"She's a mature, strong kid and she's hanging in there," Vanderbilt head coach Stephanie Smith said earlier this year. *N.J. lawmakers take steps to halt phony transcripts like ones used at Eastside. Lyde also told Ugboaja the school could accept international students with I-20s, Ugboaja said. coach blew up, NJSIAA demands 'full accounting' from hoops power with several overseas players, School suspends hoops coach who had 6 overseas players living with him. Again, though, we are told HSI is looking to question the deputy in connection with its investigation. "Here in Puerto Rico, I was a top prospect," Selwyn, now 22, said as he sat on a weight bench in his carport adjacent to his grandmother's house. "He didn't have a bed (for me) so I was sleeping on a pile of clothes on the floor. ", Selwyn Rodriguez during practice with Vaqueros de Bayamon in Puerto Rico. CLICK HERE. PATERSON - Basketball players who transferred to Paterson's Eastside High School from Nigeria and Puerto Rico went through a different school registration process than did other students,. *NJSIAA announces new hearings to deal with Eastside fallout. I think Eileen Shafer has done a tremendous job being proactive on this.. Ejiofor lived there with other Eastside girls and boys basketball players from Nigeria, including Juliet James and ThankGod Okenwa, according to school documents obtained by NJ Advance Media. The college admissions cheating scandal is roiling some of Southern California's most elite prep schools, . "I would have been able to pull names out of a hat pretty quick to be able to get her in the right direction. See the documents, African players are flocking to top N.J. basketball teams. Coaches in other towns dont have to take a test on NJSIAA rules, he said. Classes could be delayed at a high school sports power house after more than a dozen teachers walked off the job. Teachers told KIRO 7 Eastside Catholic has buses that bring students who live far away to Eastside Catholic to play football -- with tuition paid for through the Independent School Association. Read more: http://nj-ne.ws/lHtJWSq. The USSS and HSI investigations are ongoing. According to our sources, one of these central figures is said to be involved in a forthcoming family court matter although no additional details about that case were provided. - Karen Hatch, Eastside Catholic, Marketing and Communications Director. But over here, you're like a god.". A pipeline of talented players to New Jersey is alive and well, but at times things can go awry with the process, as evidence by the recent scandal at Paterson Eastside. Email Audrey Bass at asbass@greenville.k12.sc.us with any questions! I would call the school about that.". Griles, Ortiz said, refused to stop for food after practice even after he repeatedly complained he was hungry. All rights reserved (About Us). Under his suspension, Lyde is eligible to resume coaching the Eastside girls team next season. No one was seriously injured in the melee. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Having said all of that, there are criminal statutes on the books which protect minors in this state from being exploited and prevent adults from contributing to their delinquency. According to our sources, the Thornblade saga has elements that could potentially fall under both of these categories. In anticipation of a radio story for the Beat, Andrea went to work on her Roosevelt campus last week and asked students what they thought of the scandal. "That's an even bigger responsibility when you're leaving home to play. And he regrets others who followed him encountered similar problems. We want to make sure everything is done properly, Castillo said. It didn't take long to realize the living situation wouldn't match the promises. The punishments imposed against Cooper and the others stemmed from an investigation conducted by a. Theres the front door, which is you get through yourself. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Viewer discretion is advised. Rodriguez left Puerto Rico in 2011, chasing the promises of a coach from New Jersey -- his own apartment, a spot on an elite high school team and a Division 1 scholarship. Christian Ortiz and his father, William, heard journalists from New Jersey were in Puerto Rico for a story on Eastside and drove 90 minutes from their home for an audience. WHEN/WHERE: Monday, 4:30 p.m., at No. Infighting, finger pointing and chaos erupted among high-ranking Paterson school district administrators as the Eastside High basketball scandal barreled out of control, according to a. unanswered questions in the Paterson basketball scandal, How scandal of overseas hoops players living with H.S. But Esteban, who admits crying when he read the first story about the Eastside scandal, said Selwyn was . After his departure, the district reduced some of the penalties. Spirit Week Application SIC Call for Nominations SIC Call for Nominations Got a technical question or a glitch to report? All four ended up in Paterson, playing for the powerhouse teams at Eastside High School, . I constantly see how students with amazing GPAs and stats, and amazing stories and extracurriculars are not going to the colleges they should have earned. The turmoil weighed on Aquino, who confided in a teacher in 2015, according to the school report. unanswered questions in the Paterson basketball scandal. It was an unfortunate ending for Ejiofor, who otherwise excelled at Eastside. In response to questions raised by our faculty and community, we held a Town Hall on Wednesday August 16. According to our sources, most of the initial speculation has centered around Eastside High Schoolin Taylors, S.C. - and perhaps one other nearby school in the South Carolina government-run. A fight broke out during the Camden County Tournament championship game between Camden High School and Eastside High School. "He made a lot of promises about the future, about getting Selwyn to a university, about getting him to Division 1," Selwyn's father, Edwin, said. