If there is a scintilla of truth to the story, then they should sit, 9 kids attacking 2 ???

Time to dismantle the footbal program altogether, enough of such violence!

I would suspect that the parents of these nine kids will lawyer up immediately & profess their innocence. Such a waste to mess up one's life with a stupid act. They should be immediately removed from the football program without question. Why should one student be named and the other eight go nameless?

Throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Better that we should have a real discussion with our kids as to the need to respect all other people and the resort to gratuitous violence is never the way to address personal dislike or disagreement. Do we as parents teach this or not. It is not up to the schools to do our jobs.

@Robert, wouldn't you get your child legal representation, one is named because he is an adult, the others are juveniles. When each of my children reached the age of 18, I sat them down and ran down the littany of changes that come with adulthood, prime among them is the fact that they are treated differently in criminal justice. In fact when they jail an adult he no longer goes to juvenile detention but goes to an adult detention facility and I explained what that entailed. You think you are a tough guy until you get into an adult facility where you quickly learn the truth. I also made it abundantly clear that my children were never to be involved in the offensive use of physical violence, defensive use is always permitted, but to attack someone unprovoked is simlpy a criminal act.

Hopefully Coach Olsen , the Wayne Hills administration and the Wayne BOE have their priorities straight and remove these kids from the football team immediately. Thankfully it sounds as though the WV kids were not permanently injured.

Let us remember that all are INNOCENT until proven guilty. Let's not indict these boys in the press, online or anywhere other than the court of law. Let's be adults and remember that 8 of the 9 are children and we should not find them guilty and throw them in jail before we have even heard their side of the story.

The one thing that usually ruins a good "old fashion" drag em out-knock em out is the cops.

The article suggests that 9 Wayne Hills players drove up and attacked 2 Wayne Valley students. While i am not eliminating that factor, the truth centers around a house party that had alcohol and too many students. This fight commenced as students were dispersing.

I agree with Scondo. If there is the slightest amount of evidence that this occurred, then the players should be punished for this violent act. One of the punishments is NOT PLAYING IN THE POST SEASON. I don't know Coach Olsen personally, but I would think he wants this handled properly. I do think the decision should be made by the BOE, not Coach Olsen.

Coach Olsen had his own problem a few years back for fighting with another coach if I recall correctly.

Enough of footbal uber alles, such gratuitous violence, concussions, paralysis, broken bones, life long injuries, OJ Simpson, Penn State, all for the vicarious thrill kicks of parents coaches and the ego of defeating some one? In this case 9 vs 2? Dismantle all contact sports in the schools and save millions of dollars in taxes!
Take that to the next election cycle.

Getting rid of sports in my opinion, is not the answer. I believe there is so much more good learned from a team sport, then there is bad, if there is any bad at all. I believe the answer starts at home!

Stahler.....Disagree. Coach Olsen is also the A.D. I don't think the BOE deciding on this matter is micromanaging at all. This was a violent event. While we who post on this blog don't know the details, this is not very good and positive news and 2 young men were beaten pretty badly. Board of Ed should meet, review the facts with the Wayne PD, meet with the participants and victims if possible and make an informed decision. Although, if any families have hired attorneys, they may be advised not to meet with the BOE. Hopefully, the BOE will not allow politics to enter into this, and make the correct decision. In my opinion, they'll make the popular decision, not the appropriate one.

Let's see what these leaders of our children do in the end, & where bullying vs Football shows us the character of all in charge of this situation. We'll see tomorrow what's important to the Wayne School system. Let's invite the 2 victims to watch their attackers take the field tomorrow.

Also, on a minor note, what about the "Code of Conduct" promise all Wayne Hills athletes sign? Wow That really worked out. Way to teach our kids rules are for only for some, it depends on what's at stake. Then we wonder why they grow up to have problems w/authority, it's because they were taught it doesn't apply to them, they're special.

Because I called the papers yesterday, I couldn't find it anywhere,go figure. This is a very important example of Bullying & how we handle it. Let's see if they walk the walk. I read it will be addressed next week AFTER the game, how twisted is that? It's absolutely inexcusable. They all knew about this last week. Now all in charge are MIA.....? That's convenient & embarrassing.

I agree, it sounds like someone timed the release of the story and the charges until a convenient time. Wait until after everyone goes home before a 4 day weekend. This way the coach gets to play his players. The whole town should be outraged that they are allowing this kids to play. It should cost people their jobs.

I agree with Stahler. There's no need for the BOE to get involved unless the code of conduct is ignored and the parents file an appeal. We do have a chain of command and it needs to be followed. Of course, that applies to all other rules, policies, and procedures as well. Let's wait and see what happens. I suspect there will be more to come.

Cathy, Although I agree there is a chain of command that hould be followed. It certainly seems that the way it was all timed makes it seem like someone was trying to cover it up long enough so it would allow the players to play in their game. And the coach saying her knew nothing about it, two weeks after, sorry, I don't beleive it. Another cover up by the Wayne Hlls coach. I just hope something changes prior to my kids being old enough to go there

Stewart, I agree with you. When I was in high school, we called them jocks (both male and female). They took away from education. They still do...The fact that they receive scholarships and teachers curve their grades is awful... I always resented them then and I resent them now. Cut those programs and cut our taxes...If they want to play, let them pay, not the rest of us......I know this is an unpopular stance, but I was NEVER a cheerleader for anyone.

the coach loses all credibility by not admitting to having any knowledge to arrests or the incident. This happened 2 weeks ago and i knew about it. It involved 9 of his players. he is responsible for them. When i played HS football we were removed from the team if we missed our friday night curfew. my coach instilled discipline which i carry to this day.

What happens off school property has no reflection on "if they play or not". An arrest is not a conviction.
Just because they were part of a program at the school they're attending, the "code of conduct" rules cannot be enforced unless of course the fight was part of the school function.
Until this happened I didn't even know Wayne Valley had a football team.

