How the administrative changes were executed and the timing was a mistake and our community has spoken. We will be sure to let our readers know if that changes . Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Here's why, This is just tip of iceberg, senator says in demanding full probe, Eastside girls team out of states, multiple suspensions announced, Troubling new questions, including concerns of human trafficking, broadside Eastside boys and girls programs, Season's over: Eastside boys pull out of Passaic County Tournament, The (many!) On Tuesday, New Jersey's governing body for high school sports levied an unprecedented level of sanctions against the Eastside boys and girls basketball programs, including a two-year state. The Vaqueros are a proud franchise in the country's top basketball league, and as their first-round draft pick this season, Rodriguez, a 6-foot-7 point guard, can carve out a nice career here. So these guys got her over here and then everybody dropped the ball on her.". He waved sheepishly when his name was called at a press conference for the Vaqueros de Bayamon. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, or NJSIAA, recruiting sanctions against Eastside stemmed from a series of stories by the Star-Ledger exposing the fact that six players from Puerto Rico and Nigeria were living at Griles Paterson condominium. ", "Here I am sitting there watching her. It didn't take long to realize the living situation wouldn't match the promises. Under his suspension, Lyde is eligible to resume coaching the Eastside girls team next season. *Ugly accusations tearthrough highest levels of school. 140 Highway 142, Covington, GA 30014. The video recording was sent via Snapchat to a lot of their buddies at Eastside Catholic and other Eastside high schools. Additionally, our news outlet has been sharply critical in the past of law enforcement investigations conducted into allegedly lewd and lascivious conduct. All are in compliance, wrote the monitor, Gary Farishian. A second male student then appears on screen and states, "Remember, *explicit removed* the Mexicans. "I should have been properly advised by those (at the school) and told the implications because I didn't even know I was out of status. Ejiofor, now 18 after graduating from Eastside 10 months ago, didn't know it then, but she violated immigration laws when she entered Eastside, which is not authorized to issue I-20s. CHERRY HILL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- An altercation broke out Thursday night in the middle of a high school basketball game in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? According to our sources, the deputy in question was not disciplined by the sheriffs office however he is likely to be questioned by HSI regarding his alleged knowledge of the various scandals and proximity to some of its protagonists. We are proud that the school holds such an important place in our community, and we look forward to working with everyone and continuing to serve our mission." Eastside Catholic updated its website announcing Father William Heric, the school's chaplain, as the interim president on Thursday. He did not stick around for answers. All rights reserved (About Us). We had hope," said Selwyn's older brother, Esteban, who joined him in Paterson at their father's insistence. *State athletics group orders hearing into Eastside. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Meanwhile, the adults linked to Aquino -- Ayala, Lyde, Sparks founder Shane Gerald and Sparks coach Keith Gilchrist -- have not responded to numerous phone calls and text messages asking about the player. ", "The administrative changes were intended to support the board's vision for the school's future. Infighting, finger pointing and chaos erupted among high-ranking Paterson school district administrators as the Eastside High basketball scandal barreled out of control, according to a. She earned a 3.7 grade-point average and graduated in the top 20 of her class, according to an article in the Paterson Times. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "I would have been able to pull names out of a hat pretty quick to be able to get her in the right direction. He has also written three novels and two column collections. Another school board member, Emmanuel Capers, said he still believes the actions taken as a result of the news stories were excessive. CHERRY HILL, New Jersey (WPVI) -- An altercation broke out Thursday night in the middle of a high school basketball game in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. But Esteban, who admits crying when he read the first story about the Eastside scandal, said Selwyn was broken emotionally by Griles and couldn't wait to return to Puerto Rico after graduation in 2013. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com). supports HTML5 video. Blessing Ejiofor (left) and Andrea Aquino pose in a picture posted to Twitter in November 2015. But there he was Wednesday in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, at a massive Goya factory. VIDEO: Eastside Catholic HS teachers quit Classes could be delayed at a high school sports power house after more than a dozen teachers walked off the job. PATERSON A security guard at Eastside High School has been removed from his job after allegations surfaced this week about "inappropriate contact" between him and a student, officials said. Most found something much closer to a nightmare. Once in the mainland United States, Ortiz slept on piles of laundry and cold floors, while Rodriguez lived with a stranger who openly used drugs. But their jobs dont cover all the bills, Andrea said, so when her mother gets home after her Friday night shift, she prepares the pupusas, then steals an hour of sleep before selling them Saturday morning with Andreas 14-year-old sister. coach blew up. Association already has promised a rule change in response to international recruiting of players. But the school district later decided not to pursue those charges. Things have been eerily quiet in the South Carolina Upstate over the last few weeks as it relates to the Thornblade saga a host of alleged scandals centered around an upscale neighborhood and exclusive golf club located in the suburbs of Greenville, S.C. And quiet is just how the wealthy, influential local citizens at the heart of these scandals hope things will stay . All rights reserved. We are not taking away any of the prior successes they have had this year, but we want them to know their actions have consequences.That said, even though we will be making this a growth opportunity for our students, we will also continue to contest the unfounded allegations being investigated by the NJSIAA. But when she landed in Queens, Ejiofor was dealt an immediate and unimaginable surprise: North Carolina was out and she was headed to New Jersey and a school called Paterson Eastside. District officials have not yet announced whether he will return to that role. Sherri Davis, NCSS director of public relations, said the students involved have been disciplined. Furthermore, we have argued (controversially) that school officials caught having sex with students who have attained the age of consent should not be charged criminally. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "She didn't know any English, so I just kind of guided her through that," Fontan said. Griles had taken the role of legal guardian for most of those players, the schools subsequent investigation found. He called her a "no-misser" talent-wise, but said "my heart goes out to the kid. After starting high school that spring, Aquino, who now stands 6-9, joined the powerhouse New Jersey Sparks AAU program. 