Bergstrom argued that the states shield laws do not apply in this case as the Inquirer is not protecting a confidential source or communication. And those folks do it without flinching. I want the victims to know that what you did was horrible beyond description, the judge said. "For 86 years, The Cadets have been leaders and innovators in performing arts education," Bonfiglio said. Cadets are in troubleGH loves it that way.He wants there to be no Cadets if something happens to him.Cadets are in trouble for the FUTURE!!! Success! Hopkins, George | WDCHOF George Hopkins, longtime director of the Cadets drum corps, resigns after sexual misconduct allegations April 6, 2018, 7:20 AM The decorated director of The Cadets drum and bugle corps. With director gone, Troopers now face deep-seated culture of negligence ACLU says it could take legal action over Saucon Valley School District rescinding approval for After School Satan Club, Big rig crashes from I-81 bridge onto street below in Schuylkill, 'He was a very humble guy': Reading High soccer coach remembers player killed in Route 33 crash, Eat, Sip, Shop: Refresh your ride at new Lehigh County store, selling high-quality car detailing products, Former Allentown Cadets director issues statement claiming innocence, Charges filed against former Allentown Cadets director, Investigation into YEA sexual misconduct allegations complete, Report clears former YEA interim CEO of wrongdoing, YEA! Cc: Youth Education in the Arts Board of Directors. [17], The Cadets was formerly part of Youth Education in the Arts (YEA! Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. Bergstrom said the Inquirer interviewed Jessica Beyer in April 2018 and publicly aired the four to five-minute video. People are using more water. His arrival was fortuitous, because the Cadets were in crisis - lacking staff, YEA rejects ex-director's resignation, fires him amid allegations, New twists appear in relation to former Cadets Director George Hopkins, Investigation underway into YEA! In 198385, the Garfield Cadets became the first DCI corps to earn a three-peatthree consecutive DCI titles. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. I am not a Trooper, Im just a sack of meat, just sitting on the ground being worthless.. Success! [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. amid sexual allegations, Allentown Cadets board resigns amid allegations against ex-drum corps director, Defense says accused former drums corps director weighing plea deal. George Hopkins, YEA settle civil suit regarding compensation, Stormcenter - School / Business Application. 1 / Adagio for Strings / Medea's Dance of Vengeance, The Promise of Living (from The Tender Land) / Lincoln Portrait / Music for the Theater, Mvts. George has 7 jobs listed on their profile. Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Casper Star-Tribune. In her last season, she remembers a staffer being forced to resign after he was found to be sleeping with a member. Youth Education in the Arts governs the Allentown Cadets drum corps. The charges are second-degree felonies. It is clear that this is not something you are okay with. 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. The investigation into Hopkins conduct found he had little oversight from the Cadets board, giving him the freedom to throw things when angry in rehearsals, refer to women as little girls, and send inappropriate sexual emails on the organizations server. 39K subscribers in the drumcorps community. The judge set a Dec. 17 hearing on the defenses motion to dismiss the charges. Read more JESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer Vicki Ferrence Ray, Interim Executive Director of CAE, subsequently signed an agreement to make the Erie Sports Center The Cadets' year-round home. The charge to which Hopkins pleaded no contest stemmed from a woman who said she was sexually assaulted in 2010. View George Hopkins' profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. After the summer of 2020, the first summer in years without a Troopers tour, Ian Calhoun said he started to hear from friends hed made at the corps who were interested in reporting some of their experiences to the advocacy group MAASIN (Marching Arts Access, Safety & Inclusion Network). Philly.com reported the alleged misconduct ranged from lewd comments and groping to rape. Morning call file photo/Special to The Morning Call, Former Allentown Cadets band leader pleads no, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Former Allentown Cadets band leader pleads no contest to indecent assault; judge calls him disgusting, Trump supporters who drove Hummer with guns and ammo to Philadelphia vote-counting site spared more jail time, Paul Muschick: Would money motivate Pennsylvania businesses to move to a four-day work week? Since the assault in the apartment occurred in 2010, before a recent amendment to Megans Law, Hopkins is not subject to sexual offender registration. [10] On September 22, 2020, Hopkins pleaded no contest to indecent assault and was sentenced to two years probation[14] and fined $5,000. Free Access to this video! In a fast-paced competitive environment like the Troopers, Calhoun said his mental illness problems soon led to physical injuries. separated from YEA and became the nonprofit Cadets Arts & Entertainment Inc. Hopkins called the allegations an orchestrated smear, Report: Drum corps leader threw things at work, called women little girls, California residents do not sell my data request. A Failure to Protect - Inquirer.com But if that is the consensus of the alumni maybe WE