Coach Says He Was Breaking Up Hazing Incident; School Disagrees And Fires Him

Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Mass.), Shaun Sutner
http://www.telegram.com/article/20111028/NEWS/110289871/0/NEWS03

A Milford High School assistant football coach, who was fired for losing his temper, is accusing administrators of covering up a hazing incident in which a senior allegedly trapped a freshman in a toilet stall.

Patrick Cornelius, 53, says he is being painted as the culprit when he really was following Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules by breaking up what appeared to be an episode of hazing in the boys’ locker room Oct. 14.

While School Superintendent Robert Tremblay has referred to the incident as “roughhousing” and not hazing, Cornelius said the alleged victim, a freshman football player, was forced into the stall and not allowed to leave.

Cornelius, a defensive and offensive line coach for the last four years, said he witnessed the younger player coming out of the stall while the older player was still sitting on the toilet with his pants down. There were at least 20 other freshmen lined up against the wall, he said.

“They’re trying to hang me for what I said,” Cornelius said. “But what good did they think was going to come out of two guys being in the same stall? It was despicable, disgusting.”

Cornelius said he was told by players, immediately after the incident, that the older boys wanted younger players to wipe them after they had defecated.

Cornelius — a former Milford High, college and pro player — acknowledged that he “blew up” at the varsity players, using profanity, throwing a sheaf of diagrammed plays to the ground and knocking over two trash barrels. He said he did not touch any of the players.

“I yelled at them that they play with no emotion, but they sit there and pick on a little freshman half their size,” he said. “Am I condoning what I said? No.

“I wear my heart and my passion on my sleeve. I’m going to tell it like it is.”

Cornelius said he immediately reported what he saw to head coach Tom Cullen, who was sick at home, athletic director Richard Piergustavo and principal Michael Tempesta.

Tremblay told the Milford Patch that the incident was not a police matter and that Cornelius’ behavior was “out of line.”

Tremblay did not return calls from the Telegram & Gazette.

Two senior members of the football team — both star players — were suspended from playing, according to school officials.

Piergustavo told the T&G that Cornelius’ version of the events was “unfounded.”

“You can check that,” Piergustavo said. “If it was truly a hazing incident, there would have been law enforcement involvement. There are very serious, serious laws against hazing.”

Deputy Police Chief James Heron did not return several messages requesting comment.

Cornelius, a stay-at-home father of two young children, said he has been wrongly terminated. He was officially fired from his $4,400 assistant’s job on Friday, a week after the incident.

He alleged that a “personal vendetta” against him was part of the motivation for his dismissal and that officials used his background against him during their investigation.

Cornelius said he had some problems in his younger days, including a reputation for fighting that led to his being dismissed from the University of Maryland football team. He later played for Utah State and in the United States Football League, he said.

He also said he had issues with alcohol, but no longer drinks.

Milford plays Marlboro at 6 p.m. tomorrow at Medway High.