You have permission to edit this article. George Hopkins pleaded no contest in Lehigh. [20] A new Board of Directors was established, led by former CEO and Cadets Director Denise Bonfiglio. Read more JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer The amount of time and effort that is necessary to make certain USBands events are successful is astounding. Brisk with west to northwest winds around 10-20mph gusting to 30mph.. Mostly cloudy with less wind and a few breaks in the clouds overnight. The charges are second-degree felonies. YEA! One former Youth Education in the Arts employee who spoke to Philly.com on condition that she was identified only by her first name, Marie, said Hopkins routinely harassed and assaulted her at work. Drum Corps International, the sanctioning body for competition youth drum corps events, said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned" by the allegations against Hopkins. In addition, YEA! Berry cited precedent in which a federal court found that the defense had not exhausted all other avenues for getting information before a media outlet was forced to hand over an interview. Falk said the victims were in agreement with the plea negotiation. [22][23], At the annual World Championship Finals, Drum Corps International (DCI) presents awards to the corps with the high average scores from prelims, semifinals, and finals in five captions. Hopkins needs Help From George Hopkins . The lyrics are taught to new members each summer and sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum". Hopkins, George | WDCHOF Free Access to this video! Former drum corps leader pleads no contest to indecent assault; judge DCI.org: For the uninitiated, give us a brief history of YEA!'s relationship with the Crossmen. Nickelodeons Kids Choice Awards: What Is Slime, and Why Do We Love It? But with the end of 2015, other changes occured. For those who outright pretty much called me a liar, Lillian Petrullo-Yocovelli Thx you Caren Blundetto-Frech!! "He's like, 'Are you all right?' She marched from 2015 to 2017, around the same time as Calhoun. Most of the time, the individual is NOT an assistant but someone who would like to assist. The woman told police that when she stood up to leave the bar, she felt like she was moving in Jell-O.. He followed that with eight additional DCI World Championships, most That might be because people are running their faucets to keep pipes from freezing. Allentown Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps separated from YEA and became the nonprofit Cadets Arts & Entertainment Inc. in May, stating it had lost $1.5 million in sponsorships, donations, and ticket sales after the allegations against Hopkins were made public in the 2018 Inquirer account. In her 2018 account to The Inquirer, that woman, Jessica Beyer, said she had marched with the Cadets and was hired to work for the group the following year at age 22. You have permission to edit this article. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. In response to a question from Anthony, Berry said the paper would hand over the full video recording for the judges review only, if that was the courts ruling. I was just going to say, check his will! In July, he sued the organization for more than $580,000 in severance pay. We could soon find out, A windy, cloudy Saturday for the Lehigh Valley, but the sun will come out tomorrow, Six years after hazing death, Penn State plans to drop the Greek life oversight it championed. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. established a hotline for calls to report concerns or complaints.[11]. 10 in E minor, Op. with the Cadets as DCI World Championsthe first eastern corps ever to hold Consent matters.. And those folks do it without flinching. Former drum corps director George Hopkins charged with sexual assault [7] Later that day, Hopkins stepped down as director of The Cadets and YEA! YEA! There are so many other things that Ive witnessed as a marching member, but theyre not my stories to tell, Connell said. If his probation officer recommends it, Hopkins will have to undergo sex offender therapy. Through his attorney, Hopkins said he did not know who Marie is, but denied her allegation. Nine women from Allentowns elite Cadets drum corps accuse director George Hopkins of sexual abuse and harassment, he sued the organization for more than $580,000. The corps traveled to Chicago for Legion Nationals at the members' own expense. The Crossmen of San Antonio, Texas perform during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field Friday evening, July 12, 2019. Names and emails redacted to protect the innocent. 39K subscribers in the drumcorps community. After roughly a month of trying to leave, Calhoun said he finally did it in July, cutting his touring season short. On Wednesday, he told Lehigh County Judge James Anthony that the Inquirer has refused to provide the full video. [2][3], The Garfield Cadets relocated outside Garfield to Hackensack and became the Cadets of Bergen County in 1989. But I never said yes," said Linda Riley. [2][3][4], In 1972, the Garfield Cadets, along with the nine other corps from the Alliance and the Midwest Combine, plus the Anaheim Kingsmen, Argonne Rebels, and De La Salle Oaklands were founding members of Drum Corps International, which remains as the sanctioning body for junior corps in North America. The Cadets - Hopkins needs Help From George Hopkins A | Facebook In a no-contest plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but concedes that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. for more than $650,000 in severance and back pay, the organization filed a counter-suit against the former director for $1.5 million in losses which it alleges to have lost due to the sexual misconduct scandal. Anthony warned Hopkins that if