@Joe videodummy, you have just shown what a low life person you really are. You probably think it is ok that they left a young boy unconscious on the side of the road. I am sure you make your family very proud.

Please read today's Bergen Record on how our BOE trustees are dealing with this situation. The only trustee who came out with a position was Alan Mordkoff. Thank you Alan for having the guts to speak your mind on this. The other trustees and administrators are all avoiding this issue. Stinziano and kingston deferred to Pavlak, who deferred to Roth. Kingston said she'll address this at next weeks board meeting. The only problem with that is the game is tonight! Are these bullies going to be allowed to play? I hope not. Ceberio did not return phone calls. When did you ever see Ceberio run away for a PR opportunity. Beckerman deferred to Roth as well. I guess our Trustees and our highly paid administrators are playing "HOT POTATOE" Nobody wants to address this issue and its relation to the football game tonight. Tonights game is so much more than a football game. Win or lose is no longer the most important thing. The game tonight is symbolic of whether we will tolerate bullying and how we address intolerance to others.

Joe, I think YOU would have a different opinion if, let say there was a party and 9 kids from out of town say Paterson, Clifton or any other town came and beat up 2 Wayne Hills kids.. Beat them to the point that both were hospitalized and one was knocked out and left lying on the ground.. Would YOU be singing a different tune then? Im sure YOU would be. A crime WAS committed and with ALL crimes there are consequences. These kids REPRESENT Wayne Hills and Wayne Hills football. Just like Plaxico Burress represented The NY Giants. Or Joe Paterno represents Penn State. And the list goes on and on..Not ONLY are suspensions in order but i think being expelled is not out of the question..Lets see just how tough these young men are if 8 of the 9 wind up in detention centers and the one that is 18 winds up in jail..Let the punishment fit the crime...By you saying that you didnt even know Wayne Valley has a football team ONLY shows YOU really don't know to much period...

BULLYING= 9 FOOTBALL PLAYERS ATTACKING 2 AND BEATING THE HELL OUT OF THEM. Does our BOE TRUSTEES support BULLYING. WE'LL FIND OUT AT TONIGHTS FOOTBALL GAME. Hey Bob Ceberio, Donald Pavlack, Laura Stinziano, Robyn Kingston.....GOING TO THE GAME TONIGHT?

Bottom line here is no matter what, any of the players that were involved in that fight should sit the bench tonight in street clothes. This comes from someone who has been to most Wayne Hills games over the past 8 years. Winning can't be the only thing. For those who look at it differently how would you feel if it was your child beat up, knocked unconsious and left at the side of the road. There are 2 sides but the fight did happen and there were 9 against 2. Those 9 did the wrong thing and have to face the punishment for what they did. Olsen has the ability to make a statement by his actions tonight. Lets hope that he does what needs to be done.

Sadly the way the news and charges were timed seem suspicious. Release the news as the BOE is at the convention in AC and "unavailable". Someone had influence in the timing of the charges, why was nothing reported for two weeks? Also, sadly I think the coach will aloow them to play tonight. If he does, he is making a statement to the football players, the town of Wayne, and the whole state that him winning is much more important than a young boy beat unconscious or doing the right thing. There should be outrage that this is even up for discussion. Leaving a young boy on the side of the road beaten until he is unconscious could be attempted murder.

The "BIG INITIATIVE" for this year is BULLYING, INTIMIDATION AND HARASSMENT, (HIB), in our schools, as mandated by our Governor. Teachers and administrators have been instructed on the rules to follow. QUESTION...Are the rules being followed? The first day of school this year, all of our teachers met at PCT and were informed about this new initiative. These rules were for all the students in our district. Are you telling me our football team is exempt from this issue?

This thread could break the record, because if the accused do play tonight, there will be another game next week....and maybe another game after that. That means another week or maybe two of that trainwreck Justice freaking out. Cool.

Don Pavlak is a Wayne policeman and also BOE President. Are you telling us he was unaware of this? Are we to believe that our BOE trustees were unaware of this? They knew this 11-12 days ago. The fact that our BOARD knew, are you telling us Coach Olsen didn't know? C'mon, give me a break. Olsen knows most of the cops in town and he's saying he was not aware of this? You mean our Super, Beckerman or BOE trustees never told Coach Olsen about this? Did these Wayne HILLS football players play in last week's game against St Joe's. YOU BET THEY DID. That game was NOV.4TH and this shameful incident happened on 10/29. OK, use semantics here and say they weren't charged with assault as yet. BULLCRAP. How about the semantics of the kid laying in the road unconscious and the other badly beaten as well. THESE KIDS SHOULDN'T HAVE PLAYED LAST WEEK AND THEY SHOULDN'T PLAY TONIGHT OR FOR THE BALANCE OF THE POST SEASON.. Are we putting football, and winning above BULLYING?

Transparency? Now will somebody believe me when I say there is absolutely no transparency on our BOE.

Why isn't Olsen making a statement? He says he did not know about it before? Which in my opinion is a lie. But he sure knows about it now!! What is his statement???? Or does he think the beating counts as another win for his team?

My opinion is to eliminate all sports from public schools. Let them become tournament team sports, privately owned, privatey funded, and privately managed. Eliminate public funding to the Boyz Club, PAL, and Wayne Soccer Club, and charge fees to everyone using school fields for sports. Close the Wayne Rec Department, bannish all line items that tie sports into public education in town. Problem Solved.

In my experience, the Juvenile Detective Bureau in town is highly effective, probably among the best staffed departments in the town. Smart, dedicated people who know the pain of parents when the child goes astray and I have to think that they would have gone to WV and WH post this incident to make sure that the school authorities were on top of the situation to seek to diffuse the situation and make sure there was not attempt at retaliation. So I suspect the school administrations were made aware. If they claim otherwise it would be the first time that the Juvenile Bureau seemingly dropped the ball , and that I can not believe.