should ensure that there will be a future for the CADET organization! Second, I want to thank the USBands team for their hard work. New statement from Youth in Education in the Arts on Allentown Cadets The decision to leave wasnt easy, especially since the messaging within the organization encourages members to deal with the hardships or be seen as weak. to recruit potential members is a Cadet legend. "There were some tears. [13] The corps' compliance with the terms of probation was sufficient for DCI to allow the corps to compete in 2018, and the probation was lifted in May 2019. The Govenaires, an all-age/senior corps founded in 1927, retain the title of oldest continuously active corps. [6] The only junior drum and bugle corps older than The Cadets is the Racine Scouts, which was founded in 1927. as of March 31, 2020. Lillian Petrullo-Yocovelli GH doesnt love the CADET Organisation he made himself an empire..to support him with his RV and 200K salary plus all the other extras.Laughing at everyone all the way to the bank.. Laura Masker I am not disagreeing with you as far as GH is concerned. A tuba player lost feeling in their right hand, he said, and wasnt treated until the next day. I expect my final paycheck on October 18 which should include the agreed upon amount for moving expenses that has not been paid since starting in February 2017. Im angry. The Cadets began operating independently of YEA! A statement issued late Thursday night by the YEA board of directors, the organization that operates The Cadets, an elite drum and bugle corps, said CEO George Hopkins denies the allegations but . In February 2023, CAE announced a long-term partnership with the Erie Sports Center, resulting in a decision to move The Cadets and all operations of CAE to Erie, Pa. Ex-Allentown Cadets director George Hopkins waives hearing on sexual In the suit, Hopkins denied he was fired by YEA, claiming he left the organization through a mutually agreeable cessation of employment.. In the criminal case, prosecutors allege 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. Prosecutor Matthew Falk, the offices chef deputy district attorney, said Beyer, the woman in the allegation dating to 2008, decided that not pursuing these charges are in her best interest, and we support her in that. The victim in the 2010 assault has asked not to be named. Instead, Beyer is very much in the public eye, and the defense is asking to see the entire video interview, not a reporters notes, he said. This is art. Did march in the band at West Chester University in Pennsylvania for one year. You have permission to edit this article. Genesis from Austin, Texas performs during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field Friday evening, July 12, 2019. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. Now, she told Hopkins, who stood a few feet from her in the courtroom, she feels stronger than ever. creates new code of conduct after sexual harassment allegations, Fired! 253 votes, 88 comments. YEA! George Hopkins, the former director of Allentown's famed Cadets drum corps, was charged Tuesday with sexually assaulting two former employees, another striking turn in what had been an illustrious, four-decade-long career that took Hopkins to the top of the national youth activity. George Hopkins, the former CEO of the Allentown-based Youth Education in the Arts, faces three felony counts of sexual assault for allegedly assaulting two former employees. All that was claimed to have happened didnt happen. But instead, he encountered a disorganized administrative team that seemed to be improvising on the job. With no 2020 drum corps season, Cadets Arts & Entertainment focused its attention on establishing clear policies, strict safeguards and strategic committees that meet regularly to help guide The Cadets forward. Renowned drum corps leader resigns amid abuse allegations 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. The corps was known not only for its talent but for its traveling to compete. The Troopers and other corps under the Drum Corps International umbrella are now left to reckon with the allegations brought against them on a deeper level, beyond personnel. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. The judge did question how the defense would know if the witness impeached her own testimony on the stand, if it didnt know ahead of time what she may have said in an earlier interview. George Hopkins, the former director of the Allentown Cadets drum and bugle corps who was accused of sexual misconduct by a dozen women, pleaded no contest on Thursday to indecent assault and was sentenced to two years of probation. also sponsored the recently inactive 2016 DCA Champion Cadets2 Drum Corps, 2014 WGI Independent Open Champion Cadets Winter Percussion, and Cadets Winter Guard; USBands (formerly United States Scholastic Band Association); the Urban Arts Center of the Lehigh Valley, which included the Xcape Dance Studio.