"I would have been able to pull names out of a hat pretty quick to be able to get her in the right direction. The college scouts never came, either. Under the districts 50-step plan, coaches and other employeeswho allow transfer students to live with them or become their legal guardiansmust report that information in writing to their school principal and the superintendent. Ortiz arrived in Paterson unexpectedly in 2012. Thirteen faculty members quit in protest, most of them teachers. Paterson Eastside High's boys basketball team has been infused with talented players from Puerto Rico and Nigeria. The now-deceased woman who owned the house, the brothers said, was a drug addict who regularly used while they were upstairs. According to our sources, one of these central figures is said to be involved in a forthcoming family court matter although no additional details about that case were provided. I would call the school about that.". "He didn't have a bed (for me) so I was sleeping on a pile of clothes on the floor. Support NJ.com, Matthew Stanmyre and Steve Politi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Juan Griles, the basketball coach at Eastside. "I am innocent and didn't know any better," Ejiofor said. *NJSIAA slams Eastside with unprecedented penalties. The school board terminated two Eastside High School basketball coaches and the school's athletics supervisor on Wednesday night as a result of an investigation into the school's use of foreign players on its team. Anthony McGilcrist, who last year served as athletics coordinator at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, started working at Eastside September 1 at a salary of $98,701, according to district . Lopez is the author most recently of Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement, From Some Whove Done It and Some Who Never Will. His book The Soloist, inspired by his columns on his relationship with a Juilliard-trained homeless person, was a Los Angeles Times and New York Times best-seller, winner of the PEN USA Literary Award for Non-Fiction, and the subject of a Dream Works movie by the same name. Our district prepared and addressed each step of the Corrective Action Plan,and as a result of our follow-up on each area, we have received several positive reports from the NJSIAA monitor regarding our current 2017-18 athletic programs, said Terry Corallo, the district spokeswoman. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Eastside HS Athletic Department Contacts downloadable PDF . Paterson officials 'highly troubled' by latest bombshell in scandal that began with report of 6 overseas players living in coach's condo and widened to include concerns of human trafficking. Directions on submission are attached. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? Off the court, Ejiofor said she lived in a home on East 22nd Street owned by Shirley Jordan, whose daughter, Natalie, is a district teacher and an Eastside track coach. School is supposed to start August 23, but on Friday the school confirmed classes will be postponed one week and start August 30. Search for New Jersey classmates, friends, family, and memories in one of the largest collections of Online Univeristy, College, Military, and High School Yearbook images and photos! 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. *Broken promises and disposable players: The remarkable story how Eastside coaches lured foreign players. It took3teachers who risked everything tohelp the final 2 African players escape the mess at Eastside High. 3 Ghosts (24-5 . Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. "I'm willing to go as far as I have to. Often, the players lived with coaches or other school employees. supports HTML5 video. 2:14. Lyde, in an interviewbefore his team's season was suspended, refuted Ugboaja's story and denied any wrongdoing. It is not immediately clear, although some light was recently shed on the case when Greenville, S.C. insurance marketing executiveRick Mathewsissued a statement related to his recent divorce fromJennifer Mathews who runs a yoga and pilates studio in Greenville. WHEN/WHERE: Monday, 4:30 p.m., at No. Coaches in other towns dont have to take a test on NJSIAA rules, he said. "She's obviously confused and doesn't understand what's going on. The NJSIAA wants to know what rules were broken before it can decide on possible punishment. The districts action plan also created a policy requiring all students to register for school at the districts central headquarters. 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. Selwyn's knee healed, but his relationship with the coach never did. They had to be heard. 2 Morristown, 45-40, the No. 0:00. 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!) The high and mighty went as low as they could go, and it did not play well in Boyle Heights. Paterson school board President Oshin Castillo said the district has emphasized accountability among its staff members. Selwyn Rodriguez with Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rico. She filed for medical leave in spring 2017 and has been on paid leave since then. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). *District busted budget on$90k Wallace report. Some kids are saying, Oh, youre only taking two APs. 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. Finally, Evans had said that one of Eastsides principals, Karen Johnson, would not be disciplined because she was going to retire. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. CLICK HERE. Selwyn Rodriguez never imagined a basketball journey that included meeting reporters in front of a giantbottle of seasoning salt. In the meantime, we are told half of Greenville is lawyered up in response to our ongoing reporting on the Thornblade saga prompting several of our sources to warn us to be careful how we proceed. 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. NJ man had guns, ammo, fake marshal ID at airport: FBI, 'Havana syndrome' 'unlikely' caused by foreign adversary: US intel, Eli Lilly cuts insulin prices up to 70% amid pressure to slash costs. 