When I called Matt Mcgrath @ the Bergen Record on Wed. he knew NOTHING of any of this....2 weeks later. Better late than never, I was infuriated & knew EVERYONE should know the truth knowing full well those thugs will be enjoying thier State playoff game tonight. Thank God that poor kid woke up from his beating so he can catch the game tonight. Play football for Wayne Hills,& you can dowhatever you want, including almost killing someone. Wayne schools have strict guidelines on chewing gum in school & attempted murder, but hide that gum. It's times like these that reveal character, & prioriteis. These are the crossroads, tonight, you'll see who deserves to keep their jobs. We should all tell all who don't know this story, or are misinformed. Pavlack is in the middle & has power, what will he do? What Will the Super do? What will Olsen do? I'm going to the game just to see that. I know who these kids are & we'll all see how corrupt this town is in a matter of hours.....after tonight PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS STORY GO AWAY!!! We need BIG time follow up.....we are essentially giving our athletes permission to do whatever they want,just play FB well....this turns my stomache. My son plays FB in a different town, let me tell you, he wouldn''t need to be pulled off that team, he'd have a worse time dealing with me.....he would be sitting it out dispite what teh coaches allowed.

@proudparent. You are correct. No one is calling out the parents of these 9 boys. If I had a son that played any sport, he would be done, because I said so, I would not wait for a coach or admin to make that decision. It shows the character of these 9 parents as well

Letting them suit up and sit the bench does not affect their privilege of playing at all. That the coach makes a decision to sit them does not affect their privilege of playing. They apparently helped their team achieve this level and they should be able to see it through to the end with their mates. They made a mistake, a grave mistake, but we must temper that with their youth and show one consequence and let the law take its course. If their team loses because they sit , they will see one result. There is no State Policy that says a child accused can not play and in fact the policy is to leave it to the local administration. And if there was such a policy some places couldn't field a team.

Agree with Albert and sort of with Scondo. The parents of these kids should be keeping the kids out of the game purely to teach them a lesson. If that fails, and the BOE/Principal feel they are not in a legal position to suspend the boys since the incident did not happen during school or on school property, Coach Olsen still has the option of not playing them in the game. They can simply ride the pine even without "official" legal action.

Why is this game so important, anyway? After the spanking at the hands of St. Joe's, let's be honest, any legitimate talk of a "championship" is gone anyway. Beating Vernon is a hollow victory. The fact that there are like 20 "State" champions is silly anyway. Even if it was the NJ High School Superbowl, disciplining these young men is far more important. As for innocent until proven guilty, that's ridiculous in this context. It was a gang attack. All you need to know is 9 vs. 2...it speaks for itself. There can be no credible argument for sel-defense. These kids are cowards and hopefully are really ashamed of their actions. I am sure their parents are and parents who haven't already done so should pull the kids from the game. If my kid ever does that, he wouldn't even be allowed to play on the team anymore, much less attend the game.

Mrs Kingston, addressing this matter at NEXT WEEKS BOARD MEETING?.....TOO LITTLE TOO LATE. Ever hear of a 'SPECIAL" BOARD MEETING? Didn't you have a special retreat meeting at Mark's a couple of weeks ago? Don't you think this is important enough?

Scondo...I look at it in a different light. I do respect your opinion, but disagree with it. Let these young men "feel the pain" of not playing tonight and simply being a spectator with no participation at all. I'm sure the pain they feel is in no relation to the pain the 2 young men felt as they were getting beat to hell.

eyes , I allow for the presumption of innocence until the Court process runs its course. What if it turns out that out of the "9" , the actuality was a 2 on 2 fight with 7 others standing around watching and doing nothing to stop it or prevent it. See my earlier comments about the need for parents to underscore some points with their children before they ever get to this point. 1. Drinking and driving and the partying that goes on in this town by minors. 2. Stealing your parents liquor---don't the parents notice that they are going through an awful lot of liquor. 3. Respecting your peers and other people in general. 4. Turn 18 and you are not going to be coddled by the justice system, you are an adult.
Jumping to hasty conclusions is what gets people lynched, I won't go that route.

Scondo. i can understand your point. But my point is....from what im told, young Mr. Monaghan has an attitude and discipline problem. This im told by current and past parents who do have kids on that team..He is the one that always had the excuse that he could not show up for things like fundraisers that the rest of the team had to do. His parents ALWAYS had an excuse as to why he could NOT be there. His parents seem to have him on a higher level then the rest of the kids. Lets see what kind of level should he have to spend time in Passaic County Jail..The police report is at Wayne Police for ALL to see. There are witness's that attest to the fact that ALL 9 kids were in fact involved. You can easily obtain a copy of this report like others have. I think that everyone who is against what happened should call the Principal of Wayne Hills and leave him a message on your thoughts (we all know he won't answer or take calls or even respond)..Nothing hasty here. As far as Coach Olsen knowing?? He knew as soon as it happened. Don't forget, his son is the quaterback of the team. Don't think he didn't know THAT NIGHT??? Lets not be that blind..

Scondo...let's say your correct that 5 or 6 of the kids didn't strike anybody and were just bystanders. The fact that they all left a young man in the road unconscious, without doing anything, gives them culpability in this matter. I know we shouldn't judge. However, this incident outrages me personally.

If it turns out the young men in question are "not guilty" (which seems entirely implausible), then keeping them out of the game (or off the team until a legal resolution is reached) would serve as a phenomenal "life experience" for all involved. I don't see the harm in making a hasty decision based on the objective facts in question. First of all, it couldn't have been a 2-2 fight with 7 bystanders if all 9 were charged with aggravated assault. There is no good samaritan law so given the time this has taken to come to light, I am sure the Prosecutor has the facts right in charging all 9. Second, let's suppose for a moment the 9 young men are cleared in some way (which we all know won't happen - they will plea bargain) - they miss a football game or two - so what? There are valuable lessons to be learned: 1) they should have never put themselves in such a situation to begin with; 2) they let down their teammates/friends in a momumental way and hopefully will pay the requisite consequences; 3) they have something they love and have worked hard for taken away as consequece; 4) you don't want to mess with the criminal justice system. This is a perfectly old-school "tough love" situation. All the talk of the BOE, town politics, special meetings, etc. is hogwash. The PARENTS, first and foremost, should do the right thing and take this out of the coach's or BOE's hands. The young men who perpetrated the beating should learn a big lesson and live with their actions.

