with the budget money and maybe then your kids will get a decent, honest education - not one filled with lies (I weep for your children, though - you might be part of the 1%, I just wonder if your off-spring are not 1 of the 9 from WH).... just stick to your name calling and finger pointing instead of turning that finger inward and finding out where the real problem lies. THAT is what is wrong with the issue at hand....no parenting at home, nor at school for that matter. Where is the responsibility and repercussions for our childrens' actions? So sad, Billy Boy - just so sad....

linda as I mentioned in an earlier post on a different article, the Wayne Adult School should start offering a course...Parenting 101. I think some of the parents in this town need it. In the home that I grew up in there was no "due process" My parents were the judge and jury. There wouldn't have been a need for the Superintendent or the Board to get involved. I would have been docked for life!

@wayne resident, Parenting 101 idea - I second the motion !!

And before someone says, "OMG, this wasn't a School-sponsored function, Valley Girl! What the heck are you talking about?!", read the last part there:

"...occur off school grounds when they substantially disrupt or interfere with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other students..."

Wayne Hills and Valley students both fall under the scope of the district. Pretty sure students have a right *not* to be assaulted by another student, call me crazy.

Former Valley Gal...get your money back from whatever college you attended. You missed the section regarding suspensions.

"The Board of Education recognizes that even the temporary exclusion of a pupil from the educational program of this district is a severe sanction and one that cannot be imposed without due process."

It is obvious that you are jealous that you did not attend Hills. Please stop being a hater and educate yourself. You cannot just pick and choose policies that you think fit. And yes ladies and gentlemen...due process applies to schools.

@Anne - "the temporary exclusion of a pupil from the educational program of this district is a severe sanction...". I would agree with that statement. But last time I checked, football and extracurricular activities are not part of any "educational program" - they are a privilege for the students...not a right. These boys were not suspended from school, they were not deprived of their right to learn. They were told they could not participate in a football game.

thank you for that valley girl, very interesting.

@Anne
As WayneResident stated, the policy you quoted referred to being removed from the educational program- i.e., suspended from school. As far as I know, outside of Phys. Ed classes, football games and activities fall under extracurricular activities. Yes, they may have some educational VALUE, but they're not part of the required curriculum.
I have no "jealousy" that I did not attend Hills, and I have to say the fact you felt you needed to point that out makes me laugh. The fault here lies with the Board of Education and the High School administration in properly following the HIB protocol, since its evident they're now trying to apply HIB policies after the fact. The BOE in Wayne has really driven the school district into the ground- it's extremely depressing to watch from afar.

All that aside, I still stand by what I've said all along here- if "the Nine" had been benched by the coach the first game, we most likely would not be arguing over the circus this entire thing has become.

Also curious, since nothing has been said, what's the status of the two young men who were assaulted?

@Wayne Resident: Extra-curricular activities are also listed under this same policy.

@Former Valley Gal: Below is quoted from the statement made on behalf of the members of the Wayne Township Board of Education. “…We had board members who asked that this matter be reviewed as a possible case of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB). Based on the information provided at this time, the board was advised that this incident was not an HIB matter…”

There you go, HIB does not apply.

@Jonesy...the only thing ridiculous here is your dumb@ss comment. The kids were not knocked unconscious. In fact, they were bragging about it just a few hours later. I know this is a real hard concept for your simple mind to grasp but just because Daniel Hubbard and other members of the press write it...doesn't make it true.

@Anne. you are condescending and sound very angry. it is clear you are not capable of commenting in a way that adds to this debate/dilemma, only to call names, use sarcasm, shame and (try to) insult others writing their opinons. you are creating the "mob mentality" climate the lawyer refers to.

I agree jellybean. Chasing down and beating up two kids doesn't have to be spelled out in order for their to be a consequence. If the coach had just benched them for a game or two or did something, ANYTHING this whole mess wouldn't have blown up into all this.

But I don't know that this is being "taken out on the whole WH football program." Anyone with any sense of compassion just wishes the players the best from here on out.

