NJ football team hazing suspects to be tried as juveniles: Report

In a announcement released Monday evening, a New Jersey county prosecutor confirmed that the seven juvenile defendants charged in connection to the highly-publicized sexual hazing allegations which led to the cancellation of a high school football teams' remaining season will not be tried as adults.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Andrew Clay said the seven Sayreville War Memorial High School football players will remain in Family Court and be tried as juveniles, reported NJ.com.

“The conduct in which the juvenile defendants engaged was serious and that is why criminal charges were filed,” Carey said. “The appropriate forum for the resolution of these cases is Middlesex County Family Court. Asking the court to waive these seven juvenile cases to adult court would not best serve the interests of the victims, the community, or the defendants."

The announcement confirms earlier reports that the prosecutor's office would not seek to bump the defendants' cases up to adult court where they could have faced more serious penalties such as prison time.

Pamela Brause, an attorney for one of the seven unnamed defendants, says Carey's decision was the right one. "I believe the prosecutor carefully weighed the facts, assessed the statutes and made the proper decision," she said.

Attorney Richard Klein, who represents another of the defendants, had similar thoughts. "Given the circumstances of the case, with both the defendants and alleged victims being juveniles, we feel that this was the right decision," he said.

Investigators said that between September 19, 2014 and September 29, 2014, one or more of the juvenile defendants allegedly either held the victims against their will, while other juvenile defendants improperly touched the juvenile victims in a sexual manner.

The allegations eventually led to cancellation of the remaining games and the suspension of five members of the Sayreville High football coaching staff, including head coach George Najjar.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the seven teens charged in the case are all between the ages of 15 and 17. Their identities are being withheld because of their ages.

Three of the juvenile defendants are charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, conspiracy to commit aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint, and hazing for engaging in an act of sexual penetration upon one of the juvenile victims.

With the threat of a waiver to adult court lifted, the defendants could face lesser penalties, even if they're found guilty. They may even be spared any detention time.

But according to Laura Cohen, director of the Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic at the Rutgers School of Law, juvenile defendants in New Jersey are subject to significant penalties even when tried in juvenile court.

Hazing charges cost star NJ football player scholarship to Penn State: Report

A star football player at the New Jersey high school caught up in a allegations of sexual hazing rituals carried out on other players has lost his scholarship to Penn State University.

Myles Hartsfield, a highly-touted cornerback in his final year at Sayreville War Memorial School was dropped by the Penn State coaches Monday, according to BlueWhiteIllustrated, a fan site for the Big 12 team.

Seven players have been charged with sex crimes over allegations that older team members would routinely hold new players down, penetrate them with their fingers, then stick it in the boy's mouth.

The Nittany Lions pulled Hartsfield’s scholarship offer. The 5-11, 180-pounder committed to Penn State in June, choosing the Big Ten school over offers from Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Wake Forest, West Virginia and several others.

Penn State football, which can least afford to get involved in another scandal, is still feeling the aftereffects of the Jerry Sandusky debacle.

Hartsfield, a three-sport star, has been described as an "explosive talent" in offense and defense — and was ranked as the 13th most promising player in New Jersey according to Rivals.com.

But his, and many of his teammates, promising football careers are now in jeopardy after the season was canceled while investigations take place.

The 17-year-old Hartsfield could be tried as an adult.

The scandal widened this week after the Sayreville Schools Superintendent Richard Labbe revealed that the hazing may have been going on for years —  and said that football may be permanently eliminated from the athletics program.

In addition, Rutgers senior associate athletic director Jason Baum said the local product does not hold a Scarlet Knight offer.

“He was committed to another school and when a player commits to another program, they no longer have a committable offer from Rutgers University,” Baum told NJ Advance Media’s Matt Stanmyre in an email on Sunday.

Hazing arrests may push New Jersey high school towards permanantly eliminating football: Report

After the arrest of seven football players for their brutal hazing abuse on freshman members of the team, the scandalized New Jersey high school is discussing the possibility of eliminating the sport permanently from its athletic program.

Sayreville War Memorial High School football has already cancelled the rest of this season.

The disturbing — and highly-publicized — reports of alleged attacks of a sexual nature in the locker room has divided the working class town into two sides — and now Sayreville Schools Superintendent Richard Labbe claims there is a possibility that the sport could be scrapped forever, reported NJ.com.

"I will say clearly: Whether we have a football program moving forward is certainly a question in my mind," Labbe said at a rally calling for schools to do more to tackle bullying and assault. "Based upon the severity of the charges, I'm not sure. I have to look at the results of the investigation. I have to await more information from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office."

The seven students, 15 to 17 years-old,  have been charged with sex crimes after allegedly pinning down new players, penetrating them with a finger, then sticking it in the boys' mouths. 

Over the weekend, Labbe revealed information gathered by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Officer suggests harassment, intimidation and bullying may have taken place before this year in the Bombers' locker room.

"The prosecutor said it was pervasive and led me to believe that it's more than one year," Labbe said. "To the extent of that, I'm not sure. I'm confident that it was more than one year. How many more years? I'm not sure."

The new details of the abuse has forced the school officials to consider the future of the powerhouse team, the coach and the principal.

The description of the attacks, which are alleged to have taken place almost every day from September 19 to 29, was given by an unnamed parent of a football player on Saturday.

It came as the coach of the team, George Najjar, refused to answer questions about whether he would resign. He said: "There will be a time and place when I have something to say, but now is not the time."

Three were charged with aggravated sexual assault, criminal restraint, hazing and other crimes for an act of sexual penetration upon one of the children.

The four other students were charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact and other crimes.

Those in custody were awaiting a Family Court decision on whether they would be held at a juvenile detention facility or be released to their families. Their names weren't released because of their ages.

Labbe said that if he decides to suspend the program, he has not thought about how long any suspension may last. He will wait until the prosecutor's office has finished its investigation before making a decision, he said.