@WR, I am not espcially thrilled by this either, for it does reflect poorly on the town and the parenting, but I have personally experienced situations where there was a rush to judgment that was mistaken and caused a great deal of damage. We can agree that under any scenario given thus far there was a failure of judgment, but teen agers should never be trusted to use good judgment, parents need be aware of that and need to explicitly set limits and set forth with certainty what is unacceptable conduct. Too many refuse to take that responsibility. I think they should sit--cause in my mind one parent is going to jump up and sue if his kid is told he can't play. We will hear --it is affecting his chances at college, or some other nonsense. but guaranteed one jerky parent will do it and say "boys will be boys" or someother nonsense. If they want to come to the game, they dress and they sit, and they sit in one group on the bench , and everyone will know who is sitting. If they want to not come and not be seen that is fine too, but I would make it known to them that they have to stand before their town if they want to suit up for the game.

Here's a thought and something that was said. Perhaps Coach Olsen who claims he knew nothing about the incident is saying that because his son was AT the party?? Room for thought....

Scondo, do you really see that happening? Do you really think the coach will allow them to sit on the bench and not play them? Anyone that has lived in the town many years, knows he is about winning at all cost. I am just glad I have daughter so I do not have to worry about a son playing for someone with no character.

eyes wide shut, I have heard a few names from my daughter. You know how news travels through Hill. She has never mentioned or suggested that Olsen's son had any involvement. But boy if he did, you would really see this message board blow up.

Just read the Record article by McGrath. "No comment" by everyone in town in an authority position. Roth is a skunk for not giving an interview on such an important issue. That's the kind of leadership the school needs! This is why the town is paying a superintendent top dollar?

Does anyone think Fred Keil would have gone into hiding over something like this? He would have played with the JV squad had something like this happened on his watch.

I really hope Olsen does the right thing here if the parents don't beat him to it. He has built a powerhouse football team that was a laughingstock for many years before he got there. Lots of kids achieving scholarships under his watch, a lot of positive momentum for WH after many many years of being no. 2 in town in pretty much everything. Would hate to see a bad decision by him here undermine so much good that he and his program have achieved.

Albert. i know a parent that got a call from his son who was at the party. When the parent got there, there were 10 police cars and 2 ambulance's there. The son is not mentioning any names. I give him credit for that. But please Coach Olsen don't insult anyone by saying YOU did not know about it...

eyes, I agree, there is NO WAY he did not know about this the night it happened. The Hills football program is a GREAT program. It is a shame that it has to be in the spotlight for something like this. And the light will get even brighter if he makes the wrong decision and allows the kids t play. Olsen is a great coach that is very well respected, but then again, so was Paterno.

Albert of course. lets say you are the coach, your son is the quarterback. 9 of your players get into trouble and YOU don't know about it?? If thats the case, these kids have a better code of silence then the Mafia...

@eyes, they don't have to lawyer up if they don't want to, because you can't proceed in a juvenile deliquency case charging this offense without the juvenile being represented by a lawyer, if you don't have one, they will give the kid one. Worst part of parenting, when your kid is in trouble because you as a parent did not teach the lessons.

I know people at that party. Coach Olsen's son was NOT there. Why isn't the home owner who had the party with alcohol present being named? The fight started in the driveway of the house, dispersed, then erupted down the street. Also, when the Valley student was down, not able to defend himself, he was still being struck. Apparently, one of the minors involved, is known for "rage" issues.

Andy the home owner is Tiki Barber's agent Mark Lepselter..The one with the Roid Rage issues is the 18 yr old, this is a known fact

The home owner has been named. And from what I understand, they have been questioned by the police. Another reason Coach olsen should have know. I am pretty sure the home owener is the agent of Greg Olsen, so I am sure there are ties to the family.

Scondo, here's the time for lessons to be taught, good point. Tonight we will show everyone including our kids what happens when you are formally charged with a bullying crime, we will teach them if we condone this behavior or not tolerate it. The lessons learned from Mayor Olsen tonight will be a part of their character forever, I'm glad you brought up the "lesson learned from parents thing", good point

My son plays FB at another town, I can tell you, I'd yank him off that team so fast his head would spin, even if he was just "standing around", to me that lesson would be seared into his mind for the rest of his life, worth missing a game I think.

Albert, the agent for Greg Olsen is the infamous Drew Rosenhaus... He has a list of players that have gotten into trouble, most famous is Plaxico Burress to name just one. But thats neither here nor there..Olsen Knew..

Not to mention maybe the most important point, every kid who is there, who's heard of this story, according to what happens, instill in their minds the reprocussions of like behavior & may make them think twice at a similar time in their life. It really may save a life.

To the Dude; Your the coach, YOUR son is the quaterback, 9 of your players get arrested that night and YOU don't know about it? WOW....Its like no one has cellphones, Facebook or twitter huh? Maybe the case before the telephone was invented.. You do have a phone and computer don't you?

@ The dude: From what im told the ENTIRE school knew about it the next day..But not the coach huh? Hmmmmmm Students knew, teachers knew, admin. knew. players knew, but not the main man in Hills huh??? Coach Olsen knows what time his players are in bed, what they ate for breakfast...Come on MAN....

eyes - If I just got arrested, I wouldn't call my football coach immediately.

It's reasonably possible that the reporter found out about the arrest before the coach.

But you've never considered reason before, so why start now?

You're just a hater...your mind is all made up when you get up.

