Thursday, May 16, 2013
Michael Divincenzo faces eight misdemeanor charges related to reports of physical assaults at Maine West High School in Des Plaines in 2012, according to Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
A former varsity boys soccer coach and teacher at Maine West High School faces multiple criminal charges related to reports of bullying and hazing, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez stated on Wednesday. Michael Divincenzo was charged with eight misdemeanor counts including three counts of battery, one count of hazing and four counts of failure to report abuse as mandated, in incidents on June 1, 2012, Aug. 31, 2012 and Sept. 26, 2012, according to court documents. Divincenzo is accused of threatening freshmen students to have the varsity players stick their thumbs up their buttocks if they did not communicate properly during a soccer drill, according to the charges. Freshmen team players were held down by varsity players against …
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 …
Monday, November 26, 2012
After a lawsuit alleging sexual assault and hazing of a student was filed last week, D-207 launched another investigation--this time into a hazing incident that reportedly took place in 2008. It involved a coach also named in this month's lawsuit.
OUTSIDE CHICAGO, IL -- After a parent brought a hazing and sexual assault lawsuit against a Des Plaines high school last week, a second family stepped forward to allege their child was the victim of hazing on a sports team at the school. The second family said their child was on the Maine West High School freshman boys' baseball team in 2008, when Michael Divincenzo was coach. D-207 has launched investigations into both sets of allegations. The 2012 lawsuit, filed on Nov. 19, named Divincenzo, along with other administrators, faculty, staff and the high school district, as being the responsible adults in charge when the hazing took place in September 2012. Their child was on a soccer team. On Monday, Nov. 26, Maine Township High School …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The mother of a Maine West High School student filed a complaint with the Circuit Court of Cook County alleging hazing at Maine Township High School District 207.
The parents of a Maine West High School student filed a lawsuit on Nov. 19 that accuses the school district, faculty and staff of allowing their son to be physically and sexually assaulted as part of a known hazing ritual for the boys' varsity soccer team. The hazing ritual was ordered and witnessed by several coaches, according to the complaint, when, on Sept. 27, Michael Divencenzo, varsity soccer coach, Emilio Rodriguez, freshmen soccer coach, and other coaches ordered a “campus run” after the freshman soccer player was promoted to the varsity squad. During the “campus run” the boy’s teammates grabbed him, according to the complaint, tore off his underwear, held him down so he could not resist, grabbed his testicles and sodomized him …
Monday, October 8, 2012
Several students face disciplinary action and will not be allowed to play, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to a statement by Maine Township High School District 207.
Reports of inappropriate conduct by several players on Maine West High School’s boys’ soccer team are being investigated by the high school, school district, Des Plaines Police Department and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, according to a statement released by Maine Township High School District 207. The Maine West soccer players who face disciplinary action will not be allowed to play, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the school district’s statement. Michael Divincenzo, varsity soccer coach, Emilio Rodriguez, freshman soccer coach and three other coaches that are not teachers in the district, were temporarily reassigned with pay to duties outside the classroom, pending the investigation …
Margie Borris
2:12 pm on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
I have to believe that some of the board members were also aware. Some, though retired from the school, are very involved in the day to day happenings at the school. After firing the coaches and whatever the outcome with Dr. Haugan, are they going to step down? more ›