New Column from NJ Family: Is N.J.'s Anti-Bullying Law Working?

Grim news emerged from the Middlesex County borough of Sayreville last month. According to eyewitness reports, seven senior high school football players from Sayreville War Memorial High School allegedly physically and sexually assaulted at least four freshmen team members during a traditional, annual hazing ritual. School Superintendent Richard Labbe conceded to reporters that these kinds of attacks were “pervasive” and “generally accepted.” An October 21 front-page article in The New York Times describes what happened :

“‘Hootie hoo,’ the older players yelled before their home game that night, flicking the lights on and off and on again. Then they tripped a freshman in a T-shirt and football pants, letting loud music muffle any noise the boy made as he fell. Two pinned the younger boy’s arms, while others punched and kicked him—not viciously, but hard enough to matter, two witnesses said. He curled into the fetal position and was groped by his attackers.”