Some coaches choose to make a statement. - Chicago coach suspends nearly entire team for shoe-based state title celebration.
"As a coach, I have to set the right example for these young men," Smith said. "They're going to be going to college and out into the real world."
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/chicago-coach-suspends-nearly-entire-team-shoe-based-211943051.html

During the heat of the battle Coach Olsen pleaded with the board for consideration because some of his "accused" player's claimed they weren't at the so called "brutal attack" the left one man lying on the ground unconscience. Tonite the prosecutor's office dropped all complaints against one of the defendants. The reason being, the defendant wasn't at the scene or in any way involved in the attack. Just as Coach Olsen predicted.
This student was suspended from playing in the championship game and I would expect a hefty lawsuit will follow.
Is there anything in the new unified conduct law that would have avoided this ?

Joe Videodummy I don't think that the person should sue. I don't think somebody would win in a lawsuit. A right was not violated a privlidge was taken away. There is a big difference. Sometimes in order to punish the guilty you have to punish the innocent.

Can someone please explain why this new policy applies ONLY to athletes and not to ALL students?

Bad behavior should not be rewarded either. There has to be consequence for those that were involved and unfortunately maybe, we don't really know for sure, an innocent individual got caught in the middle. It was just a high school football game that they didn't get to play and really there was only 1 student that had his name published. The rest were not named in the press because they were minors. Btw those records would be sealed because they are juveniles as well. Do we really want to continue this with lawsuits and show the kids bad behavior is a right?

Wrongly accusing someone of a crime is not right either.........

Guilty until we say otherwise - punishment without proof. Jersey justice strikes again. Where are all the "string em up" posters from back when this happened? Better to let 100 guilty go free then to convict an innocent man. Here in Wayne they don't wait for a conviction - punish first - prove later - or not.

Amen, Bill, Amen.

Like I said before multiple times the only thing some of these kids are guilty of is playing for Wayne hills football! Its amazing to me how success makes people envy the successful.

The best way to see if the NEW CODE of CONDUCT works is to test it right ?

This past Saturday March 17, 6 Members of the Wayne Valley Softball Team were involved in automobile accident in Clifton. The driver was 17, the 5 passengers ranged in ages from 15 to 17. The vehicle had extensive damage, but only minor injuries were reported by the softball players. The real issue here is the code of conduct. New Jersey State Law prohibits more than 1 minor to be in a vehicle operated by a minor.
Did all of the players violate the code, or does the driver assume full responsibility ? Accident was recorded by Clifton Police Department.
Let's see if this is going to be a cover-up, or if any action will be taken by the BOE.

Jessica im confused by your statement..A car accident compared to an assault? One was an accident the other was intent to do harm..The accused in the assault by taking P.T.I and probation is an admission of guilt, no? Its just downgrading the charge so no trial is set....If the driver of the car is indeed wrong then im sure she will be fined, but NOT sent to court and possible trial...YOU are not really comparing apples to apples..

Eyes Wide:
My point is the code extends to actions off the field. The driver knew she was breaking the law, and purposely involving other students in the process. According to the rules the player/ player's should be suspended from after school activities correct ? It would be bias to apply the rules for one infraction, and let the court make the decision regarding another.
Breaking the law by allowing more than 1 minor in a vehicle is an intent to cause bodily injury. In this case, it's fortunate that the other passengers received only minor injuries, and YES the code of conduct rules apply to this matter because all of the occupants were part of the Wayne Valley Softball Team. This is in addition to the motor vehicle infractions handed down by the police and resolved in municipal court. If the accident resulted in serious injury or * , would that be enough to compare it assault ? Why does it have to go to that extent before an action is taken to eliminate the infraction from happening in the first place.
Over-look this incident, and it will happen again.

Pam, you really must be drinking the WH Kool-Aid. Do you actually believe ANY of those kids had the potential for receiving a $200,000 scholarship over 4 years?? There are no pro prospects on that team, except for perhaps Kevin Olsen, and we know HE was where he should have been - NOT at a party on a snowy, icy night, during a declared state of emergency, which means no one, especially kids, should have been out driving. That in itself shows poor judgement on the part of the parents, which then continued.