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com). The veterans still call him "the rookie," but Selwyn hopes it'll be "Rookie of the Year" when the season ends. Paterson officials 'highly troubled' by latest bombshell in scandal that began with report of 6 overseas players living in coach's condo and widened to include concerns of human trafficking. Blessing Ejiofor (left) and Andrea Aquino pose in a picture posted to Twitter in November 2015. She had sprouted to 6-foot-7 by the time she was 15, the tallest girl many in her small village had ever seen. The connection was facilitated by Henry Ugboaja, the director of a prominent camp in Nigeria. The ongoing drama tied to this upscale Upstate neighborhood which was first reported by this news outlet a week ago has been dominating discussions in the greater Greenville, S.C. area. I used to play against them and perform good. Blessing Ejiofor landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in February 2014, working through a mental checklist of her new life in North Carolina. It is not immediately clear, although some light was recently shed on the case when Greenville, S.C. insurance marketing executiveRick Mathewsissued a statement related to his recent divorce fromJennifer Mathews who runs a yoga and pilates studio in Greenville. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Four players from three continents -- all bound by the same dream and pitch: Leave your friends and family behind, travel thousands of miles and use basketball to find a better life. "You gotta call her coach and whoever. Unfortunately, there are a pair of federal investigations underway related to the saga which first popped up on our radar screen almost two months ago. ", "I'm the victim because I'm the one who is out of school for six months," Ejiofor said last month. These allegations have since received mainstream media coverage courtesy of The Greenville News. Some turn down out-of-state offers because their parents need them to help out at home, or because of a fear of leaving California at a time of anti-immigrant fervor and uncertainty about whether Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protections will continue. Stay tuned we will continue doing our best to sift through the information we are provided related to all of these scandals. HSI agents have also reportedly been asking questions aboutBrian Gem Garrison a former adjunct tennis coach atEastside High Schoolin Taylors, S.C. who was arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor last spring. "I used to play great players that are already in the NBA. They had to be heard. Selwyn Rodriguez and Christian Ortiz started their odyssey in Puerto Rico. On Tuesday, New Jersey's governing body for high school sports levied an unprecedented level of sanctions against the Eastside boys and girls basketball programs, including a two-year state. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Griles, the Rodriguezes said, approached the family after Selwyn led Puerto Rico to the Under-17 championship in a 2011 Central America tournament. Staff Login. "And I said, 'Yes!'. "I should have been properly advised by those (at the school) and told the implications because I didn't even know I was out of status. It was freezing in the house. Probably. *State athletics group orders hearing into Eastside. Andrea Aquino began her journey in Paraguay. Excellence for All Students Through Strong Relationships & Instructional Strategies Delivered by Effective Educators. Their experiences cover six years and account for four of at least 13 players NJ Advance Media has identified as coming through Eastside's ambitious and bold pipeline. The districts status update on the plan says none of its employees reported taking transfer students into their homes or becoming their guardians. That's where Griles, he said, discovered him and recruited him to New Jersey. In the meantime, we are told half of Greenville is lawyered up in response to our ongoing reporting on the Thornblade saga prompting several of our sources to warn us to be careful how we proceed. Same goes for any attempt at blackmail. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Additionally, our news outlet has been sharply critical in the past of law enforcement investigations conducted into allegedly lewd and lascivious conduct. Search for New Jersey classmates, friends, family, and memories in one of the largest collections of Online Univeristy, College, Military, and High School Yearbook images and photos! NJSIAA slams Eastside with unprecedented penalties, N.J. lawmakers take steps to halt phony transcripts like ones used at Eastside, Homeland Security joins probe, with eye on international pipeline, State athletics group orders hearing into Eastside, Ugly accusations tearthrough highest levels of school, State criminal investigators launch probe into Eastside, District busted budget on$90k Wallace report, NJSIAA announces new hearings to deal with Eastside fallout. In January, the NJSIAA representative assigned to monitor Patersons athletics program sent the district a letter saying he had checked the basketball roster against eligibility lists and transfer records. Meanwhile, we have spoken with numerous Thornblade residents who have offered their own intimate insights into the situation. ", Said Edwin Rodriguez: "(Griles) basically put my sons' lives at risk putting them in this house with this drug addict. Asked if he cared to comment, he shifted in his wheelchair and said he wanted to go to college but didnt know how hed ever come up with the money, so hes doing whatever he can. "We're not dumb people. The Paterson Public School District announced wide-ranging penalties to its athletics department. All rights reserved. Days after a report detailed that six overseas basketball players were living with a coach, a number of pressing issues remained. PATERSON A security guard at Eastside High School has been removed from his job after allegations surfaced this week about "inappropriate contact" between him and a student, officials said. Deputy reportedly cleared after being accused of failing to report intimate knowledge of Upstate scandals . Over here, you 're like a god. `` coverage courtesy of the Greenville News ever seen a... Odyssey in Puerto Rico number of pressing issues remained though, we provided... 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