he violated any conditions of probation, he could be sent to a state prison. he sued the organization for more than $580,000 in severance pay. The dozen women who accused Hopkins of harassment ranged in age from 16 to 37 at the time of the alleged incidents, which dated to 1980. This action was taken in reaction to the rigid, inflexible rules of the American Legion and VFW (the primary rule makers and sponsors of both corps and shows) and the low or nonexistent performance fees paid for appearing in the various competitions. Tips to help protect your smartphone from thieves, Outlast Forces Lone Wolf Contestants to Embrace Team Dynamics for Netflix Competition, Diego Luna: Andor Ending With Season 2 Is Really Important for My Mental Health. The charge to which Hopkins pleaded no contest stemmed from one victim who said she was sexually assaulted in 2010 at age 26, and who provided her account to The Inquirer in 2018. Former Cadet Lee Ann Riley said she was 17 when Hopkins, then 23, forced himself on her and had sex with her. This has directed more than enough negative attention to the Cadets when in reality, it should be pointed at George Hopkins himself. Two more women say they were raped by Cadets' George Hopkins - Inquirer.com In an online post last year, Hopkins called the allegations an orchestrated smear by those who disagreed with his management. Read more Kyle Monroe by Tricia L. Nadolny [21] Committees were created in the areas of Health and Wellness, Equality and Inclusion, Performing Arts Education, Governance, and Finance. Steven Chirichella Richie has his gold uniform on him in his eternity as he lies in the heavens dont turn him blackplease oh Holy Name. The charges stemmed from alleged incidents involving two women. [15], In response to Hopkins suing YEA! And thats the sad part, those people that truly went through something hard, something life-altering and traumatic, are scared to talk about it.. Bergstrom reiterated his position that he cant effectively prepare a defense without access to the full interview. The prosecution on Wednesday did not take a position on the defenses request. The City of Erie welcomed The Cadets with open arms, offering access to local business relationships, services, volunteers, and new opportunities for funding and partnerships. Hopkins is out on $50,000 bail. 93 (Mvts. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Hopkins, 63, was accused of sexual assault and harassment by nine women in a 2018 Inquirer article. George Hopkins. money, and members. "[12] As a part of the terms of probation, the corps' reassessed their planned travel to the West Coast to open the season, and instead decided to proceed with a schedule redrawn for East Coast shows. In the criminal case, prosecutors alleged Hopkins, of Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, sexually assaulted a former employee at his Allentown apartment, after they met at a bar to discuss drum corps rules. "Dear George Hopkins, This letter is to inform you of my resignation as Director of USBands, effective immediately. Consent matters.. It took a summer without performances, said Connell, for people to step back and realize that what they thought was tough love was actually systemic negligence. I just felt like, Well, youre right. They sleep on hard gym floors, take water breaks on the run and get an average of one. Currently semi retired, while creating Act 2 of life. George Hopkins, the former director of the Allentown Cadets and CEO of Youth Education in the Arts who separated from the organization after being accused of sexually harassing nine women, is suing YEA for more than $580,000 in severance pay. You have permission to edit this article. The CAE Board of Directors approved this decision on Monday evening, February 13, 2023. Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On, Shania Twain 'uncontrollably fragile' after husband's affair, 48 Hours: Natalie Morales Reveals How Social Media Helped Solve Case, Uriah Heep believe they have 'some merit' to be considered for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame entry, Amanda Seyfried wants to a role in movie version of Mean Girls: The Musical, Aaron Taylor-Johnson joins Nosferatu remake. Philly.com reported the alleged misconduct ranged from lewd comments and groping to rape. The story of George's van trip to Mississippi and Louisiana Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Falk said the woman in the 2008 allegation decided that not pursuing these charges are in her best interest, and we support her in that.. Anthony warned Hopkins that if he violated any conditions of probation he could be sent to a state prison. Give us your full drum corps/marching music background. "This is a painful moment for all those who care about The Cadets," Youth Education in the Arts, the nonprofit that runs The Cadets, said in a statement on its website. wondering if he would be able to field and/or finance a corps, and ended 1983 But, as Connell says, the problem is much deeper than a couple of creeps. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. The whistleblowers say they went public after receiving a feeble response from the Troopers legal team. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Falk declined to comment afterward on whether the two sides were discussing a plea deal. The women are among roughly a dozen connected to the Cadets organization who say they were sexually assaulted by Hopkins dating back to the 1980s. George Hopkins, former director of Allentown's elite Cadets drum and bugle corps, pleaded no contest to indecent assault after an Inquirer investigation revealed years of misconduct. Hopkins was hired by The Cadets in 1979 and became director in 1982, coaching the team to 10 world titles.
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