A teen at the center of a hazing investigation involving Cheltenham High School’s football program testified for more than an hour as a judge in Montgomery County, considered whether charges against four coaches should move forward.
During the hearing in Jenkintown, a video showing an earlier alleged assault was also played in court. Coaches and players from Cheltenham High School face charges in the case.
The teen testified that he was a sophomore when he was assaulted after football practice. He said he went into the locker room, where he was grabbed and tried to escape before being pulled to the ground, stomped and kicked.
He also testified that a broomstick was used during the assault, saying players involved tried to ram it toward his rear end.
The extent of what the coaches knew about the alleged assault is a key issue in the case.
Defense attorneys argued the coaches did not know the full extent of what happened and had only been told that the teen had been “jumped.” They sought to have the charges against the four coaches dismissed.
Investigators said the teen was embarrassed but told one coach about the assault shortly after it happened while the coach was giving him a ride home. The teen also said he told the coach’s son, who had been in the locker room.
Minutes later, according to testimony, that coach spoke by phone with the other coaches about what he had been told.
Prosecutors allege that is when a conspiracy began. They contend text messages show the coaches conspired to keep what happened a secret.
Defense attorneys, however, maintained that the coaches did not know the extent of the alleged assault.
Prosecutors also allege that one coach told the teen to keep quiet. They argued that prevented the coaches from learning more about what happened because the teen did not report the incident to his parents or police.
Defense attorneys also disputed the allegation that there was continued hazing. They argued that evidence of two separate assaults does not necessarily establish hazing. One defense attorney said his client spoke with students and stopped the assaults.
The second alleged assault emerged during the investigation into the Sept. 3 incident.
A short video shown in court depicts an alleged assault from mid-August during summer football practice. The video shows a large group of students surrounding the teen before he briefly becomes visible. The teen can be heard screaming in pain and is seen protecting his groin area.
After a full day of testimony, the judge was considering which charges against the coaches should move forward and whether any should be dismissed.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
