Ten members of a Pennsylvania high school football team, including several coaches, face charges after a player was allegedly assaulted in 2025.
In August and September of that year, a 15‑year‑old athlete from Cheltenham High School was reportedly subjected to violent acts by teammates.
The first incident on August 15 was captured on video by two juvenile players. The footage shows teammates using a broomstick to poke the victim’s buttocks while others held him down, with no coaches present.
On September 3, witnesses reported that Isaiah Simpson, 18, kicked or stomped the victim. The same juvenile from the earlier event used a broomstick again, and the victim was said to have curled into a ball in his gear, enduring kicks, stomps, and punches to the head and groin.
Isaiah Simpson now faces charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person. Josiah Peeler, 18, is charged with false swearing, while four other juveniles are charged but remain unnamed.
Volunteer coach Ralph Burnley, head coach Terence Tolbert, and assistant coaches Darian McFadden and Benjamin Johnson III were informed after the first assault. They contacted the victim, advised him not to inform his mother, and decided to handle the matter internally.
After the second assault, the victim’s mother learned of the incident through a relative, took him to a hospital where a contusion was diagnosed, and the school administrators received an anonymous tip that led them to involve law enforcement and cancel the football season.
Law enforcement officials reviewed the evidence and recommended charges against the four juveniles, two other football players, and four coaches.
These events underscore serious concerns regarding player safety and the management of alleged hazing within high‑school athletics.
