The women are among roughly a dozen connected to the Cadets organization who say they were sexually assaulted by Hopkins dating back to the 1980s. George Hopkins, former director of Allentown's elite Cadets drum and bugle corps, pleaded no contest to indecent assault after an Inquirer investigation revealed years of misconduct. Connell said she never had any problems with Jackson herself, but was hurt indirectly watching her close friends being neglected or silenced. This is the performing arts, you dont need to be like this.. Brand New App to watch all of WFMZ-TV News and Syndicated Programing 24/7 on your Streaming App enabled TV. The charge to which Hopkins pleaded no contest stemmed from one victim who said she was sexually assaulted in 2010 at age 26, and who provided her account to The Inquirer in 2018. The corps would fail to make DCI Finals for the first three years they were held and for six of DCI's first eight seasons. 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. Drum Corps International, the sanctioning body for competition youth drum corps events, said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned" by the allegations against Hopkins. 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. 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. as of March 31, 2020. The Cadets Drum Corps (formerly the Holy Name Cadets, Cadets of Garfield, Garfield Cadets, and Cadets of Bergen County) is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps. How to do some spring cleaning on your smartphone, What the Tech? Thank you again for the opportunity and best of luck. ", She said she didn't file a rape report or inform the board of directors because Hopkins seemed "untouchable.". The whistleblowers say they went public after receiving a feeble response from the Troopers legal team. The judge opined that this situation is very different than, say, a defendants statement to police, a full copy of which would be made available to the defense by the prosecution. "[12] As a part of the terms of probation, the corps' reassessed their planned travel to the West Coast to open the season, and instead decided to proceed with a schedule redrawn for East Coast shows. I was just going to say, check his will! Their biggest resource in that effort may be the very people who are speaking out. In addition, YEA! Error! . She said that one evening in 2008, Hopkins asked her to come to his Allentown apartment to do some work. In a no-contest plea, a defendant does not admit guilt, but concedes that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. agreed to take over the assets and liabilities of the Crossmen in 1997. George Hopkins 247 Followers Life long member, teacher, and administrator of Drum Corps (from 1968-2019). George Hopkins, exiting court in Allentown in December 2018, pleaded no contest Thursday to indecent assault. Morning Call reporter Laurie Mason Schroeder can be reached at 610-820-6506 or lmason@mcall.com. Bergstrom argued that the states shield laws do not apply in this case as the Inquirer is not protecting a confidential source or communication. As presented, the Cadets did turn to Black renditions of the Cadets uniforms at the end of 2015. Hopkins was hired by The Cadets in 1979 and became director in 1982, coaching the team to 10 world titles. In my opinion, its impossible to march drum corps and not be broken in some way when you come out, because its a very rigorous physical and mental activity, said Calhoun, a former baritone. With director gone, Troopers now face deep-seated culture of negligence She marched from 2015 to 2017, around the same time as Calhoun. The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps perform during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field in July 2018. Awaiting trial for sex assault, former Allentown bugle corps director Hopkins also served as CEO of the Cadets' parent organization, Youth Education in the Arts. At the first DCI World Championships in Whitewater, Wisconsin, the Cadets just missed making Finals and finished in thirteenth place in a competition that featured thirty-nine corps from the East, the South, the West Coast, the Midwest and Great Plains, and Canada. All that was claimed to have happened didnt happen. Prior to 2000 and the adoption of the current scoring format, the Cadets won these captions: A History of Drum & Bugle Corps Vol. to take in order for its drum corps to participate in the upcoming 2018 DCI Summer Tour. Free Access to this video! Hopkins did not testify Thursday. 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. Most of the time, the individual is NOT an assistant but someone who would like to assist. 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. The group keeps up a grueling practice and travel schedule, performing throughout the United States. YEA! The Inquirer is telling me I need to go to another source, and there isnt one, he argued. 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. 