[18]. moved its base of operations to Allentown, Pennsylvania and The Cadets relocated along with it. Give us your full drum corps/marching music background. Chapter 5 Staff changes and letters to the board of directors . [2][3], In the second half of the Sixties, the Garfield Cadets became more of an also-ran than a champion. Edwin Garrity of the Holy Name Catholic parish in Garfield, New Jersey founded the Holy Name Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 1934 as an activity for the boys in the parish. Hopkins needs Help From George Hopkins . On July 4, 1986 the Cadets performed as a part of the Liberty Weekend celebrating both the hundredth anniversary and the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. Allentown's Cadets drum and bugle corps forming non-profit, separating from YEA! 10 in E minor, Op. She said she told Hopkins no but was unable to fight off his sexual advances. Mostly cloudy and drier, but a few scattered rain showers linger early, and perhaps a few snow showers at any point in the Poconos. There was upset from some people, as you can see, and others saw the progression as an effort to maintain the Cadets as an organization steeped in tradition but also very, very progressive when it came to new ideas, new concepts, and fresh presentations. Hopkins attended Wednesdays proceeding but did not address the court. First, I want to thank you for the opportunity you have afforded me in this role. Connell said she never had any problems with Jackson herself, but was hurt indirectly watching her close friends being neglected or silenced. An online community dedicated to the marching arts, with a focus on drum corps. On April 5, 2018, allegations were made in published reports that the longstanding corps director, George Hopkins, sexually harassed or abused multiple members of the corps and staff over a period of years. Michael Berry, attorney for the Inquirer, countered that the defense could interview Beyer on its own or cross-examine her at trial. The only ones that thought it was the kiss ass GH puppets/groupies/cult members. 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.. "' The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps . Some people may be able to give 12 hours a day to the cause, and that is great for them and you, but my life is outside of YEA! This amount of the lawsuit included recovery for lost sponsorships and pledged donations to The Cadets and YEA!, a major loss of participants in the US Bands program, as well as legal fees incurred due to the scandal. One in four trooper positions are vacant. ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- The longtime leader of a champion Pennsylvania-based drum and bugle corps has resigned in the wake of a newspaper report that contained allegations of sexual misconduct spanning nearly four decades. "Dear George Hopkins, This letter is to inform you of my resignation as Director of USBands, effective immediately. April 13, 2018. Life long member, teacher, and administrator of Drum Corps (from 19682019). ), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. [15], In response to Hopkins suing YEA! Allentown Cadets director resigns amid sexual misconduct allegations The Troopers initially denied wrongdoing, but later issued a statement apologizing for its defensive posture after facing a social media backlash. Former drum corps director George Hopkins charged with sexual assault Calhoun ended up pulling a hamstring, but wasnt sent to a clinic for treatment. But no one is irreplaceable. Hopkins: Briefly, after I personally assisted the project in 1996 (Chris Marino was the chairman of the board for the Crossmen), YEA! Crews were actively searching for people who were trapped, but having a hard time getting to them. The whistleblowers say they went public after receiving a feeble response from the Troopers legal team. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Crews contend with tons of snow as they work to reopen I-80, Powell sisters die in crash with semi-truck, Long shifts, odd calls, brutal weather: inside the Wyoming Highway Patrol staffing shortage, Ex-Casper doctor imprisoned for sexually assaulting patients released years early, Lovell steps up after local sportswriter dies from car crash injuries. "I felt pressured and I felt cornered. 2; Steve Vickers, ed. Allentown Cadets hit hard financially by sexual misconduct scandal There was an error processing your request. In 2003, Yea! Folks were upset, nothing new, but this time, the anger took a more aggressive approach. Anthony warned Hopkins that if he violated any conditions of probation he could be sent to a state prison. Nickelodeons Kids Choice Awards: What Is Slime, and Why Do We Love It? He followed that with eight additional DCI World Championships, most The woman told police that when she stood up to leave the bar, she felt like she was moving in Jell-O.. wondering if he would be able to field and/or finance a corps, and ended 1983 ACLU says it could take legal action over Saucon Valley School District rescinding approval for After School Satan Club, Big rig crashes from I-81 bridge onto street below in Schuylkill, 'He was a very humble guy': Reading High soccer coach remembers player killed in Route 33 crash, Eat, Sip, Shop: Refresh your ride at new Lehigh County store, selling high-quality car detailing products, Defense says accused former drums corps director weighing plea deal. Hopkins earned about $177,000 in 2017, according to the nonprofit's financial statements. They sleep on hard gym floors, take water breaks on the run and get an average of one day off per month. In a high-profile case that came to light in 2018, a former director of the Allentown Cadets was accused of sexual misconduct ranging from verbal harassment to rape by 12 women, several of them former corps members. Report clears former Cadets employee ensnared in boss's sexual He resigned from his post in early April amid sexual assault allegations, but the YEA board said it was firing Hopkins. The Crossmen of San Antonio, Texas perform during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field Friday evening, July 12, 2019. If his probation officer recommends it, Hopkins will have to undergo sex offender therapy.