WILSON HAZING REACTION: Residents have many unanswered questions

Local News

April 29, 2008

By Bill Wolcott<br><a href="mailto:wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Bill</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Tue Apr 29, 2008, 01:55 AM EDT

WILSON — It’s the talk of the town, and the talk is punctuated with question marks.

What happened on the school bus? Who were the students involved? Where were the adults?

Mostly, residents asked, where were the adults?

It would be hard to find a resident who was not aware of the scandal that has rocked this town on the shores of Lake Ontario. Three students were charged with felony sexual assault on the bus ride home from a baseball game in Niagara Falls on April 17.

Residents read about it in the newspapers. They heard about it on television and radio. They heard it on the grapevine. They’ve heard rumors.

They are aware. Some had children in the Wilson School District, some are alumni, some were former athletes. Some were connected with the school and would not comment.

• “It’s hard to say how it happened,” said Gary Benton, who has lived in Wilson all his life and had two sons play sports for the Lakemen. “Like everyone in Wilson, we’re very concerned about the allegations. What should be stressed that these are just allegations. We don’t know if anyone’s been found guilty of anything, but it certainly points bad that the state police made an arrest.”

In Benton’s view, the best thing that’s been said was by Charlie Jufer, the athletic director, who cautioned to wait until the investigation is over.

“We don’t want to tar and feather anybody,” Benton said. “I do know some of the coaches and I know they are very fine men. Unfortunately this is a black eye for us. I wish everyone would be patient and wait for the investigation to be completed before they pass judgment.

“This is a great community, and it’s a shock to all of us. We’re waiting, like everyone else, to see what becomes of this.”

• Julie Domenech has children 6 and 9 years old in the Wilson School District. “I think it’s disgusting,” she said. “I can’t believe it went on. I know it happens at other places too, but I was appalled ... I was just amazed. I couldn’t believe it. It’s pretty sad.”

Domenech suspects that other incidents have happened but it just hasn’t been talked about. “There should be coaches, parents, teachers, somebody on the bus with these kids. I think it’s gross.”

• David Przywara of Burt played high school football and baseball at Frontier Central in the 1960s and said there was nothing like that then.

“I don’t think this stuff should be going on, and the people who should be chaperoning these people should keep a better eye on them. The coaches are responsible, too, unless they’re are turning a blind eye to it.”

Is it part of tradition?

“I don’t know if that’s what they’re used to doing over there, but that’s not right,” Przywara said. “If it’s something that’s going on, it should be discontinued and they should clean up their act. Let these kids go to school. If they want to play ball, let them play ball. It’s good recreation for them. It keeps them out of trouble, but it seems now that trouble finds people everywhere they go.”

• Bob Thilk of Wilson played sports when he younger, but said there was nothing back then. “I don’t know what this hazing is all about,” he said. “It seems to be the thing across the country. There’s a town meeting on May 1, and I guess everybody is going to be there.”

• Neal Chamberlain of Ransomville played sports at Lewiston-Porter. “There was some of that stuff going on at Lew-Port, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, nothing like that, to that extreme. There was more bullying than anything.

“If any of the teachers or adults were on that bus, they’ve got to know something is going on. With adults being on the bus, somebody had to know something. You can’t be that irresponsible.”

Chamberlain coaches Wilson Little League and has served as vice president. “You got to step up to the plate,” he said.

• Chuck Yadloczky played some sports in Buffalo and indicated that there may have been some sort of initiation.

“No, not like this,” he said. “From my point of view, I can’t understand how this was allowed to happen on the back of the bus with the adult people who are supposed to be watching. What were they doing up there?”

• Town Supervisor Joe Jastrzemski is a sports official and has been the coach of the Wilson modified wrestling team for seventh- and eighth-graders since 1992.

“I’m totally shocked by the entire situation. The whole community is shocked,” he said. “You can’t help but be disappointed in everything that has taken place. I feel bad for everyone involved. It’s a horrific situation. They crossed the line.”

As an official and a coach, he said he has not experienced anything like that.

• “It’s a sad day for the Wilson community,” Roxanne Benton said.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott at 439-9222, ext. 6246

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