The dude, although I agree I would not call my coach when I just got arrested, but lets not forget that they got arrented almost two weeks after the incident. I am sure the coach knew by then.

so DUDE, your saying everyone in school knew EXCEPT the coach?..Im sure phone calls were made at the SCENE of the CRIME..Im betting Coach Olsen knew within MINs. of the CRIME. The only people i HATE are those that cover up the fact that 2 young men were beaten to the point of being taken to the hospital. I hate the fact that no one is feeling sorry for the victims or there parents. I hate the fact that YOU defend such a cowardly act.. BUT how would YOU feel if 9 Hills players got beaten in say Paterson?? How soon do you think Coach Olsen would have heard about that?? Lets not be so dumb

OKAY, I am not making light of the injuries and the seriousness of this, but it suddenly struck me as one of those God has a sense of humor things. Floods, Nor Easters, Political Corruption and now Football. Is our little burg snake bitten.

Albert - the coach undoubtedly knew about the incident, he never claimed that he did not.

The statement in the Record is as follows "Chris Olsen, the Hills football coach, said he had no knowledge of Monaghan’s arrest."

That's not hard to believe, the kid got arrested on Tuesday night...the reporter found out about it from his sources, called Olsen for a comment, and Olsen had not yet heard that the kid was arrested.

First, I do agree with some prior posts that the parents should be proactive in this and prohibit their sons from playing in this game. If Coach Olsen is going to ignore this, and I hope he doesn't, I don't think it appropriate to say that Roth or Beckerman should handle this. I think this is obviously serious enough that the BOE trustees should look at this and make a decision about whether these kids should play tonight or not. They all seem to be running from this matter with the exception of Trustee Mordkoff who I applaud for taking a stand on this. He was the only one. The incident itself may not be a BOE matter, but some irresponsible atheletes playing in a sanctioned school event is.

Memo To Township to Council:
Whereas the BOE has appointed a Police Sgt to high office within the school district, and an allegation of assault has been made against 9 football players, and the matter has been concealed from the public for two weeks, I call upon the township to direct the Chief of Police to refer the matter to the Passaic Coouty Sheriffs dept for investigation in order to insulate the township. the dept, and the BOE from any sense of impropriety.

I am not sure the 18 year old was the main culprit. People that were there are mentioning another kid, i will not release name as he is a minor, that just completely lost it and was striking the valley kid while he was laying unconscious on the curb. Prior to my post, I knew the house, i think the article was woefully lacking in information that basically anyone with a high school kid knew about. There is a story here that perhaps parents should think twice about hosting a party and observe alcohol and do nothing. Alcohol fueled this, perhaps the steroids took over later. As to any parent holding their kid out, certainly Monaghan's parents knew the gravity when they walked out the next night onto the field for Senior Night.

anyone who thinks Coach Olsen would sit these kids down for a state playoff game is in a dream world. There is absolutely no chance, no chance, that the self serving Coach Olsen would ever do anything close to that. And for the person who asked how do we think Coach Keil would have handled this matter is absolutely correct. But that was 30 years ago and sadly this is a sign of the times

I represent those same "times", they're a sign of, & I can tell you my kid would be sitting it out Coach or no Coach, whether he was just a bystander or an actor. It's our responsibiltiy to be a part of these "times". Coach Olsen will play them, & every Local News truck will be there to document it, cool.(trust me I've contacted them). Oh I just heard CBS & NBC were just at the Wayne police dept, I feel better now Enjoy, you corrupt excuses for authority figures .

they shall reap an ill harvest for their corrupted institution both in city hall and the BOE

when i played high school football we had a friday night curfew of 10pm. If you were not in your houe to answer your phone you were removed from the team. it was very black and white

DOESN'T THE NEW ANTI BULLYING LAW COME INTO PLAY HERE???

the point is that we were instilled discipline, responsibility , and a sense of pride. get it? i guess not dude

The town of Wayne, the BOE, the Coach/AD should be embarrased that they are allowed to play. Not to mention the parents of these children. Who I am sure are defending their children as if they did nothing wrong. If I was the parent of one of the two kids that were beat up, I would already have a team of lawyers looking into the cover up for two weeks.

according to northjersey.com

THEY WILL PLAY

Are you kidding me!! What lesson is these boys learning?? They can brutally beat up other students - which I believe is bullying!!! And now they are allowed to play in the football game - We are trying to prevent bullying in the schools not promote it!!!!

status quo with Coach Olsen. If he benched the kids the courts could and would not get involved. He can make his own statement and i think he emphatically has done so. I feel sorry for all the kids involved because this will haunt them in the future.

I guess a state law overides character building. This is truly sad. It goes against everything right in my opinion

everyone in town that has kids in either HS, knows the names of every kid involved. Why doesnt someone ask one of the parents on their views about if the kids should play. The BOE has embarrased our town. The Wayne Hills football program has a strong reputation, which has now been comprimised. And sadly, the players and the coaching staff dont feel that way. What would Coach Olsen do if it was his son left unconscious on the side of the road? I am sure this would be a much bigger story. Has he given any thought about the victims? By doing nothing and allowing the players to play, he is making a statement. Maybe we should "Occupy" the next BOE meeting, Or the Wanye Hills field before the game.

You are real loser. You probably condone their actions. Nothing like showing your true colors and your lack of character and respect for two young boys left unconscious on the side of the road. You are probably upset you did not get a punch or two in your self.

Albert, please, the dude is not a loser. He is just lost thats all. He is not use to daylight from being in that basement all the time. Don't even waste your time debating him. He is a legend in his own mind and world...

From the Mayor:
Thank you for your email. This investigation was already jointly conducted by the Wayne Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutors Office.

Regards,

Chris

Christopher P. Vergano
Mayor
Township of Wayne

The dude, do you have any kids in either HS? If you did, you would know maybe not all the facts, but plenty. It is saddens me that you are not bothered at ALL by the fact a kid was left unconscious in the middle of the road. And that is in the police report. But I guess in your opinion, he either deserved it, or did it to himself.