2022-2023 School Year Calendar. The school will be known as Eastside High School effective the 2022-2023 school year, which begins in the fall, following a vote during Tuesday evening's board of education meeting. ", Christian Ortiz (backwards hat) and Selwyn Rodriguez (far right) chat outside the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Puerto Rico. Over the weekend, Shafer reached out to Mayor Andre Sayegh and Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale and was put in contact with . Today, nearly two years after arriving in Paterson, Aquino's living situation has steadied, according to school officials. But who would look at a student of privilege and wonder the same thing? Griles, as has been the case since NJ Advance Media broke the story two months ago, did not return multiple calls for comment. The girls parents are charged with paying $500,000 to get her and her sister admitted under the guise that they were recruits for Trojan crew. The Camden City School District said Friday that both teams have been withdrawn from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state tournament. The Jordans have declined multiple requests for interviews, but Aquino appears to be well clothed, well cared for and her social media accounts suggest she is adjusting to life as an American teenager. Ortiz said he regrets not speaking up and challenging Griles or others at the school. The change was posted the day after the school had a meeting with parents. *A Star-Ledger Editorial: Report flawed by 'unexpectedly bizarre conclusion', Justice Wallace's work is "relentlessly ignorant of those who coach sports on this level. It happened during the Camden County. This decision was announced in an email that was sent to our community last night. What if she owed money to drug dealers? See the documents, African players are flocking to top N.J. basketball teams. Home. No one was seriously injured in the melee. While membership obviously had its privileges, the club apparently had a strict no cancellation policy. Editor's note: The following story contains profane language and disturbing content. Two years later, a newspaper named him West Virginia's Player of the Year -- his father proudly holds up the story for all to see. *School suspends hoops coach who had 6 overseas players living with him. See the documents. A care package loaded with supplies from his mother, sent to the address in Somerset, never appeared, either. "It's very unfortunate that she's caught up in the middle of something like this.". In her resignation letter teacher Lisa Abraham wrote, "Justyna stands up for each, individual student. She said she learned of the problem after enrolling last summer at Vanderbilt, where she had earned a full athletic scholarship. Gregory Cooper, the Eastside athletic director cut loose, says he was an 'easy target' and made a scapegoat. The school serves the city's Ironbound neighborhood. ", "As I'm sure you can understand, I am not able to provide specific personnel details. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? After that, theres figuring out how to pay for it. Although many Boyle Heights Beat reporters over the years have applied to USC, the programs mentors could not recall a single one getting admitted. He retired at the end of June. "It was like he offered me heaven," Ortiz said. It has also prompted an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) although it is not initially clear which component of the multi-faceted situation the feds are focused on. Unfortunately, there are a pair of federal investigations underway related to the saga which first popped up on our radar screen almost two months ago. The police investigated the incident as an alleged gang rape. When the member refused to pay his monthly dues, his wife was reportedly provided with video evidence of her husbands infidelity. East Side High School is a four-year public high school in Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. Support NJ.com, Matthew Stanmyre and Steve Politi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Juan Griles, the basketball coach at Eastside. They already have money and they have resources, and they still had to do these things to get into college? asked Andrea, who gets up early to catch a 6 a.m. bus to school, gets home after dinnertime and still has a few hours of homework each night. Marlene Gamas, left, and advisor Christine Kelley brainstorm at Boyle Heights Beat for a story about the college admissions scandal. unanswered questions in the Paterson basketball scandal. But even after winning the MVP at a holiday tournament, Griles ignored him. For now, we are continuing to vet all of the information coming in and we hope to have additional information to report to our readers soon. Ayala promised to be the point of contact and to "make sure Andrea has everything that she needs," the report said. She says that, on weekends, her mother makes and sells pupusas outside the South L.A. home they rent from an uncle. Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. *15 questions we still want answered after taxpayer-funded special report. It did not escape the notice of the Boyle Heights Beat reporters that a USC student had put out a video in which she said she didnt care about college but was looking forward to games and parties. The Eastside basketball scandal was exposed in news stories published in the Star-Ledger. One student, Bravo junior Andy Garcia, hadnt said much during the discussion. We now recognize that this timing was a mistake, and we are working to rectify the impact it has had. Finally, Evans had said that one of Eastsides principals, Karen Johnson, would not be disciplined because she was going to retire. PATERSON - Basketball players who transferred to Paterson's Eastside High School from Nigeria and Puerto Rico went through a different school registration process than did other students,. The apartment was an attic in a Paterson house without heat or air conditioning, the Rodriguezes said. Griles, Ortiz said, refused to stop for food after practice even after he repeatedly complained he was hungry. "He made a lot of promises about the future, about getting Selwyn to a university, about getting him to Division 1," Selwyn's father, Edwin, said. "I really thought for me, right now, I was supposed to be playing in the NBA. Ejiofor still hopes to return to the U.S. and pursue her dreams, but she said she has been denied a new visa three times. The punishments imposed against Cooper and the others stemmed from an investigation conducted by a. According to videos shared on social media, a male student can be seen escorting a female student with hands behind her back. Investigators were also looking to interview several current and former students at Eastside High School as well as several current and former employees of the Thornblade Club, per one of our previous reports. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association said in a statement Friday it approved the . WHAT TO KNOW: After winning Saturday's sectional semifinal at No. She wants to major in psychology and build a career helping students who feel as stressed as she does now. *NJSIAA demands 'full accounting' from hoops power with several overseas players. Father Heric remains our chaplain and community liaison. WHEN/WHERE: Monday, 4:30 p.m., at No. Fired coach wonders: How did I become guardian for 7-foot Nigerian player? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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