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 . It didn't take long to realize the living situation wouldn't match the promises. Some kids are saying, Oh, youre only taking two APs. A few minutes later, the emcee hummed a few bars from "The Final Countdown" as a basketball-shaped mascot with a cowboy hat and bushy moustache made its grand entrance. Head coaches and assistants in all sports had to take the exam, which also included questions about the city school districts policies and procedures, officials said. Griles, the Rodriguezes said, then became a ghost, leaving the brothers to taxi to doctor's appointments in Fort Lee. Legislation would ban buying, selling, makingor altering a transcript with the intent to deceive. The school released the following statement Friday afternoon: "We made and announced administrative changes on August 2. She deserves this opportunity. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? This sounds crazy, but if I have to fly all the way back to (New Jersey), I will.". He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards and is a four-time Pulitzer finalist. After his departure, the district reduced some of the penalties. Coaches from the powerhouse Paterson Eastside's boys basketball team served as legal guardians to six playersand had them living in their homes. The connection was facilitated by Henry Ugboaja, the director of a prominent camp in Nigeria. Wealthy celebrities and business executives allegedly paid small fortunes to rig their kids SAT scores, bribe coaches and gain entrance to elite colleges, in some cases taking tax deductions for bribes disguised as charitable donations. Now, the state wants answers as the district takes action. But when she landed in Queens, Ejiofor was dealt an immediate and unimaginable surprise: North Carolina was out and she was headed to New Jersey and a school called Paterson Eastside. We now recognize that this timing was a mistake, and we are working to rectify the impact it has had. *Eastside girls team out of states, multiple suspensions announced. 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. March 17, 2019 5 AM PT. The veterans still call him "the rookie," but Selwyn hopes it'll be "Rookie of the Year" when the season ends. When the member refused to pay his monthly dues, his wife was reportedly provided with video evidence of her husbands infidelity. Again, though, we are told HSI is looking to question the deputy in connection with its investigation. Also, Evans had said the district would seek tenure charges against Griles in an effort to oust him from his teaching position at Eastside. The injured boy is 16 years old. A closer look how the Paterson Eastside scandal has unfolded -- from a tip to a report detailing how 6 overseas players were living with the new-suspended coach of the powerhouse team. 2 Morristown, 45-40, the No. Ortiz arrived in Paterson unexpectedly in 2012. Between five and six boys basketball players from Paterson Eastside lived with the team's head coach this season. "I am innocent and didn't know any better," Ejiofor said. "As a result of the information that Andrea has shared, it is evident that Andrea may be the victim of neglect, child exploitation, emotional abuse and child endangerment," the report reads. 2023 Cox Media Group. 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. *Hoops power packs roster from overseas; state questions safety of teens living with coach. That the athletic directors job.. The high and mighty went as low as they could go, and it did not play well in Boyle Heights. That trust has cost her a scholarship to Vanderbilt and forced her back to Africa, where she remains a prisoner of immigration rules. *NJSIAA slams Eastside with unprecedented penalties. "It's very unfortunate that she's caught up in the middle of something like this.". 2022-2023 School Year Calendar. She said she learned of the problem after enrolling last summer at Vanderbilt, where she had earned a full athletic scholarship. "I would just meet her at the gym and work out from there and take her to her game if need be. Griles, Ortiz said, refused to stop for food after practice even after he repeatedly complained he was hungry. East Side High School is a four-year public high school in Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com), *Season's over: Eastside boys pull out of Passaic County Tournament. 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 about state athletic association rules. A KIRO 7 crew went to Eastside Catholic to try to talk to administrators and was told to leave. During the meeting the other co-chair resigned and the board of trustees removed Father William Heric as the interim president. While membership obviously had its privileges, the club apparently had a strict no cancellation policy. "We would come back from the theater or wherever and we found that woman on the ground many times," Esteban said. Good question. "Over there if you're that tall, you're like a monster. 