I too thought the new HIB (harassment, intimidation, and bullying laws) would affect the decision about these guys playing tonight. I guess it is an innocent until proven guilty issue legally, but if the school knows more information, shouldn't they be able to make their own decision? It's missing a game, not a jail sentence. I simply don't know. The small crap like gum chewing or sending a text in the hallway needs to be reviewed...the teachers are doing their jobs by enforcing these petty rules and it takes so much time and energy for them and for administrators. Obviously teachers, administrators and parents have bigger fish to fry.

Dude - I am curious - what is your take on what the players did and what the consequences ought to be? You seem to have a personal connection to this whole situation.

@ Wayne's World::The dude has NO take, he just argue's for the sake of arguing. He's still debating Einstein over E=MC2...To have a personal connection, one must be involved...Now who would want to be involved with him i ask you? Everyone here and everyone in town agree's what happened was wrong, BUT the dude...Amazing.

Dude - I will give you credit for being a voice of reason on that point. Regardless of what differing viewpoints there are (and I read the posts on NJ.com as well), there is a difference between being convicted in court and determining that whatever the actions were constituted wrongdoing sufficient to punish the players in question. Moreover, even though the police often are heavy-handed and get a lot of things wrong, they clearly went through a 2 week procedure to determine the facts and then the Prosecutor determined that charges be filed. Does that equal guilt? No. But let's be a bit objective here. This is not a high-profile or politically charged case. The Prosecutor has no beef and no interest in 9 snot-nosed beefcakes from Wayne. And certainly nothing to gain prosecuting minors. Now consider statistics: Something like 98% of individuals charged with a crime plead out. That means they admit to guilt of something, albeit a lesser crime. Of the 2-3 % who choose not to plea, an awfully high percentage, north of 90%, are convicted of their crimes. What does that tell you? It tells me that although there is always the possibility of getting it wrong, when someone is charged the overwhelming odds are it is because the Prosecutor has the goods on them. Of course, innocent until proven guilty, but the facts as presented and the mere fact of being criminally charged ought to be enough to get suspended from a lousy football game, no?

I understand that Roth is claiming case law prevents the school from barring students from extra-curricular activities due to actions taken outside of school but I don't think he's entirely correct. In another Passaic County school district, if a student fails a drug test or admits to having been drinking or doing drugs, they are barred from 20% of all activities (sports, clubs, performances, etc.). Kids can be tested and questioned based on an anonymous referral by a teacher or student or based on photos found on Facebook, MySpace or anywhere else. Clearly, that situation shows that actions taken outside of school can effect extra-curricular activites.

I think that here in Wayne we sold our souls for a winning football team a long time ago - No big surprise. Whoever thought that the Athletic Director should also coach a team was very wrong for this exact reason. Either Olsen needs to step down as AD or stop coaching football but it is clear that nobody should be doing both.

While I feel that the actions of these students is reprehensible, I also think that it happened not during school hours and not on school property. This is a matter for the police right now. As for the 9 elected members of the board of education, I don't think they should be involved at all with this particular incident, other than making the rule about the AD not coaching a team. The purpose of the Bd of Ed is policy making, not discipline. The burden of discipline belongs with the school administrators and the superintendent, as always. As a code of conduct issue the AD should make them sit out of the game but we know he won't do that because nothing will ever be more important than his own self interests. If I was a parent of a kid who had hurt someone and had charges filed against him by the police, I would make sure he was not playing for the rest of the season. That would be the least of the consequences he would face at home.

olsen had to petition the school board to become the AD. there was a strict rule in place that does not let active coaches be AD and thus oversee themselves. of course the school board caved on this one. after that the current WV soccer? coach also petitioned and they had to relent and afford him the same courtesy. Olsen is not about rules. here is a decision from awhile back concerning the legend in which he "ran things his way" and never mind any rules. dont forget he was suspended from the njsiaa a few years ago.
http://www.state.nj.us/education/legal/commissioner/308-98.pdf

I wonder...why is it against the law for the school to prohibit these students from playing, since the incident occurred outside of school and school property? Yet...if a student is arrested for "controlled substance" issues, outside of school and school property, the school is notified, the student is sent for drug testing, and not allowed to participate in school events for 24 hours? What is the difference?

They are going to play, the Superintendent just announced it. There you have it. King Olsen has barred News teams from entering school grounds...I guess he's scared & embarrassed, but not enough to do the right thing, just so he can stroke his own ego at the expense of young minds. If they win, enjoy your victory, it just cost you(all of the adults in charge) your souls, you knew better but couldn't do it. We'll ALWAYS remember this. The score & outcome will fade away.

didnt a teacher in NJ just get fired because she posted something derogatory on her facebook ( off school grounds) and a NJ administrative judge upheld the ruling. now the superintendent of wayne says he has no jurisdiction?

all the people on the mesage board..any Hills parents want to weigh in? Or is everyone scared of the King of Hills.

Coach Olsen is the same man who previously said a parent should look themself in the mirror and ask if they were doing the best for their child when deciding to send their child to parochial school. What a great man of character he is.

please someone explain how bullying on facebook (outside of school grounds) is dealt with by the board of ed but pummeling a kid off school grounds is not in their jurisdiction?

This whole incident is abhorent. If the superintendent doesn't have the stones to make the right decision then possibly the coach can show us what he's made of and send the right message to players, the school and the community. The parents of these honorless children also have an opportunity, perhaps missed in the past, to step up and properly discipline their children - keep them home tonight. Rationalizing this as an off-school incident doesn't cut it, where is the code of conduct and the courage to enforce it. Mr. Roth, the once in a lifetime opportunity has already passed; that was the opportunity to behave correcting and honorably. We're fortunate that your "leadership" is ending.

