By Scott Brinton
State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R-Merrick) and Assemblyman David McDonough (R-North Merrick) plan to meet this week with Dr. Thomas Caramore, the district superintendent. Both legislators have been in talks with state Education Commissioner Richard Mills over whether the Education Department should become involved in the case.
Last Thursday, Fuschillo and McDonough met with a new grass-roots group calling itself "Mepham Parents 4 Change." Among the seven representatives of the group were two parents of victims. Both legislators said they listened at length to the parents and came away from the meeting feeling horrified. School, Fuschillo said, should "provide a safe haven. In this case, it failed."
McDonough said, "We expect the schools to provide education in relative safety and good health. We need to talk about accountability and responsibility. Was that lacking? These parents whom we met with feel very strongly about that."
By now, details of the alleged attacks are known around the country. Three members of the Mepham High School varsity football team reportedly sexually abused three junior-varsity players at a Pennsylvania football camp in August. The three alleged assailants were recently hit with a battery of charges. To date, they have been treated as juveniles because they are all under 18.
Wayne County (Pa.) District Attorney Wayne Zimmer, however, is seeking adult charges against them. A hearing on Zimmer's request is to take place in November.
Also this week, it was reported that two other Mepham football players may have "lured" the three victims to the cabin where the alleged attacks were carried out.
Neither Fuschillo nor McDonough offered details of the state's possible involvement. Fuschillo said that, potentially, the Education Department could look into the Central District's "policies and procedures" relating to the case.
Both legislators said they stand behind the victims. "The victims still feel victimized," said McDonough.
Mepham Parents 4 Change hasn't gone public yet. They describe themselves as a growing movement. Last week, the group issued a mission statement that reads, "The mission of Mepham Parents 4 Change is to ensure accountability and responsibility on the part of the [school] administration, faculty and local school board as it pertains to the safety of our children, families and community.
"Mepham Parents 4 Change will engage in legislative advocacy, responsible dialogue and informational activities on behalf of our children, families and community."
Meanwhile, a second community movement, headed by Joan Phillips, a former Merrick Avenue Middle School PTA president, has begun. She is seeking to broaden community support for the victims while starting a campaign to end hazing and bullying in the schools.
Phillips is mobilizing concerned parents from throughout Bellmore-Merrick and Long Island to hang green ribbons wherever they can to show support for the victims. Mepham High School students started wearing green ribbons to demonstrate solidarity with the victims. Now, Phillips wants to bring the concept to the wider community.
Phillips hopes the victims and their families will spot the green bows "and see a light," knowing there are community members who care about them.
Phillips, who has lived in Merrick for 14 years and is pursuing her master's degree in social work at Adelphi University, said she also hopes to see tougher anti-hazing/anti-bullying legislation proposed in Albany. "There has to be a law that comes out of this," she said. "There has to be education and awareness before hazing goes bad."
Phillips said she has received only positive responses when she's solicited green ribbon from local florists. "People are literally hugging me, saying this absolutely needs to be done," she said. "It's like a sense of relief."
Neither the Bellmore-Merrick Central District nor the state Education Department could be reached for comment.