39K subscribers in the drumcorps community. The reasons why may be about more than money. Hopkins' accusers ranged from 16 to 37 at the time of the abuse and harassment they say they endured, including three who were members of The Cadets and five who worked for Youth Education in the Arts, the parent organization that Hopkins also led as chief executive officer until his resignation. There was a problem saving your notification. In 1996, sponsorship of the corps was passed to Youth Education in the Arts (YEA), an umbrella organization sponsoring several youth and musical activities. The parent organization of the Allentown Cadets drum and bugle corps has settled part of a lawsuit by its former CEO George Hopkins over his salary and benefits after he was fired in the wake. 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. Bergstrom reiterated his position that he cant effectively prepare a defense without access to the full interview. That might be because people are running their faucets to keep pipes from freezing. And I never said no. The Crossmen of San Antonio, Texas perform during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field Friday evening, July 12, 2019. how enemies came to be friends. They wanted to shed a light on his behavior and for him to have a criminal record, he said. George Hopkins, the former director of the Allentown Cadets and CEO of Youth Education in the Arts who separated from the organization after being accused of sexually harassing nine women, is suing YEA for more than $580,000 in severance pay. All Rights Reserved. He followed that with eight additional DCI World Championships, most In the suit, Hopkins denied he was fired by YEA, claiming he left the organization through a mutually agreeable cessation of employment.. He's due back in court in February. 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. Many of the women who spoke to Philly.com said they felt empowered to come forward by the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct that has toppled powerful men in news and entertainment. The. Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony also fined Hopkins $5,000, the most allowed by law, and called him flatly disgusting.. This is our director.". Broke-down buses, Ibuprofen, and a sex offender: On the road with Two more women say they were raped by George Hopkins, bringing to 11 the number who have accused the former drum and bugle corps director of sexual misconduct. The Cadets - Hopkins needs Help From George Hopkins A | Facebook Advertisement Allentown News Hopkins was forced out as director of the . Im angry. George Hopkins. "There were some tears. 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!!! In written remarks later directed at Hopkins, she said she had joined the Cadets bright-eyed, eager, and innocently believing that through hard work and integrity most things were possible., Instead, she said, working for the Cadets meant being subjected to verbal and sexual abuse. He watched as several other members suffered avoidable injuries from being overworked with little rest. for more than $650,000 in severance and back pay, the organization filed a counter-suit against the former director for $1.5 million in losses which it alleges to have lost due to the sexual misconduct scandal. Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, The Cadets was one of the thirteen founding corps of Drum Corps International (DCI), is a ten-time DCI World Champion, and is the oldest continuously active junior drum and bugle corps in North America.[1]. As promised, here is Part 1, of an eight part interview/discussion with the designers and teachers of the Cadets 1983-84-85, the holders of the first Drum Corps International three-peat, and . During training, 150 members aged 14 to 22 rehearse for 12 hours a day, on their feet from morning to night. Caren Blundetto-Frech This would be more appropriately titled as a BLACK SATURDAY sale . Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Alliance members felt that the corps should be making their own rules, operating their own competitions and championships, and keeping the bulk of the monies those shows earned. New statement from Youth in Education in the Arts on Allentown Cadets The charges stemmed from alleged incidents involving two women. : p or should it be, willing away the cash cow?Someone sold our souls to this legacy (too) many years ago. Give us your full drum corps/marching music background. Taught numerous bands. I felt so used.". For more than 30 years, George Hopkins has been a major proponent of changes in instrumentation, education and contest guidelines, such as initiating the use of band instruments, electronics, removal of sidelines and other alternatives. Also in '96, the Cadets performed at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Former Allentown Cadets director George Hopkins has settled a civil claim with the Cadets parent organization, Youth Education in the Arts, regarding compensation. George Hopkins has been charged in Lehigh County with two counts of sexual assault. Watch this report from Action News at 4:30pm on April 6, 2018. "He's like, 'Are you all right?' 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! Genesis from Austin, Texas performs during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field Friday evening, July 12, 2019.
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