As a former Wayne Hills Alum I am appalled to say the least. I fought through my four seasons, put in so many ounces of blood, sweat, and tears to represent the Wayne Hills football name. These kids are not the same; they are not the same group of kids I grew up with nor do they know what they represent. When you play for Wayne Hills you uphold the same charisma, poise, professionalism, and character both on the field and off it of it as well. Shame on Coach if these kids played, it would be a huge disappointment.

-Wayne Hills Football Alumni

the real story, is that valley students went to a hills party planning to do something bad, the hills people heard about it, and jumped the valley students... you cant always believe what your read you need to get the real story.

I am a student at Wayne Hills and was actually there at this party. I witnessed this fight. Let me say plainly that every story has 2 sides, and to not pass judgements until you know the entire story. What ever happened to “innocent until proven guilty?” Yes, these 9 boys were charged, but I know for a fact that many are innocent and a few were not even present at the party. It was not a brutal attack of two boys innocently walking down the street, it was an act of self defense that I can admit went wayyy too far. But Wayne Hills is not corrupt. I agree that playing on a team is a privilege and not a right, but the ability to a fair trial IS a right, and everybody needs to stop spreading rumors about the Wayne Hills football family. Nobody is pardoning anybody because they are a “star football player.” Due process will happen, and justice will be served for all parties involved. Do not be ignorant, people.

@Eliza...sorry to say until the due process is complete they have lost their privilege to participate in extra activities. And if proven that all of the kids implicated are not actually guilty, well that would be unfortunate for those but that is the way it goes. My advice to those(if any) who have been incorrectly implicated, you better chose your friends wissely.

@sydney - So the "real" story is that the "2" valley boys went to this party to "do something bad"? WHAT WAS THAT "SOMETHING BAD"?? That people LIKE YOU think thats suddenly an excuse for the "BAD" the "9" hills boys DID!
They will be punished severely. Trying to cover it up [like they ALL do] is not going to work now that this story has gone way beyond that tight little circle of idiots!
The pressure is on! PARENTS want them PUNISHED! COMMUNITIES want this COACH FIRED FOR ENCOURAGING THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR! Sponsors of this corrupt team will drop like flies! And "THAT" sydney, is what happens when you do something "BAD"!

not to mention the mockery that will come down on this so-called "great" team.
And it's a shame, that it will all unravel over this incident.
But the truth is, they are NOT A GREAT TEAM! THEY [wayne hills] are only a great 'playing' team. Which shouldn't be hard to do when you can 'pick' the players.

@Eliza
2 boys "left" the party and 9 boys drive up to them, get out of their car, [ALL OF THE 9 btw] and the end result is that the 2 boys are severely injured and LEFT IN THE STREET!
WHERE does the "self defense" plea come in?
You say you were actually there? Then why did YOU allow it to get that far? Why didn't YOU tell those 9 players in that car TO KEEP GOING?
Ignorance. Know what that is please. This town seems to be plagued with it!

Absolute OUTRAGE is what is resulting over this! Not only because these 9 boys saw fit to take their 'rage' issues to THAT extreme! But over the unconscionable EXCUSES & COVER-UPS that have allowed these boys to continue their PRIVILEGE playing on the team!
NICE EXAMPLES YOU HAVE THERE OLSEN!
They are TRUE representatives of this school & community! It's disgusting!

When a teacher or police officer is accused of a crime he is at best put on administrative leave and often suspended without pay. Since Olsen showed his true colors last night maybe we could have him suspended without pay. Many colleges have looked at him and despite his record said "Thanks , but no thanks" what do they know that Wayne Hills doesn't?????

"Character traits are so important" "Character is who you are when no one is watching"
A direct quote Olsen made to his players as he handed them a packet to read about the "Character" of a champion 3 days before this disturbing incident.
Good job COACH! It most definitely SHOWS!
And EVERYONE is watching!

Interesting link.
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/132668673_Wayne_Hills_diary_Part_I__Olsen_pays_special_attention_to_the_details.html?c=y&page=2

Olsen is working his players.

"Bobby, what do I want you to do?" the coach says. "Tell me." (The player proceeds to diagram the play correctly).

There's no question that Ramapo is the opponent. When a player jumps offside during a non contract drill, Olsen pulls him off the starting unit.

"Maybe threatening to not play you in the biggest game of your career might get you going," Olsen says to the young man. "Now get back in the huddle and run it. Run it again. Jumping off sides is because we're not mentally tough enough yet."

~~ He threatens to not play a kid because he ran a play incorrectly. This is good stuff! Olsen truly IS mentally incompetent ~~

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1701836/posts

irapasses any time you reference Free Republic you lose all credibility, it's a favorite of the World's Foremost Authority aka Councilman Scuralli

okay. is this better?
news 12

http://prod.news12.com/NewCDA/articles/print_pop?region=NJ&id=175191

As a former Wayne resident I am not surprised by the culture of violence

To all of you who argue "innocent till proven guilty" . You're correct regarding a court of law, but Jerry Sandusky at Penn State hasn't been convicted of anything yet. Would you have him still using the campus for his "kid's charity". Olsen had a chance to show some class to his kids. Talk to them about violence and real life. Bench them for the time being , but same old same old, Winning is everything.

The Record ran an editorial on Friday that said it all: "Students Suit Up While Reason Gets Benched" http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/doblin_111411.html
"Roth told The Record, “As much as the board, the community and, frankly, myself, believe that these children should not play, that is not what the law states.

I say challenge the law. Let the parents of the charged students sue if they want. It makes no sense that in a state that now has the toughest anti-bullying law in the nation, where a district is expected to take action if a student were to post hate speech on the Internet, that a district could not bar a student facing criminal charges from representing that school at a public event.

Whatever occurred along a road in Wayne on Oct. 29, two students were assaulted, one left unconscious. If that isn’t reason enough for Wayne schools to risk a lawsuit because it prevented criminally charged students from representing their school in a football game, then what is?
Regardless of the final score Friday night, Wayne lost hands down."