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. She planned to study pharmacology at Vanderbilt. Ayala promised to be the point of contact and to "make sure Andrea has everything that she needs," the report said. Seattle Times staff reporter On the night of April 20, 2018, five players from Eastside Catholic's powerhouse high school football team rode through Bellevue in a pickup with a 16-year-old. Directions on submission are attached. We are not taking away any of the prior successes they have had this year, but we want them to know their actions have consequences.That said, even though we will be making this a growth opportunity for our students, we will also continue to contest the unfounded allegations being investigated by the NJSIAA. And he regrets others who followed him encountered similar problems. *NJSIAA demands 'full accounting' from hoops power with several overseas players. What if they came knocking on the door?". The second of five players emerge from the home of head coach Juan Griles a day after he said only two of his Paterson Eastside basketball players are living with him at his home on E. 19th Street. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! The officials at the post office insisted it was left in a safe place. On Saturday morning at the Boyle Heights Beat, a student-run journalism operation, the hot topic was the college entrance cheating scandal and how to craft stories about it for the groups newspaper and radio show. *Homeland Security joins probe, with eye on international pipeline. In addition, the changes were announced very close to the start of the school year, which caused a lot of consternation. Soon, he said, the coach began ostracizing him during practice. Carol said she was talking to her father about the scandal, and they wondered where the cheating stopped. From news that sixoverseas players were living with the boys coach to the discovery of an international pipeline funneling athletes to Paterson since 2013 and the waves of fallout pounding the school and its officials, here's the reporting of Steve Politi and Matt Stanmyre: *The Fast Break: How final 2 players escaped Eastside. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, million college entrance racketeering scandal, reverse discrimination for the privileged, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. The fight happened Thursday night between Camden High School and Camden Eastside High School. Unfortunately, the timing was poorly chosen, because it happened just a few weeks before school. The game was held at Cherry Hill East High School, a neutral site for both teams. 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. Over the weekend, Shafer reached out to Mayor Andre Sayegh and Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale and was put in contact with . Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? This news outlet has leaned consistently libertarian in its coverage, and in addition to supporting all manner of consensual sex we have gone so far in the past as to editorialize on behalf of decriminalizing prostitution. 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. They had SAT preps and the older girl was a senior in high school, and theyd use her old tests to study, and they would hire private tutors for them.. It is, for most players on this island, a dream come true. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I constantly see how students with amazing GPAs and stats, and amazing stories and extracurriculars are not going to the colleges they should have earned. He formerly served as our interim president. Spirit Week Application SIC Call for Nominations SIC Call for Nominations I think Eileen Shafer has done a tremendous job being proactive on this.. 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. Neither do we. Eastside had been one of the favorites to win both county and state titles. At 6-foot-7, people in her village thoughtshewas a freak --all arms and legs clinging to themotorcycle she and her mother sold clothes from to support themselves. All rights reserved (About Us). Editor's note: The following story contains profane language and disturbing content. That's room and board, she has to eat and that takes money. As we exclusively reported on July 23, 2020, allegations ofserious financial irregularitiesatthe prestigiousThornblade Clubpromptedan investigationby the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) an agency with broad jurisdictional authority when it comes to cyber-enabled financial crimes.. 1 Union City. Phone 770-784-2920 | Fax 770-784-2918. *NJSIAA announces new hearings to deal with Eastside fallout. The college scouts never came, either. She wants to major in psychology and build a career helping students who feel as stressed as she does now. But Esteban, who admits crying when he read the first story about the Eastside scandal, said Selwyn was . But Johnson, who is Shafers domestic partner, remains on the districts payroll with a total salary of $170,000, according to public records. In response to questions raised by our faculty and community, we held a Town Hall on Wednesday August 16. "She was treated like a freak because she was so tall," said a New Jersey coach familiar with Aquino who declined to be identified due to the delicacy of the situation. We want to make sure everything is done properly, Castillo said. In a practice last week with the Vaqueros, Selwyn finished every drill with a flourish. "Here in Puerto Rico, I was a top prospect," Selwyn, now 22, said as he sat on a weight bench in his carport adjacent to his grandmother's house. Eileen Shafer, the schools superintendent, submitted a status report on the 50-step plan to the New Jersey Board of Education during a recent meeting in Trenton. She had sprouted to 6-foot-7 by the time she was 15, the tallest girl many in her small village had ever seen. 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