By Bill Wolcott
Niagara Gazette
July 07, 2009 06:18 pm
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Concerned Parents, a loosely organized group of residents formed in response to the Wilson hazing incident, are awaiting the decision before the town court on charges against two 17-year-old high school students.
The group is angry charges against the Wilson baseball coaches Tom Baia and William Atlas were dismissed Monday, feeling that much evidence regarding the incident on the team bus on April 17, 2008 was thrown out because of technicalities, according Bob Martin, a spokesman for the group.
“Parents were just sitting back, waiting for evidence to come out. The evidence did not come out,” he said. “All we were looking for was accountability. We wanted to see the right thing done.”
Colton Sherman and Christopher Sidote, whose charges were reduced, were suspended from school after their arrests, but those suspensions were lifted during the first week of December following an administrative hearing.
Martin followed the case while working on the West Coast on business for three months. He spoke to a victim’s mother and learned the boy was on the witness stand and interrogated for three hours during a closed court session.
Andrew Vona, who represents one of the accused boys, said he was not looking at the clock during cross-examination. The Lockport attorney also took exception to the word victim. “Victim of what?” Vona asked. “Horseplay on a bus?”
According to Vona, 10 witnesses of the alleged incident took the stand. “All those kids got to testify to what they observed,” he said.
Vona also disputed a parent’s report that none of the victims stories have ever wavered or changed.
“I’m a little frustrated,” Martin said. “It’s bad for the kids that were beat up. Justice was not served. Now these kids have a stamp on them and nasty things being said.”
Judge Berger’s decision on the boys’ case is expected soon, Vona said.
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