Lawyers: 2 Sayreville hazing defendants cleared

At least two defendants in the Sayreville football hazing scandal have been cleared of most of the charges. Attorneys for the two players tell News 12 New Jersey that their clients have been cleared

News 12 Staff

Aug 11, 2015, 1:43 AM

Updated 3,369 days ago

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At least two defendants in the Sayreville football hazing scandal have been cleared of most of the charges.
Attorneys for the two players tell News 12 New Jersey that their clients have been cleared of six of the most serious charges, including aggravated sexual contact and aggravated assault.
The attorneys say their clients are guilty of two disorderly persons charges, however. They were tried as juveniles in family court, and proceedings were held behind closed doors.
In October 2014, seven Sayreville War Memorial High School football players were arrested and accused of hazing and sexually assaulting four of their younger teammates. Sayreville School Superintendent Dr. Richard Labbe canceled the remainder of the season.
Coach George Najjar was fired a few months later. Chris Beagan, former head coach at Monroe High School, was hired to replace Najjar.
The names of the two defendants have not been released due to their ages. The verdicts of the other five defendants have not been released.
Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey was unhappy with the release of the information, as some of the matters are still legally pending.
In a statement to the media, Prosecutor Carey said, "The rules of professional conduct binding upon members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office greatly restrict the public comments that can be disseminated... Consequently, there will be limited comment issued by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at this time."
The news comes as Sayreville High School holds its pre-season football camp. The team's first home game will be held on Sept. 11.