Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A former Maine West High School soccer coach, Michael Divincenzo, faces multiple misdemeanor charges related to reports of hazing at the Des Plaines high school, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Michael Divincenzo, the former varsity boys soccer coach named in a bullying and hazing lawsuit filed by current and former students and their families, was charged on May 15 with multiple misdemeanor charges related to the reports of hazing incidents, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The criminal charges are separate from the civil lawsuit, which was filed by four current and former students. Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing the students and their families, released the following statement in response to the criminal charges filed against Divincenzo: "The fact that Coach Divincenzo has been criminally charged brings no joy to the families whose children were brutally sexually abused while educators stood idly by allowing it to…
Friday, May 10, 2013
The attorney representing Maine West High School students in a hazing lawsuit stated a report from Maine Township High School District 207 does not address key issues.
The lawyer representing four current and former Maine West High School students and their families in a bullying and hazing lawsuit stated there were significant omissions in a report on hazing incidents in the school district. Maine Township High School District 207 hired an attorney to complete an independent investigation into hazing incidents and policies within the district, and report back to the board of education. That process concluded and D-207 released a copy of a report on the investigation and a statement about it this week. The report stated D-207 and Maine West staff responded properly and appropriately to reports of hazing in September 2012. Antonio Romanucci, the attorney representing the four students in the bullying and …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
A lawyer defending four teens who reported sexual abuse criticizes the deal D-207 cut with Michael Divincenzo, a former high school coach. DiVincenzo continues to deny wrongdoing, but he has stopped contesting his firing.
A former Maine West High School soccer coach fired over hazing allegations has dropped his appeal of the termination and agreed to cooperate with Maine Township High School District 207 in its defense of a lawsuit. Michael Divincenzo said his decision to drop the challenge to his firing should not be construed as an admission of guilt. “I know that I have done nothing wrong and intend to vigorously contest the allegations in the pending civil case,” Divincenzo stated. “This has been a difficult decision that was made in the best interests of my family.” Current and former students sued District 207 and school officials alleging that bullying and hazing was allowed to go on for years. One of the four Maine West students suing school …
Friday, March 1, 2013
All Maine Township High School District 207 teachers and administrators were given a presentation on their role as mandated reporters of hazing incidents in January, according to a D-207 spokesperson.
Maine Township High School District 207 is continuing to work on initiatives in response to reports of hazing at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, said David Beery, spokesperson for D-207, in response to news of proposed legislation that would increase the responsibility of education employees that neglect to report hazing incidents. The bill, announced by Illinois Rep. Marty Moylan, 55th District, in a statement on Tuesday, would expand the definition of a hazing violator to include not only those carrying out the acts, but any employee that fails in his or her duty to report an incident of hazing. All D-207 teachers and administrators were given a presentation on their role as mandated reporters of hazing incidents in January, …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
An attorney representing four current and former Maine West High School students in a bullying and hazing lawsuit said proposed legislation that would stiffen disciplinary action for education employees that fail to report hazing would not affect the suit
An attorney representing four current and former Maine West High School students in a bullying and hazing lawsuit stopped short of saying proposed legislation validated his clients’ complaints, but Antonio Romanucci, of Chicago-based Romanucci and Blandin, said the recent action acknowledged hazing incidents do occur. The bill, which Illinois Rep. Marty Moylan, 55th District, announced in a public statement on Wednesday, would make employees of educational institutions that fail to report hazing incidents equally responsible for the actions as those who carried out the acts. “It certainly indicates that there’s a problem out there, and the problem needs to be stopped,” Romanucci said. “And certainly Rep. Moylan is addressing that.” If …
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The law firm representing four former and current students in a hazing lawsuit against D-207 administrators and faculty claims a letter sent to Dr. Audrey Haugan from the parent of a student at the Des Plaines high school in 2008 is evidence Maine Townshi
A lawyer representing current and former students in the Maine West High School hazing case alleged that the school's principal knew about the abuse in 2008. Antonio Romanucci, of Romanucci & Blandin, said a letter sent to Maine West Principal Audrey Haugan in 2008 showed she knew about the abuse, and did not report it to District 207, as required by law. Ken Wallace, superintendent at D-207, said in November that the first reports the district received of bullying and hazing at the Des Plaines high school were in September 2012. Romanucci addressed the press outside the District 207 boardroom, where members were meeting in closed session about a variety of hazing-related issues. Romanucci said that the school board has acknowledged the …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Hundreds like page started to express support for two coaches named in a bullying and hazing lawsuit.
An outpouring of support for two Maine West High School coaches named in a bullying and hazing lawsuit has quickly grown on a Facebook page started for that purpose on Nov. 29. In less than one week approximately 800 people have “liked” the “Support for Divo and Coach Rodriguez” page, which was, according to the description, “A page created by students of Divo and Coach Rodriquez to show their support of these men in hopes of combating the negativity surrounding them.” Michael Divincenzo, physical education teacher and varsity boys soccer coach at Maine West, and Emilio Rodriguez, applied arts and technology teacher and freshman boys soccer coach at Maine West, were named in a lawsuit filed by four families in November, which accused Maine…
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services referred reports Maine Township High School District 207 officials knew of bullying and hazing incidents prior to 2012, but did not report them to DCFS, to the Cook County State's Attorney.
The state has referred allegations to the Cook County State's Attorney that Maine Township High School District 207 officials knew about hazing and bullying incidents, but failed to report them. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services stated on Monday it referred to the state’s attorney to determine whether Illinois’ Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act was violated. A lawsuit filed on behalf of four Maine West families accuses D-207 administrators, faculty, coaches and staff of allowing multiple instances of bullying and hazing to occur, and failing to report some of the cases immediately to DCFS. Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing the Maine West families, presented an enlarged copy of a letter sent to Audrey …
Monday, December 3, 2012
Athletes at the Des Plaines high school were given letters with information about hazing to present to their parents on Nov. 28.
Maine West High School student athletes were given agreement letters regarding hazing for them and their parents to sign on Nov. 28, as previously reported, the same day a press conference regarding a bullying and hazing lawsuit, and Maine West Township High School District 207 released a statement about investigations into reports of bullying and hazing at the Des Plaines high school. D-207 distributed the anti-hazing agreements to some Maine West athletes and club members, coaches and faculty advisors, Dr. Ken Wallace, superintendant, said, and plans to ask all student athletes, club members, coaches and faculty advisors in the district to sign them as they roll the new initiative out in the next few weeks. Included here are copies of …
Friday, November 30, 2012
Maine Township High School District 207 released a statement about investigations into reports of hazing and bullying at Maine West High School in Des Plaines on Nov. 28.
A few hours after the parent of a former Maine West High School student spoke about her son being hazed and bullied in 2008, and the response from school and district officials, at a press conference at her attorney’s Chicago office on Nov. 28, Maine Township High School District 207 released a statement regarding investigations into the allegations. In part, D-207 stated: “Maine Township High School District 207 is aware of correspondence from 2008 between the mother of a student and Maine West High School administrators concerning a hazing incident that occurred that spring. As previously stated, that incident, involving members of West’s freshman baseball team, came to the attention of Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Wallace on November 16, …
Sam
1:21 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
In the May 16th Suntimes, the charges were dropped against the students who were involved because their peers (victims) didn't want to press charges. So are these kids saying it wasn't as bad as they claimed? If that's the case what is the coach being charged for? Did the coach force his team to hold down other students on the team and sodomize them? They interviewed 100 people regarding the … more ›