", "The administrative changes were intended to support the board's vision for the school's future. Shes hoping for a scholarship to pay her way. "I ended up in Jersey.". 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. The stories, including allegations of human trafficking, highlighted how players on the boys and girls teams suddenly and mysteriously arrived with promises of playing time, eventual college scholarships and new homes, according to interviews with players and internal school documents. The game was held at Cherry Hill East High School, a neutral site for both teams. But there he was Wednesday in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, at a massive Goya factory. Im taking three or four. Well good for you, but I dont want to die, said Olivia, who joins clubs and is on the cheer squad to make her college application more appealing. The Paterson Public School District announced wide-ranging penalties to its athletics department. By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. 0:00. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Supervisor of Athletics at Eastside High School phone: 973 321-0515 Email: thill@paterson.k12.nj.us. "He made a lot of promises about the future, about getting Selwyn to a university, about getting him to Division 1," Selwyn's father, Edwin, said. The school serves the city's Ironbound neighborhood. Once in the mainland United States, Ortiz slept on piles of laundry and cold floors, while Rodriguez lived with a stranger who openly used drugs. coach blew up, NJSIAA demands 'full accounting' from hoops power with several overseas players, School suspends hoops coach who had 6 overseas players living with him. A Q and A about its creation, Decades later, 'Uncle Sam' billboard still sparks debate, VIDEO: President Trump Says 'Blame on Both Sides, I Wait for Facts', Woman loses $29K after being targeted by banking scam with victims in 9 states, Driver killed after car goes off overpass in Georgetown, Puyallup teen considered suicide after school beating, Cheerleader performs solo after team quits before state championships, Kent police investigating kidnapping after car stolen with 2 kids inside. Camden was leading Eastside 30-17. She applied to Yale in 2017 and paid an . Eastside Catholic later issued the following statement: "Thank you for your interest in our school. Once there, the mission began to crystallize. Coaches from the powerhouse Paterson Eastside's boys basketball team served as legal guardians to six playersand had them living in their homes. "Nobody wanted to spend the money once she got here. Often, the players lived with coaches or other school employees. Ortiz left Somerset and moved in with the Rodriguezes in their apartment in downtown Paterson. Two years later, a newspaper named him West Virginia's Player of the Year -- his father proudly holds up the story for all to see. 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. Also, Evans had said the district would seek tenure charges against Griles in an effort to oust him from his teaching position at Eastside. When one Disciple wanted to get out earlier this year, he was told in no uncertain terms that leaving was not an option. 2023 Cox Media Group. The high and mighty went as low as they could go, and it did not play well in Boyle Heights. We now recognize that this timing was a mistake, and we are working to rectify the impact it has had. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. She had left Nigeria to play basketball and study at Evelyn Mack Academy in Charlotte, determined to earn a scholarship to an American college. That's room and board, she has to eat and that takes money. Theres the back door, which [is] you pull strings and do donations and then theres the side door, which he kind of created. The students also talked about how, at a high-powered school, they might be in a distinct minority and be looked at as students who maybe didnt deserve to be there but got a break. "I would have been able to pull names out of a hat pretty quick to be able to get her in the right direction. Carol said she was talking to her father about the scandal, and they wondered where the cheating stopped. 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. The connection was facilitated by Henry Ugboaja, the director of a prominent camp in Nigeria. That meeting took place almost one year to the day after the Paterson Board of Education approved disciplinary action against five employees including the termination of Eastsides athletics supervisor, Gregory Cooper; the removal of the head coach of the boys team, Juan Griles; and the suspension of the head coach of the girls squad, Ray Lyde Jr. I think Paterson is ready to move on, said Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, a former football and baseball coach at Eastside, who now coaches Hackensack High School's football team. We are disappointed that these students engaged in this inappropriate behavior. "I am the one who has missed out (on) a school.". "We just needed one college scout to come and visit him, but nobody ever came. 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. Editor's note: The following story contains profane language and disturbing content. 0:00. Ortiz grew desperate. A basketball powerhouse is under fire after packing its roster from overseas, leaving players to live with their coach. PATERSON A security guard at Eastside High School has been removed from his job after allegations surfaced this week about "inappropriate contact" between him and a student, officials said. The school released the following statement Friday afternoon: "We made and announced administrative changes on August 2. The video recording was sent via Snapchat to a lot of their buddies at Eastside Catholic and other Eastside high schools. "And I said, 'Yes!'. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. On Tuesday, New Jersey's governing body for high school sports levied an unprecedented level of sanctions against the Eastside boys and girls basketball programs, including a two-year state. Absolutely. Similarly, it is unclear whether the USSS investigation into Thornblade is tied to the alleged credit card fraud or some of the more illicit, sexually charged allegations. "I can't say no to this,"Ortiz, now 20, remembers thinking. Given the broad investigatory powers this federal agency possesses when it comes to all manner of cybercrime there is literally no telling what facets of this saga it could be probing. Rodriguez left Puerto Rico in 2011, chasing the promises of a coach from New Jersey -- his own apartment, a spot on an elite high school team and a Division 1 scholarship. 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 . Griles, he said, promised to handle the rest, leaving Edwin to assume his boys would be safe and comfortable. Fired coach wonders: How did I become guardian for 7-foot Nigerian player? Some of these Disciples are members at the Thornblade club, we are told. Lyde, in an interviewbefore his team's season was suspended, refuted Ugboaja's story and denied any wrongdoing. VIDEO: Eastside Catholic HS teachers quit. 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. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com), *Season's over: Eastside boys pull out of Passaic County Tournament. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards and is a four-time Pulitzer finalist. Four players from three continents -- all bound by the same dream and pitch: Leave your friends and family behind, travel thousands of miles and use basketball to find a better life. For example, we reported earlier this week that HSI agents have been asking questions about Brian Gem Garrison - a former adjunct tennis coach at Eastside High School in Taylors, S.C. who was . It happened during the Camden County Tournament Championship game between Camden High School and Eastside High School. In an interview, Ugboaja said officials at Evelyn Mack demanded money for room and board for Ejiofor and he refused. Based on all the feedback, we realized that both the changes and their timing were a mistake. "I should have been properly advised by those (at the school) and told the implications because I didn't even know I was out of status. No one was seriously injured in the melee. But how do you know? ", *The key players in Eastside scandal, fallout. Got a tip for a story? 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. Again, though, we are told HSI is looking to question the deputy in connection with its investigation. From the beginning of our coverage, we have been focused on three distinct Thornblade-related scandals: 1) Allegations of embezzlement involving the neighborhood golf club, 2) allegations of a prostitution ring (or sex ring) involving several Thornblade residents, and 3) allegations involving an athletics team at a government-run high school in nearby Taylors, S.C. which are said to be somehow connected to the prostitution/ sex ring accusations. *This is just tip of iceberg, senator says in demanding full probe. 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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. Excellence for All Students Through Strong Relationships & Instructional Strategies Delivered by Effective Educators. *State athletics group orders hearing into Eastside. A pipeline of talented players to New Jersey is alive and well, but at times things can go awry with the process, as evidence by the recent scandal at Paterson Eastside. Rodriguez had done well in the classroom and earned a scholarship offer to play volleyball at Purdue University. She earned a 3.7 grade-point average and graduated in the top 20 of her class, according to an article in the Paterson Times. 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. District officials have not yet announced whether he will return to that role. Maybe that will ease his regrets. News never stops. 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. "The post included a video with offensive content that will not be tolerated. 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