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 …
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, …
A parent of a Maine West High School student wrote a letter to the principal in August 2008 outlining the reasons why she wanted a transfer for her son to Maine East High School.
In a letter from a parent of a Maine West High School student in 2008, a mother outlines the reasons why she was requesting a transfer for her son to Maine East High School. In a letter to Dr. Audrey Haugan, principal at Maine West, on Aug. 5, 2008, the parent stated the following: “Due to the lack of supervision which occurred in the locker rooms on the Maine West property my son endured a hazing by the freshman baseball A team. The incidents that occurred but are not limited to are physical aggression, a sexual assault, humiliation, verbal abuse, and ongoing emotional distress. These occurred at the hands of a core group of young men on the team.” Antonio Romanucci, an attorney representing four families from the Des Plaines high school…
Athletes at the Des Plaines high school were given letters with information about hazing to present to their parents on Nov. 28, according to a Patch reader.
Maine West High School student athletes were given agreement letters regarding hazing for them and their parents to sign on Nov. 28, according to a Patch reader, the same day a press conference regarding a bullying and hazing lawsuit was held, 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. In the comments section of a story about three plaintiffs being added to the lawsuit, Patch reader “jsjs” stated: “My daughter came home yesterday with an agreement that needed to be signed by her and a parent that said she would not participate in any hazing activities.” Patch reader “jsjs” added: “This is all just making Maine West look so …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Four families have filed a lawsuit against D-207 administrators, faculty, coaches and staff over hazing, bullying, physical and sexual assault allegations. Three plaintiffs were added to the suit on Wednesday.
Shielded by a cap and sunglasses to conceal her identity, the mother of a former Maine West student spoke to reporters with her attorney, Antonio Romanucci, about why she joined the hazing and bullying lawsuit at the law firm’s Chicago office on Wednesday. The woman said she was “sickened” when she heard about the report of a Maine West High School student being hazed and bullied recently. Some of the same coaches were employed at the Des Plaines high school, including varsity soccer coach Michael Divincenzo, she said, as were when her son was the target of similar assaults in 2008. Her son was transferred to Maine East High School in Niles, and continued to suffer as a result of being repeatedly targeted by other student athletes, she …
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 ›