Coaches Charged in Endangerment

[UNCTarheels]

Lockport-State police have arrested two high school baseball coaches who were on a team bus when three varsity players allegedly sodomized two younger players.
William Atlas, the Wilson School District's Junior Varsity Coach, and Thomas Baia, the varsity Coach, were charged Tuesday with Misdemeanor counts of child endangerment, according to state police. Atlas, 25, is a physical education teacher at Thomas Mark Elementary school in Wilson, and Baia, 40, is a math teacher at Wilson Middle School. They are to return to Wilson Town court on May 8th.
Two unidentified players, age 16 and 18 are due in court May 22nd on charges of aggravated sex abuse and child endangerment. State Police Maj. Christopher Cummings said the alleged abuse aboard the bus returning from Niagara Falls on April 17th may have begun as a Hazing Ritual. Thirty students and at least three teachers were on the bus at the time.
Wilson Superintendent Michael Wendt said Monday that the Two teachers have been suspended from their coaching duties but not from teaching. He said the rest of the Baseball season has been canceled.

[BombeRLV56]

Lockport-State police have arrested two high school baseball coaches who were on a team bus when three varsity players allegedly sodomized two younger players.
William Atlas, the Wilson School District's Junior Varsity Coach, and Thomas Baia, the varsity Coach, were charged Tuesday with Misdemeanor counts of child endangerment, according to state police. Atlas, 25, is a physical education teacher at Thomas Mark Elementary school in Wilson, and Baia, 40, is a math teacher at Wilson Middle School. They are to return to Wilson Town court on May 8th.
Two unidentified players, age 16 and 18 are due in court May 22nd on charges of aggravated sex abuse and child endangerment. State Police Maj. Christopher Cummings said the alleged abuse aboard the bus returning from Niagara Falls on April 17th may have begun as a Hazing Ritual. Thirty students and at least three teachers were on the bus at the time.
Wilson Superintendent Michael Wendt said Monday that the Two teachers have been suspended from their coaching duties but not from teaching. He said the rest of the Baseball season has been canceled.

What the heck is this world comming to! That is disgusting and pathetic! Im sorry but to let that stuff happen is Repulsive!!!!

[coachstew]

wow!!! I guess I don't understand what you would be doing or concentrating on to not realize this was happening? If you did know and did nothing about it, then you are really sick.

Just out of curiousity the article says there were three coaches on the bus. I only see where two are charged. Any idea what happened with the third coach?

[UNCTarheels]

Two Wilson baseball coaches face misdemeanor charges in hazing case (http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/335232.html)-Buffalo News

Police said the two coaches failed to supervise the team on the bus trip back to Wilson, which warranted the endangerment charges.

“We believe they could have taken actions that possibly could have prevented this from happening,” State Police Lt. Richard S. Allen said. “It was more of what they didn’t do than what they did do,” Allen added later.

The three varsity players who were arrested were each charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child under the age of 17, a misdemeanor, and felony third-degree aggravated sexual abuse. The felony charge accused them of forcing a foreign object into a private body opening

[hornets10]

wow...

[UNCTarheels]

Wilson Central High officials are holding a meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at the school to give concerned parents and residents the chance to ask questions and get some answers.

It comes it the aftermath of an alleged assault April 17 on a school bus returning from games in Niagara Falls that resulted in five arrests, including three baseball players and two coaches. Varsity players Geoffrey A.
Seefeldt, 18; Colton J. Sherman, 16; and Christopher A. Sidote, 16 were charged with endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree aggravated sexual abuse, The Niagara Gazette (http://www.niagara-gazette.com/newsrefresh/gnnnewsrefresh_story_121184440.html?keyword=topsto ry)reported. Coaches Thomas J. Baia Jr., 40, and William Atlas, 35, were charged yesterday with endangering the welfare of a child, the paper said.
State Police Major Christopher Cummings said the alleged incident began with hazing activities in the back of the school bus and progressed to the level of abuse. The arrests prompted school district officials to cancel the remainder of the varsity baseball season. Baia and Atlas were both suspended with pay from teaching and coaching, the paper said.

Wilson Superintendent Michael Wendt said the school has offered counseling for students. Wendt said at least two junior varsity players were abused, The Buffalo News reported and Cummings said during a Monday news conference that the victims were "subjected to physical abuse involving slapping, punching and kicking," but then things "progressed to a level that rose to criminal activity."

The coaches could face up to a year in jail if convicted, though most endangerment cases result in lesser sentences. Police said Baia and Atlas failed to supervise the team on the bus, which warranted the endangerment charges.

The three teens charged are due to appear May 22 in Wilson Town Court. Baia and Atlas are scheduled to be arraigned May 8.

[UNCTarheels]

Child endangerment charges were dismissed today against two Wilson Central baseball coaches in connection with an alleged April 2008 hazing incident, The Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/725211.html) reported.
A jury was to have been selected for the trial of William M. Atlas and Thomas J. Baia this morning, but Assistant District Attorney Robert A. Zucco moved for a dismissal, which Town Justice George R. Berger granted.

Charges of forcible touching and hazing against two 17-year-old Wilson baseball players were heard last week in a closed-door trial. Berger is still considering his verdict in that non-jury trial.

Herbert L. Greenman, attorney for Atlas, commended DA Michael J. Violante for dismissing the charges, which led to the coaches being suspended by the school district.

The coaches did not comment to the media this morning. A public relations firm announced the coaches will appear at a "press conference and celebration" on Wednesday to discuss the case.-John Moriello's NYSSWA blog (http://www.newyorksportswriters.org/blog/blog-2009-07-06.shtml)

[UNCTarheels]

The Wilson case: Two 17-year-old Wilson Central baseball players and their former coaches have been cleared of charges in the controversial case of an alleged hazing on the team bus, but the affair may still end up in civil court.

Lawyers representing one or more JV players say they will move forward with civil lawsuits against the school district, The Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/729224.html?imw=Y) reported.

Charges against the two coaches were dropped before their trial could begin last week. Town Justice George R. Berger presided over the case of the players in closed-door session and notified lawyers by mail Thursday that he found the two not guilty of forcible touching, child endangerment and first- and second- degree hazing.

A third player, now 19, previously pleaded guilty to child endangerment and will be sentenced by Berger on Aug. 18.-John Moriello's NYSSWA blog (http://www.newyorksportswriters.org/blog/blog-2009-07-12.shtml)

[lrfootball22]

why were the charges dropped??