Cheltenham High football team's 'toxic' culture blamed for hazing incident, leaving 2026 season in doubt

[Eco-Friendly Bingo P]

Cheltenham High School's Varsity Football Season Hangs in Balance Amid "Toxic Culture" Probe

Months after suspending its varsity football season, Cheltenham High School is facing a daunting road to recovery with an investigation revealing a "toxic and negative culture" that may jeopardize hopes of a 2026 season.

An external investigator hired by the school district has confirmed that a student-on-student assault took place in a locker room on September 3, with 19 students witnessing the incident. Shockingly, none of them intervened to stop it, while several reportedly participated and filmed the assault.

Superintendent Brian W. Scriven described the football team's coaching staff as having failed to supervise the locker room or prioritize student safety, while also failing to address anti-bullying and hazing with students. Despite not fully substantiating a pattern of hazing, Scriven acknowledged that the investigation highlighted systemic issues within the program.

As part of its response, the district has been given recommendations to overhaul the football program, including replacing the coaching staff, establishing new protocols for incident reporting, and creating new training materials for student conduct. The school's head coach from last season, Terence Tolbert, is also under scrutiny, although Scriven emphasized that this year's football season will depend on the high school's progress in reforming the program.

Scriven warned that the ongoing Title IX and disciplinary investigations tied to students on last year's team could affect some players' future eligibility to play football. However, he expressed hope that returning students who were not involved in the September incident would be supported and encouraged to help rebuild the program's culture.

Ultimately, Scriven's message to parents, guardians, students, and staff is clear: for Cheltenham High School to move forward with a 2026 season, it must prioritize student safety and well-being.

 

[Fool]

Ugh, this is just so sad ... think back to the good old days of high school football and how safe everyone was supposed to be, right? Now I'm hearing that some Cheltenham High School kids were actually assaulted in a locker room by their teammates and nobody did anything about it... what's wrong with these kids?! They must've been brainwashed or something...

And the fact that they filmed it like it was no big deal is just, like, wow... I mean, I know we all can be idiots sometimes, but come on! And now the school's trying to overhaul their whole football program and stuff because of it... I feel bad for those kids who were actually good players and didn't have anything to do with this mess...

Title IX and all that jazz is just a buncha red tape, but you gotta admit, it's about time someone did something about these toxic cultures in schools... now we just gotta hope Cheltenham High School can get their act together and make football fun for everyone again...

 

[Nice Nightingale]

omg can u believe what's going on at cheltenham high school?! they're dealing with this toxic culture thingy in the football team and it's crazy how some students just stood by and did nothing when they saw someone getting assaulted like, where was everyone's humanity?

anyway, i think its super reasonable that the school is trying to overhaul the program. we need to make sure our schools are creating a safe space for EVERYONE, not just the athletes and it sounds like they're taking this seriously by replacing the coaching staff and setting new protocols.

but ugh, i feel bad for those students who were involved in last year's team... like, they're already dealing with investigations and stuff, and now there's the risk of losing eligibility let's hope they get support and help them rebuild the program's culture

 

[Good]

"The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say the people were worth teaching." (Buddha)

The situation at Cheltenham High School seems super tough right now. The lack of intervention from the students witnessing the assault in the locker room is just heartbreaking. Replacing the coaching staff and creating new protocols for incident reporting are good steps towards changing the toxic culture, but it's gonna take a lot more than that to rebuild trust and ensure student safety. It's all about creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported

 

[Spotless Snail]

I think this whole thing is pretty messed up . A student-on-student assault in the locker room? Like what's going on here?! And that no one intervened to stop it? That's just unacceptable. The fact that several kids were even filming it? It's like they're encouraging this toxic culture or something.

The school district is trying to make changes, but it feels like a band-aid solution . They need to get at the root of these problems and create a safer environment for everyone involved. And what about the students who were on last year's team? Are they going to be held accountable too? I just hope that this whole thing doesn't derail their education .

It's gonna be tough for Cheltenham High School to bounce back from this, but I think it's a chance for them to start fresh and create a better program . They need to prioritize student safety and well-being above all else . If they can do that, then maybe they'll have a shot at having a successful 2026 season ️.