@Dory: Now, now Dory…you know what they say about people living in glass homes…
Here are some of your past posts:
“…oooooh ok i see where you all got confused. (*sarcasm*)”…SEE YOU USE SARCASM.
“…you are just now catching on to still in town 78? unemployed, never married, no kids and lives in his mother's basement. he doesn't leave his computer.” and “as for who he really is i can offer a brief forensic psychological profile based on the limited info here: I would say someone with a low sense of esteem and importance, resentful of his underacheivements, living in other's shadows, slightly grandiose but blames his lack of success on some sort of victimization preventing him from reaching higher goals, and obsessed with this topic as evidenced by his apparent need to appoint himself the important role of defending the kids in a way that suggests he thinks only he can do, and perhaps Coach Olsen who he may be looking for approval from. Single or divorced white male, no children, late 40's to mid 50s. …SEE YOU USE INSULTS.
“…which leads me to add this; your relationship with your own father is poor in some capacity.”…SEE YOU USE SHAME.
Now Dory please do not be the pot calling the kettle black. We have more than enough hypocrites on this site.

I know who you are Anne!!! The blonde bimbo that spoke at the BOE meeting about the witch hunts and lady justice... I see it now!!!

When will you learn that due process is not required for participating in extracurricular
activities and a privilege can be taken away at any time and for any reasonable reason.

@Anne
If you aren't a parent of one of the nine you are an aunt or something. Karen? Your comments are way too fueled with contempt not to have a close personal investment in this issue. But whatever, you obviously can post no matter who you are. I just wish you wouldn't be so nasty. If you are speaking in support of the Coach and 9 football players, boy are you making them look even worse with your hostility.

@Anne: YOU must think you are a legend in YOUR (not you're) own mind..Do YOU always look down your nose at people when talking? If ego's were to be concrete, you'd be route 80. Do YOU always call people illiterate? Now what i suggest to YOU ANNE, is that you get back inside of your cabin and close that cabin door. YOUR (not you're) ego is just overwhelming.

@Willy: Wow, little Willy you really are obsessed with that blonde. How sad! You are bordering on becoming a pervert! Why do articulate women threaten you so much? Unfortunately, for you I am not that blonde, I apologize in advance for ruining your delusional fantasy. Hey, since you don’t take the time to use spell check ever…maybe you can use that extra time you have and purchase some of those enhancing pills for that little problem of yours so that you don’t have to continuously degrade women for your tiny inadequacies.

@Eyes Wide Shut: Keep those eyes closed dear and continue with those compliments. Thank you. People like you make it so easy. It is just like shooting fish in a barrel.

@Anne YOU would know about barrels...And you have that in common with the empty ones, as you know they do make the most noise...GENIUS

He returned as Frank but is hiding again after getting his butt kicked by Anne.

still in town you are obsessed with ira!

Well said

Agreed!

Very well said, thank you.

@Frank
finally getting back to you about Boardwalk Empire. Great episode....poor Angela!

@Ron: Um, this is wayne.patch.com…not match.com. No one is looking to date you here…gross. Oh and by the way my husband said 40 lbs. is weak. I concur as well; my trainer has me start with a 45 lbs. plate. Good try though...once an athlete always an athlete. Also, as I have mentioned previously due process applies to suspensions which encompass extra-curricular activities. It is in the BOE policy.

con't.
4. The boe's job is to set policy and ensure that it is carried out. An example would be the board has a policy that the schools should be clean. That is as far as they should go. They should not be walking around schools telling the janitors to pickup this or that. That is for the admin, (supers, principals, coaches, etc.) to figure out how the policy is carried out. For hearings like this, they need good legal advise and if this is an area where their retained council is not strong, they need to bring in someone who is for the hearing.
5. Policies like codes of conduct should NEVER be different from one town HS to another. Equity amongst schools is important. This not only includes playgrounds at the elementary but also consistency in policy between buildings.
6. As difficult as it can be at times, the boe can NEVER be bullied by a vocal minority. I've sat through public meetings where different constituancies have not been happy with a pending policy or decision. Sports teams and the band are notorious for this as they have large numbers and can quickly mobilize and fill a room. I've watched some of my colleagues waffle in their decision due to this. The problem is, you vote the way the crowd wants and get cheered, and the next day you say "what have I done, this is not how I expected to vote".

7. This issue will ultimately pass but the vitriol that is being spilled here is an embarrassment to a good community. The name calling and supposition of beer bellies and you must have been cut from a team when you were young advances no argument.
8. boe members read these posts. I would have to believe that they are not happy with their flip-flopping as they look foolish to both sides now.
9. HIB laws are a big deal. The hoops required to jump through to remain in compliance is daunting. I'm not an attorney, but from my interpretation and how our district operates, the suspension of these athletes from an extracurricular activity is a no brainer.
10. Forget the Ramapo decision, HIB laws are here and trump the prior decision.

