6 Sayreville Football Players Get Probation, Community Service In Hazing Scandal
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Six teenagers have been sentenced to community service in a sexual abuse and hazing scandal at Sayreville War Memorial High School in New Jersey.
The teens have been placed on probation and will each have to perform 50 hours of community service, according to the office of Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey. They will not serve jail time, and will not have to register as Megan's Law sex offenders.
The sentences were handed down by a New Brunswick Family Court judge after four of the six students pleaded guilty in Family Court to charges of hazing and endangering the welfare of their younger football teammates. They were all sentenced to two years' probation.
6 Sayreville Football Players Get Probation, Community Service In Hazing Scandal
The other two teens were adjudicated delinquent after trial in Family Court and will serve one year's probation, prosecutors said. A seventh defendant is still awaiting trial.
Some of the players had faced more serious counts – including aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault. Those charges were dropped.
As WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported, the news came several weeks after an attorney for one of the students, Richard Klein, said his client was cleared slammed prosecutor Carey.
"I think the prosecutor acted overzealously on this matter and I can't speak for him," Klein said. "And as far as me being happy, I'm happy for my client and his family to put this behind them."
The Sayreville Bombers' 2014 season was canceled days before a total of seven players were accused of hazing and sexually assaulting four teammates inside the locker room.
Victims claimed in disturbing details claimed they were anally violated. Prosecutors also claimed one younger student was body slammed onto the floor, and another had his genitals grabbed while the alleged assailants tried to penetrate him digitally.
Prosecutors decided not to charge the boys as adults.
In the wake of the scandal, football coach George Najjar lost his coaching job and was reassigned from his position as a gym teacher the high school to an elementary school.
