Another school board member, Emmanuel Capers, said he still believes the actions taken as a result of the news stories were excessive. *State criminal investigators launch probe into Eastside. For now, however, he thinks about other opportunities he had after that big international tournament in 2011, and how his career might have been different had he never met Griles. Once students fake their way in, do the parents keep paying to have someone fix the tests they take in class? Selwyn Rodriguez never imagined a basketball journey that included meeting reporters in front of a giantbottle of seasoning salt. Today, nearly two years after arriving in Paterson, Aquino's living situation has steadied, according to school officials. It happened during the Camden County Tournament Championship game between Camden High School and Eastside High School. Ejiofor still hopes to return to the U.S. and pursue her dreams, but she said she has been denied a new visa three times. It happened during the Camden County. 2023 www.northjersey.com. Neither do we. "Felix had problems in his household, and after that, that girl went from place to place," said a coach familiar with the events in Aquino's life that fall. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. supports HTML5 video. He told me he was going to get it fixed, but I couldn't handle that any more. On Friday, an unidentified boy, 14, was fatally stabbed during a fight outside Paterson's Eastside High School at dismissal, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. 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. Got something youd like to say in response to one of our articles? 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. He called her a "no-misser" talent-wise, but said "my heart goes out to the kid. We want to make sure everything is done properly, Castillo said. But Esteban, who admits crying when he read the first story about the Eastside scandal, said Selwyn was broken emotionally by Griles and couldn't wait to return to Puerto Rico after graduation in 2013. 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. Selwyn's knee healed, but his relationship with the coach never did. According to videos shared on. Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Although many Boyle Heights Beat reporters over the years have applied to USC, the programs mentors could not recall a single one getting admitted. 2023 Cox Media Group. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. We have now invited the administrators and faculty to rejoin us on the first day of school. Thats not their job. Directions on submission are attached. Should they lose their jobs? *State athletics group orders hearing into Eastside. But how do you know? Classes could be delayed at a high school sports power house after more than a dozen teachers walked off the job. 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. *School forged transcripts in Eastside scandal. The Jordans have declined multiple requests for interviews, but Aquino appears to be well clothed, well cared for and her social media accounts suggest she is adjusting to life as an American teenager. I used to play against them and perform good. School is supposed to start August 23, but on Friday the school confirmed classes will be postponed one week and start August 30. No one was seriously injured in the melee. As for SLED, as of Thursday afternoon the statewide agency had not received a formal request from any local or federal law enforcement agency or subdivision of the state to assist in any investigation related to Thornblade, per spokesman Tommy Crosby. F: contact@email.org Get Directions. Rick Singer how he was describing it, theres three ways to get into college, he said. We are in the process of hiring an interim president. The Eastside basketball scandal was exposed in news stories published in the Star-Ledger. We had hope," said Selwyn's older brother, Esteban, who joined him in Paterson at their father's insistence. 36-0 vote holds punishment for teams and former boys coach Juan Griles. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. ", Andrea Aquino (far right) plays in a game with Paterson Eastside this season. The first one, a senior named Luis, knew the name of the cheating scandals mastermind. COVINGTON, Ga. - Students at Eastside High School are under fire after a social media post went viral showing discriminatory and racial remarks and actions. *Hoops power packs roster from overseas; state questions safety of teens living with coach. Edwin Rodriguez said he paid Griles $900 a month for an apartment for Selwyn, then 17, and Esteban, then 24. Griles, as has been the case since NJ Advance Media broke the story two months ago, did not return multiple calls for comment. 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. She believes that education- particularly the education of the Spirit- is not about politics, money, football.". Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. *NJSIAA slams Eastside with unprecedented penalties. VIDEO: Eastside Catholic HS teachers quit. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Marlene Gamas, left, and advisor Christine Kelley brainstorm at Boyle Heights Beat for a story about the college admissions scandal. He formerly served as our interim president. 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. We have already announced all these changes to our community and they are overwhelmingly supportive of moving forward. 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. *NJSIAA announces new hearings to deal with Eastside fallout. See the documents, African players are flocking to top N.J. basketball teams. All four ended up in Paterson, playing for the powerhouse teams at Eastside High School, . Thanks to our long history of educational excellence and deeply felt sense of mission, any change at Eastside Catholic invites high interest from our current and alumnae community. According to our sources, Mathews was grilled for more than three hours by investigators. The Office of the Attorney General is reaching out to staffers at Eastside. "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. On Tuesday, September 1, 2020, we reported that Rick Mathews had been interviewed on the previousTuesday (August 25, 2020)by agents of DHS Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)unit. Unfortunately, there are a pair of federal investigations underway related to the saga which first popped up on our radar screen almost two months ago. The school released the following statement Friday afternoon: "We made and announced administrative changes on August 2. Thirteen faculty members quit in protest, most of them teachers. The parents of an Eastside High School student accused a former tennis coach of having sexually inappropriate conversations with their teenage son on a cellphone he secretly gave the . Ejiofor lived there with other Eastside girls and boys basketball players from Nigeria, including Juliet James and ThankGod Okenwa, according to school documents obtained by NJ Advance Media. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? Blessing Ejiofor landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in February 2014, working through a mental checklist of her new life in North Carolina. After that, theres figuring out how to pay for it. 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." More:Paterson picks new AD to replace one fired in Eastside hoops scandal, More:Lawyer says Paterson Eastside coach victim of fake news in hoops scandal, More:Paterson's Eastside loses appeal of ban from state basketball tourney. 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. 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. We have also rescheduled our back-to-school dates to allow us to refocus on the classroom and prepare adequately. 2 Morristown, 45-40, the No. When I think about even if it was just 50 students whose parents cheated for them, those 50 spots could have actually gone to someone who gained those positions.. Griles, the Rodriguezes said, approached the family after Selwyn led Puerto Rico to the Under-17 championship in a 2011 Central America tournament. She said she had secured a student visa and Form I-20, which had been signed by officials at the North Carolina school. Since our first story on Thornblade ran last week, we have been bombarded with tips related to these various allegations. Phone 770-784-2920 | Fax 770-784-2918. Now hes under review, Blizzard conditions close major highways and roads in Lake Tahoe area, I-5 closed through Grapevine as last wave of winter storm hits Southern California, Dictators and criminals fear this USC instructor whos making the case for an Oscar. We now recognize that this timing was a mistake, and we are working to rectify the impact it has had. I help her set the whole thing up, said Andrea, a Roosevelt High senior who is waiting to hear back from some of the colleges shes applied to. Got a tip for a story? Agents of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) could soon be called upon to join an investigation into a myriad of allegations involving the exclusive Thornblade neighborhood and its scandal-scarredcountry club, multiple law enforcement and prosecutorial sources tell this news outlet. That trust has cost her a scholarship to Vanderbilt and forced her back to Africa, where she remains a prisoner of immigration rules. We just had one get into the University of Oregon, but I dont know if theyll be able to afford it, Kelley said. They had to be heard. A basketball powerhouse is under fire after packing its roster from overseas, leaving players to live with their coach. The school board president at the time, Chris Irving, had said Johnson was being forced to retire as punishment. Andrea says her father paints houses and does construction work, and during the week, her mother works a graveyard janitorial job on the Westside. Griles, he said, promised to handle the rest, leaving Edwin to assume his boys would be safe and comfortable. Viewer discretion is advised. Coaches in other towns dont have to take a test on NJSIAA rules, he said. "I used to play great players that are already in the NBA. CLICK HERE. "He didn't have a bed (for me) so I was sleeping on a pile of clothes on the floor. I think Eileen Shafer has done a tremendous job being proactive on this.. ", "The administrative changes were intended to support the board's vision for the school's future. NJ Advance Media staff writer Matt Stypulkoski contributed to this report. Authorities have arrested an unidentified 15-year-old in connection with the stabbing of two Paterson students at Eastside High School on Friday afternoon, which left one of the victims dead . More specifically, we have been informed that investigators are looking to question a former athletics coach at Eastside over his alleged proximity to some of the central figures in this unspooling drama. There was no disagreement on that point, or on another one: I was disappointed, but I was not surprised, said Carol Martnez, a Roosevelt senior who has been accepted by two California State University schools and Loyola University New Orleans but is hoping to get into UCLA, USC, UC Santa Barbara or Wesleyan. Same goes for any attempt at blackmail. ", Sauls named principal of East Newton Elementary for 2023-24 school year, STOVALL: It's Visions time again and we need your nominations for award winners, Suspect identified in fatal hit and run in Covington found dead of gunshot wound, Newton deputies searching for suspect in armed robbery attempt at convenience store, Club helps spread pickleball popularity in Newton County, Government leaders, professors part of GSU-Newton panel discussion, NEWTON EVENTS: Black History Parade, Daffodil Festival & Symposium, GSU-Newton Daffodil Festival to feature speakers, events, NEWTON EVENTS: Black History Month parade, Lions Club fundraiser, Piedmont Academy girls basketball is back in Final Four again, Eastside baseball sweeps Social Circle in non-region double header on Saturday, Newton alum Elija Godwin wins gold in 400-meter at SEC Indoor Championships, Newton Rams enjoy sweet victory over Pebblebrook, Eastside Eagles' historic season comes to an end after Sweet Sixteen exit, CARROLL: Remembering Karen Carpenter, 1950-1983, CLAUDETTE HARDEN & OLINDA RICARD-HODGE: Its a new year for mental health, PACE: BeReal app offers alternative experience. 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. * Ousted athletic director: There are others at school involved in scandal. Andrea Galdmez apologized for arriving a few minutes late. "Over there if you're that tall, you're like a monster. *Report leaves more questions than answers, Wallace documentminimizes the actions of key figures, even referring to the ousted boys basketball coach as a "humanitarian. *School suspends hoops coach who had 6 overseas players living with him. 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 . Figuring out how to pay for it he paid Griles $ 900 a for. Paterson at their father 's insistence nj Advance Media staff writer Matt Stypulkoski contributed to this site for... 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