@Dory
Angela and Gillian...Talk about being being at the wrong place and the wrong time!
Empire is so well written and shot. Props to the entire cast and creators of the show.

No that wasn't Gillian with Angela. That was Louise, her writer friend she met and bailed out of a ticket for wearing a short skirt at the beach remember?

Dory,
Ah yes... my bad!

Insider - I too agree with your points. I do wonder if the WH principal has had a gag order placed on him by either the boe or super. I would believe if our district was dealing with this, we would only have the super or the boe president speak to the press/public. My logic falls apart somewhat when I see that the WV principal did write a letter to the press about his students. That too speaks of possible dysfunction within the leadership of the district. While I understand that different buildings have different issues, consistency within a district is critical.
I have MANY comments and opinions on the coach and his role in handling this incident as well as (what appears from the outside) his status and lack of accountability within the district. But not being from town and not knowing all the facts, it would be improper of me to share them. I will say though, no one should be bigger than the district and the superintendent needs to have the unquestioned authority in any district.
I would also have to believe that NJSBA (New Jersey School Boards Association) will be using this incident and how it was handled as a case study during the annual self evaluations that boards do with the help of a NJSBA field rep.

great insight and commentary from both BOE Member and Schoolinsider....to Schoolinsider's points: 1) The WH principal does seem to be not in the game here. I believe because he has been intimidated by Olsen and probably worried about taking a stance against Olsen and how that impacts his own job security. 2.) sadly the parents were too busy engaging personal attornies to worry about or be interested in teachable moments. Clearly if that was a priority of the parents the kids would never have been in this position to begin with. 3.) clearly agree on Coach Olsen outgrowing town. He certainly should not also be AD, that is ridiculous. I expect Olsen will retire after his son graduates and he can start collecting his six figure pension and coach somewhere else. 4.) the BOE's waffling, these headlines on national news and talk shows are not necessarily good for the township. One of the BOE members is moving over to the Township Council. Hopefully he will repeat this performance over there.

i always wondered about that especially after the WV principal's empassioned response letter. what do you think the WH prinicipal should have done?

Ira: the common thread is they ALL have super inflated ego's. They do not realize they are the ones helping to fan the flames by making the insulting remarks. When people read their comments, how could they NOT link them to the stupidity that the 9 players did?
GREAT people talk about IDEAS
AVERAGE people talk about THINGS
SMALL people talk about OTHER PEOPLE...

I could not agree with you more!

You just mean I don't agree with you. Which is still the case.

It's comical that you, above all others, should make those statements - when you have done nothing but criticize and sling insults. You have called people thugs, insulted parents, coaches, BOE members, other posters in the forum.

@irapasses: Yes, we do have a common thread…it is called intelligence. Eyes wide shut don't make me call you out!

Anne you can TRY and call me out anytime...

I see. But isn't it within the coach's realm, not the principal's, to direct the players' consequence? I am not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand how it works. So you are saying because the coach didn't act, the principal should have stepped in, but as we know didn't. ?

That is pathetic, becasue it is probably true that the players probably would get more flack for being late to a practice then for getting arrested.

PS to your PS....I wish he ended it. But it reads as though he transferred it to the Com of Ed. Lets see how fast Ricci can scurry up a meeting with the COE before Saturday's game.

The more time spent by the attorney, scurrying around to get this matter heard by anyone who'll listen to him, the more cost to the parents. WOW! GOD Bless these people.

Albert , you are unfortunately correct. Yes most of us with kids in the two high schools know who the kids are. It is all over facebook. On the other side of it, we have close family friends, with a Boy on the team (Uninvolved at the party or fight) . We hung out over the long weekend and I will tell you first hand that the apologists who post here and will have you believe everyone who is involved as a parent or student at Hills is in lock step, are way off. Our friends are mortified that this is happening. Their son is quite a good athlete, and doesn’t go to the liquor parties and get involved with all the non sense, and he is not the only one. There is a divide there, but it is being kept under wraps for now.

Amen brotha!
Please reconsider your name....Wayne isn't all bad.