Read the entire editorial and you decide.

Does anyone know whether the kids did actually play? Was Monaghan in the game? Were any other starters or contributors noticeably absent? Over the weekend it occurred to me that it was most likely that all the players were Varsity players. If so, it should be pretty easy to figure out who was or was not on the field on Friday.

Interesting how much disgust this has garnered around town. It's like a silent uproar (and that's among those of us who don't have children in the high schools). I got calls from out of town friends about the situation. Three neighbors of mine (with kids no longer in school) all wanted to know how their voices could be heard. Another neighbor of mine is the parent of a recent former player and was unsurprised at the BOE/WH (i.e. Coach Olsen) official reaction.

Wayne's World: I am not sure ALL nine played, but 6 for sure that I saw. And the 18 year old that was charged was the team captian and led them on to the field for the game. And, yes he played for sure. So not only did the coach let them play, but allowed one of them to represent the team as the captian.

State Senator blast Superintendent Roth

http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_state_senator_criticizes_decision_to_let_9_accused_Wayne_Hills_students_take_part_in_playoffs.html

Boy , I wish that cutting Art or Music would generate this much discussion. Frankly, Wayne Hills is in a time warp. We aren't in 1959 Jersey, or West Texas , or rural Indiana, when and where High School football is the be all and end all. All athletics are important, but really do those who don't have kids on the team care about state championships anymore? Correct me but in the last 20 years have any Wayne Hills players gone to the NFL who weren't named Olsen? How many players even played division 1-A ball. Is having a consistent State Championship contender so important that the team and coach constantly generates controversy? Wayne Valley is a pretty good school, has some decent athletics and doesn't have all of this drama. It's about time that Hills begins to reconsider the Faustian deal it has made with Olsen.

Went to the BOE and spoke with Mr Roth in the hall at the closed meeting, Mr Roth is aware of the senators view and the opinion piece in The Record, he reasserts his position that the law applies and the BOE cannot expose the district to liability.

I pointed out the dual role Mr Pavlac plays as president of the BOE and the records custodian at the WPD, on the face of it this certainly presents a conflict of interest, Mr Roth defers to city hall and the PD for a determination.

I assert that the sheriffs dept should take over the investigation based on the fact that there have been no arrests of the adult identified, nor the minors who remain unidentified.

Mr Roth said that they he believed that they had been charged.

There is a difference bewteen being charged and arrested, charged has an administrative connotation, arrested a criminal one.

Why do I get the feeling the fix is in again in wayne Township, and that this will land squarely in the wayne muni, Judge Weis presiding, and swept under the rug, while at the same time with no one in the district, not city hall, nor the police department being held accountable to the People for an appalling lack of accountability what so ever?

Stewart - Thanks for the update. This is certainly a losing battle for what is right and honorable. I wonder, what could "liability" actually amount to for BOE? I mean, even if BOE did the right thing and parents have the stones to sue, what are the damages? How does one prove any value on what has been allegedly lost (the chance to play in a football game)? Is there even any monetary value that can be placed? How do you compensate a kid for the lost opportunity to play in a football game? I mean, let's say the kid is innocent - at worst, it's a missed opportunity but a hell of a life lesson. If the kids are guilty (watch all 9 plea out (e.g. admitting to guilt) and get probation/community service) then losing a few football games should be the least of the punishment. The whole thing is silly and the WH apologists/enablers are full of crap regardless of legal outcome. I'd like to know the actual result of the case law on which Mr. Roth so readily relies. I bet there are nominal monetary repercussions, if any. I remember being a high school kid and how much every game meant to me in every sport. That is precisely why taking these young men out of the game is the ideal punishment.

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ALL WAYNE BLOGGERS:

http://www.state.nj.us/education/legal/commissioner/308-98.pdf

This legal document serves as insight into a systemic "look the other way" policy when it comes to Mr. Olsen. It's findings date back to 1995.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT

OLSEN did the RIGHT thing. He did not have to sit the players that are ALLEGEDLY involved because the law said so. He is not their father or mother and had no say in the matter. This is not a bullying case, was not gang or rivalary related so stop bringing bullying laws into this. This is the United States of America, you are innocent until proven guilty, have a right to a trial. Just because 9 kids were arrested DOES NOT mean all 9 were involved... ALL YOU IGNORANT PEOPLE NEED TO STOP CRITICIZING CHRIS OLSEN AND WAYNE HILLS ADMIN.... let the police do their jobs and investigate the case

As said in these post's , innocent till proven guilty is a legal concept for the degree of proof to convict, Would you now let alleged child abuser Jerry Sandusky keep working at his "Lost Boys" charity? Olsen had a choice , he benches kids for missing practice , he chose to play these kids , who at least broke curfew rules, and to run up the score 48-0, Classy Coach.

Between the police dept who apparently buried this for at least 10 days or so, the BOE who all of a sudden lost its voice, and King Olsen, I'm sure they'll find a way to let these kids play Friday night and beyond. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, and want to be wrong on this one.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/editorials/133942393_Wayne_madness.html

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS ARTICLE!!!

http://www.positivecoach.org/our-story/pca-in-the-news/news-detail/40/pca-on-joe-paterno?utm_source=h5m&utm_medium=e&utm_campaign=mom

Great job caoach Olsen for adapting to the loss of 3 high impact players who had to be replaced from the 9. As far as football he gets results and reloads & adapts at the half. He teaches the kids discipline and practicing till they get it right. For all you women that dont get it and it appears some men(who are not capable of playing) too football is the most intricate sport. Players just dont go out and hit each other and tackle, it is a physical chess game. Until you learn the came please just be quiet. Now lay off Olsen, his wife, football and let the court decide to handle these 9 players. Women & Mothers on these blogs you have seen what a great coach can do. Now stop complaining and maybe you can make your husbands happy!