Student Well-Being

N.J. District Suspends Five Football Coaches Due to Hazing Scandal

By Bryan Toporek — October 20, 2014 1 min read
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Football coaches at a N.J. high school have been suspended from their teaching and coaching positions as a result of a hazing scandal that emerged earlier this month, according to multiple reports.

Head coach George Najjar and four other assistants, all of whom are tenured teachers at Sayreville War Memorial High School, are suspended with pay, two sources told NJ Advance Media. The district’s board of education is expected to vote on the suspensions Tuesday night in a closed-door session, MyCentralJersey.com’s Greg Tufaro reported over the weekend.

According to Tufaro, state law prohibits educators from being suspended without pay unless criminal charges have been filed against them. None of the five suspended coaches and assistants are facing charges at the moment, although seven players were charged with sex crimes a week-and-a-half ago in connection with their alleged roles in the hazing scandal. The charges range from aggravated sexual assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated sexual contact, and hazing for engaging in an act of sexual penetration.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Schooled in Sports blog.