Jessica, I agree that the girls should not have been driving together. Period. Again, the parent is the ultimate responsible party. No matter how much you trust your child, things can happen, so you should try to avoid any potential for trouble, especially if you want to stay out of a court room, but more importantly, if you want kids to be safe.
Having more than one other person in a vehicle is against the law at that age, but it is not an intent to cause harm. Also, the new policy probably won't be applicable in this case, because parents and students have not yet signed it.

Pam it was the right decision by the board of education. Are you telling me that when you were a kid you have never heard Since I can't punish the kid who did it I'm going to punish everybody? And as far as punishing them stuff like that happens. When I was 18 somebody made a bad hit on me. It was a cheap shot I missed the next game because of it. Does it mean I should sue somebody? If there's anybody these kids should sue it's the kids that were guilty. If people came forward and admitted right away who was guilty and wasn't guilty then this wouldn't have ended the way it is. Think abotu the alternative of this. You let all 9 players play without there being discipline for the guilty ones something ALOT worse could happen next time. Point is it's over. The kid had his name cleared now he could move on. The only person these kids should blame are the ones that are guilty.

Gordon,,,,,,I'm pretty sure they did,,,,,,no one in law enfo wanted to listen

Think about this if Olsen sat them himself you think it would be justifiable for them to sue Olsen? No the coach can bench his players for any reason. He can bench them for talking back. Olsen reports to the board. In my opinion there is no difference between the board benching them and Olsen benching them. The harm in the legal system is that the system is corrupt. So Pam if all the kids that got suspended for an accusation got benched by Olsen are you saying they should sue too? To me the decision is pretty clear. You bench one sport for an accusation you bench all sports for an accusation.

Pam what is the difference between the board benching them and Olsen benching them?

so 7 juveniles sentenced to probation, 1 adult chooses PTI, 1 juvenile has case dismissed. QUITE different then the stories that the Olsen apologists were screaming a few months ago huh? we were told hat the police had it all wrong. seems they had it pretty close to perfect except for 1 . THE FACTS HAVE COME OUT and Olsen was WRONG.

No confidence vote for Olsen, the Wayne BOE and all those parents and former students who trotted up to the podium at the Town Meeting last Fall to voice their worthless opinions. Congrats, however, to the new management style exhibited by Dan P and the other BOE members by changing their positions more than most Indy car drivers. After watching this debacle, it's clear this town needs an enema.

All of this because a couple of motor-heads get they're hub caps knocked off.

If Olsen had benched those players and the players had been found innocent the board and the administration would have abandoned himhim in a heart beat had he not suspended them and you wind up in the current situation. All in all its a no win for Olsen.

That's such a crock of BS. Coaches suspend players all the time and the board doesn't abandon thm. You don't have to be convicted of a crime to break a team rule

To my fellow class of '78 alumni, far cry from the days of old where football wasn't the focal point of this pathetic, overtaxed, ill-run, flood ravaged piece of real estate we call home.

Olsen should be very careful as to what position he takes. Everybody feels it is a forgone conclusion that the pick is the AD,, which is the more intelligent selection. Unfortunately, we have a secretive, non transparent political board who is planning to eliminate the AD position in both Highschools. They want to create a new position and have one administrator to be the atheletic GURU here in town. If Olsen selects the AD position, he may be out of a job totally. Although, consolidating 2 positions into one makes sense economically, I think logistically this would be a disaster. But then again, Bob Ceberio and his Band of Trustees are good at that.

So Pam roz, still in town , etc....why dont you tell us all the facts now since 8 of 9 have pleaded down their GUILTY convictions? You guys kept telling us the truth will come out and we should all shut up because we didnt have all the fatcs. well, all of the legal manuevering is over...WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

Pam the board probably wanted to take action so it didn't happen again. I think the board new most likely Olsen would choose football coach.They obviously realized that Olsen was in an unfair position as both Football coach and Athletic Director. Not to mention considering he also has a son in the system that makes it an even more conflict of interest. Also they are not changing the game after the game has started they are making this change during the summer before a new school year. Also by the way Pam I guess you can tell Olsen that the kids weren't just guilty of being Wayne Hills football players.