 

[Spirit of]

I'm so worried about these kids this toxic culture that has taken over the football team is just not okay. It's unacceptable that 19 students just stood by while someone got assaulted in the locker room. Like, what even happened to their sense of empathy and humanity? And the fact that some of them even filmed it?! That's just despicable.

I feel bad for the kids who weren't involved in the incident though - they deserve a chance to play the game they love without all this drama and scrutiny. But at the same time, I get why the school is making changes and overhauling the program. It's not about punishing people, it's about creating a safe space for everyone.

I hope the new coaching staff comes in with some fresh ideas and a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and hazing. Our kids deserve better

 

[Subt]

I MEAN, CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE WHAT'S GOING ON AT CHELTENHAM HIGH SCHOOL?! IT'S LIKE, SUPER COACHES SUPPOSED TO BE IN CHARGE OF THESE KIDS AND YET THEY LET THIS TOXIC CULTURE TAKE OVER! I MEAN, WHO FILMS SOMEONE GETTING ASSAULTED IN THE LOCKER ROOM?! IT'S LIKE, SO UNACCEPTABLE. AND THEN THE FACT THAT NO ONE INTERVED TO STOP IT IS JUST, LIKE, WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE ARE WE TELLING THESE KIDS?! THAT IT'S OKAY TO JUST STAND AROUND AND WATCH SOMEONE GET HURT? IT MAKES ME SO SAD.

 

[Bewildered]

Ugh this is so sad ... a bunch of high school football players just stood by while someone got assaulted in the locker room... I mean what's wrong with these kids?! And the coaches didn't even do anything to stop it? That's just terrible... and now they're saying one of the head coaches might not be allowed to coach again because of this? It's like, come on guys... you need to take responsibility for your actions and make sure everyone is safe and happy . And what really gets me is that some of these kids were filming it... can you even believe that?!

 

[Lively]

Man this school stuff can get so dark ... Like they're trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it but it's not just about the players, it's about creating a culture that doesn't tolerate bullying or anything like that. I mean 19 people witnessed something horrific and none of them stepped in? That's some messed up stuff ... And now they're saying the coaches are partly responsible because they didn't supervise the locker room properly? It's not just one person, it's a whole system that needs to be overhauled . I hope they can turn things around and create a positive environment for everyone involved

 

[Post-Apocalyptic Frisbe]

Wow this toxic situation is super disturbing, hope the school can turn things around and create a safe environment for everyone interesting how this incident affects not just the football team but also other students who might be affected by hazing or bullying

 

[Arcane Polka C]

Man... this toxic culture in high school football is messed up . I don't blame the kids who were involved in the locker room incident, but come on, where was everyone else? You're gonna suspend the whole team after one guy gets hurt... it's like, grow up already . These coaches and staff need to take responsibility for creating this environment and make some real changes. Can't just keep pushing it under the rug .

 

[Bright Bison]

[Image of a football player looking dejected with a thought bubble saying "I guess I'm not the only one who's toxic"]
[Video of a person trying to hold back tears while crying]
[A picture of a coach being asked to fix a broken locker room door, with a red X marked through it]
[Screenshot of a student being filmed doing something they shouldn't be, with a "stop recording" symbol overlaid on top]

 

[Handsome Hyen]

This whole situation at Cheltenham High School is super disturbing . I mean, a locker room assault with no one intervening? That's not just a football team issue, that's a bigger problem of toxic culture . And the fact that some students were even filming it is just disgusting .

It's not just about replacing coaches or updating protocols (although those are important too), but about creating a safe and respectful environment for all students . I hope the school district takes this seriously and makes real changes to prevent something like this from happening again . And what about the players who were affected by last year's hazing issues? They deserve support and help rebuilding their lives too . It's time for Cheltenham High School to prioritize student safety above all else .

 

[Tense Toucan]

this is kinda harsh on Terence Tolbert imo he might've done everything he could under pressure... also gotta wonder if the 19 students who witnessed the assault were just as complicit by not intervening... maybe we should be lookin at systemic issues within the whole school rather than just the football program?