The parents of a Woburn freshman football player are calling for criminal charges and change after they say the 14-year-old was punched, groped, and harassed by his teammates.
Locker room video that circulated on social media shows one teammate at Woburn Memorial High School strike Johnathan Coucelos while several more corner and throw water at him after a September football game.
While some players are obscuring the camera view, Johnathan’s parents, Jeanny and Kevin Coucelos, say one teammate grabs his genitals. Johnathan can be seen pulling his pants up as his teammates yell and cheer.
“They tried pulling his boxers down, but he grabbed onto his boxers and forgot about the slit. And the kid, I guess, put his hand through the slit and grabbed him,” Jeanny said.
Johnathan told his parents his teammates were angry for being punished by coaches after Johnathan and another student he says was bullying him ended up in a fight during a varsity game.
“I broke down. No mother should be able to see what’s going on [here], especially in that way,” Jeanny said, in tears, of watching the video. “The one place that kids should be safe, and this happened to him.”
The Couceloses say their son reported the locker room incident to his coach, but the harassment never stopped.
One teammate threatened via text, “You really want to get raped again, don’t you?”, Kevin shared from a screenshot of his son’s phone.
Another student walked into his Spanish class, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threatened him to delete his text messages. The threats continued as students called him a snitch for reporting the violence, he said.
The family went to the police in October and provided a statement to investigators. They say a juvenile court judge later granted a harassment prevention order against the student who allegedly groped Johnathan, but that boy was able to finish the football season.
Some of the involved students received five-day suspensions, the parents said, but they want to see criminal charges.
“I just want to see justice for Johnathan. I want the law to take the right actions,” Kevin said. “A lot of teenagers hold this in for the rest of their life. And I give my son a lot of credit for speaking up. And it’s terrifying. I’m concerned about his safety.”
The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, who is leading the investigation with Woburn police, told Boston 25 News they are aware of the allegations and continuing their investigation.
A spokesperson referred Boston 25 News to a statement provided to The Boston Globe, who first reported this story (After Woburn football player endures multiple alleged assaults, parents left outraged by official response - The Boston Globe), in which the DA’s office says it is continuing to receive new information and interview new witnesses.
The Couceloses also want to see change within the school district and repercussions for the football coaches they believe failed to keep their son safe.
The family believes the safety of their son, who is Portuguese and Puerto Rican, is not being prioritized because he is a person of color.
“I know they say they have protocols, and they have to do a full investigation,” Jeanny said. “I mean, it’s all on video. I don’t understand why we have to wait this long.”
But Superintendent Matthew Crowley said in a letter to families the district has been advised to “await the conclusion of the police investigation before commencing our own independent investigation.”
“I share in the collective shock and outrage regarding this incident,” Crowley said. “As soon as we became aware of this incident, we took immediate action consistent with our policies and student handbook. We acknowledge and support the student and family that had the strength to come forward to report this deeply troubling matter.”
Crowley said the district will work with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) in the aftermath of the “deeply troubling incident.”
“Incidents like these have no place in our community,” Crowley said. “We will be consulting with the MIAA for its guidance and expertise, and all athletics and coaching staff who remain with the Woburn Public Schools over the next year will be required to undertake extensive supplemental training to ensure our athletics programs are safe, nurturing, and healthy experience for the children and young adults who participate in them.”
Meanwhile, Johnathan has recently left school, choosing to learn remotely at home. His parents say he is withdrawn and traumatized, and they vow he will never return to high school.
The family plans to meet with detectives Wednesday for an update on the status of the investigation.
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