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. It's still unclear what sparked the altercation. Today, nearly two years after arriving in Paterson, Aquino's living situation has steadied, according to school officials. She lacked spending money, health insurance, winter supplies and even women's sanitary items, the report and other sources said. The report painted a grim picture of an emotionally distressed and helpless teenager, thousands of miles from home. "You gotta call her coach and whoever. And she announced on social media late last month that she verbally has committed to Oregon State, a Top 10 Division 1 program. In her resignation letter teacher Lisa Abraham wrote, "Justyna stands up for each, individual student. A care package loaded with supplies from his mother, sent to the address in Somerset, never appeared, either. A furious Edwin Rodriguez -- who said he sent more than $60,000 to Paterson in two years for rent, food, clothing and other expenses -- moved his sons to another apartment in the fall of 2012. We want to make sure everything is done properly, Castillo said. You pay him and youll get a guaranteed school.. 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. The first one, a senior named Luis, knew the name of the cheating scandals mastermind. There are also blackmail allegations linked to the rumored prostitution/ sex ring. Based on all the feedback, we realized that both the changes and their timing were a mistake. "I really thought for me, right now, I was supposed to be playing in the NBA. Here are 10 you cant miss, Yosemite breaks decades-old snowfall record, closing national park indefinitely, San Diego federal judge had defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. Having said all of that, there are criminal statutes on the books which protect minors in this state from being exploited and prevent adults from contributing to their delinquency. According to our sources, the Thornblade saga has elements that could potentially fall under both of these categories. *African players are flocking to top N.J. basketball teams. The school serves the city's Ironbound neighborhood. According to that action , Brian Gem Garrison - a former adjunct tennis coach at Eastside High School in Taylors, S.C. - was protected in allegedly predatory activities by the school's . *How scandal of overseas hoops players living with H.S. March 17, 2019 5 AM PT. Classes could be delayed at a high school sports power house after more than a dozen teachers walked off the job. But over here, you're like a god.". Find NJ.com on Facebook. 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." These allegations have since received mainstream media coverage courtesy of The Greenville News. Aquino was moved to a Prospect Park apartment with a district employee, an arrangement that "was supposed to last a couple weeks." Griles, Ortiz said, refused to stop for food after practice even after he repeatedly complained he was hungry. That's room and board, she has to eat and that takes money. How the administrative changes were executed and the timing was a mistake and our community has spoken. The districts investigation last year had found that some players involved in the scandal had registered at Eastside, rather than through traditional channels. But Esteban, who admits crying when he read the first story about the Eastside scandal, said Selwyn was . But even after winning the MVP at a holiday tournament, Griles ignored him. Soon, he said, the coach began ostracizing him during practice. Its absurd.. ICE officials are in the process of interviewing officials and players. 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. But how do you know? 1:07. But there he was Wednesday in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, at a massive Goya factory. Seattle Times staff reporter A Seattle high school teacher is accused of repeatedly having sex with a 16-year-old student, who reported their encounters to school officials and police last. "When I asked why I wasn't going to North Carolina, I was told that I didn't have a ready host family," Ejiofor said in a conversation over social media. *This is just tip of iceberg, senator says in demanding full probe. The ongoing drama tied to this upscale Upstate neighborhood which was first reported by this news outlet a week ago has been dominating discussions in the greater Greenville, S.C. area. In response to questions raised by our faculty and community, we held a Town Hall on Wednesday August 16. "Yesterday we were made aware of an inappropriate post on social media made by students at Eastside High School," Davis told The Covington News. In January, the NJSIAA representative assigned to monitor Patersons athletics program sent the district a letter saying he had checked the basketball roster against eligibility lists and transfer records. Eastside Catholic updated its website announcing Father William Heric, the school's chaplain, as the interim president on Thursday. My mom, shes a housekeeper and she used to work at a house in the Palisades, and the lady had kids and was very school-oriented, said Azucena Hilario, a Bravo junior. Two days later, Mathews issued a statement through his attorney confirming our reporting. 0:00. "It was like he offered me heaven," Ortiz said. Selwyn Rodriguez and Christian Ortiz started their odyssey in Puerto Rico. 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. 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. Blessing Ejiofor landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in February 2014, working through a mental checklist of her new life in North Carolina. 0:05. Theres the front door, which is you get through yourself. Instead, he ended up in a cramped, uncomfortable attic, fearful of the woman on the floors below, her drug habit and the visitors she attracted. PATERSON As a result of the basketball recruiting scandal that rocked Eastside High School in 2017, more than 100 Paterson sports coaches this year were required to pass a test . She applied to Yale in 2017 and paid an . 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