Folks were upset, nothing new, but this time, the anger took a more aggressive approach. In her last season, she remembers a staffer being forced to resign after he was found to be sleeping with a member. For those who outright pretty much called me a liar, Lillian Petrullo-Yocovelli Thx you Caren Blundetto-Frech!! But I never said yes," said Linda Riley. Get local Breaking News alerts sent directly to your inbox. Even snow plows and emergency vehicles were. 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. First, I want to thank you for the opportunity you have afforded me in this role. 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). The Casper Troopers perform during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field Friday evening, July 12, 2019. [2][3], The Garfield Cadets relocated outside Garfield to Hackensack and became the Cadets of Bergen County in 1989. On November 13, Hopkins was indicted in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania for sexual assault, based on accusations of two women who are former employees of YEA. All that was claimed to have happened didnt happen. Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps members perform during the corps' 50th anniversary gathering in July 2011. After roughly a month of trying to leave, Calhoun said he finally did it in July, cutting his touring season short. Jackie Fritsche You beat me to it. 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. Her husband, based on everything hes heard about drum corps from Connell, says he wouldnt let any of their children march. She said the memories can, at times, still knock the wind out of me, but I get up., I dont just get up and go to work to hide my pain and put the abuse behind me, she wrote. An order filed Tuesday in. Please know, you lose many, many GREAT people because of the reasons I listed and more. The women who accused Hopkins of harassment ranged in age from 16 to 37 at the time of the alleged incidents, which dated to 1980. Allentown's Cadets drum and bugle corps forming non-profit, separating from YEA! She said Hopkins' denials on social media after the allegations became public in 2018 he complained he had been smeared were a constant source of anxiety. 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. Executive Director, Youth Education in the Arts Director, nine-time DCI World Championship Cadets D&B Corps Social Studies Teacher: Aston Township HS (PA) 1979-80 Band Director: Northern Highlands High School (NJ), 1984 In his federal lawsuit seeking severance pay and other monies, Hopkins asserts that he resigned from the organization by letter on April 5, and that his departure was "mutually agreed"-upon. [16] Hopkins and YEA! Im still standing and using my voice to say what you did was wrong, she said. 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. There was an error processing your request. All that was claimed to have happened didnt happen. ), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Defense attorney Thomas Bergstrom had previously filed a motion asking that The Philadelphia Inquirer provide the full and unedited video interview with one of Hopkins accusers that it had produced and published online. [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. The Allentown Cadets drum and bugle corps lost sponsors, donors and engagements because of sexual misconduct allegations against its then-director George Hopkins. George Hopkins on The Cadets 2017 Show | Marching Arts Education 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. The rehearsal and performance grind wore him down, and he got little help from Jackson a former nurse aside from recommendations to drink coconut water and sit out a few reps. and USBands affects the lives of tens of thousands of students each year and I feel humbled to have played a small part in that. Cc: Youth Education in the Arts Board of Directors. The Cadets - Hopkins needs Help From George Hopkins A | Facebook Their biggest resource in that effort may be the very people who are speaking out. George Hopkins Bio Hopkins: Briefly, after I personally assisted the project in 1996 (Chris Marino was the chairman of the board for the Crossmen), YEA! has taken furt, Two former Youth Education in the Arts employees accused George Hopkins of sexual assault. Follow More from Medium Mark. The 36-year-old woman addressed Anthony and spoke about years of fear, shame and depression as a result of the crime, which she did not immediately report. One former Youth Education in the Arts employee who spoke to Philly.com on condition that she was identified only by her first name, Marie, said Hopkins routinely harassed and assaulted her at work. "He's like, 'Are you all right?' Cadets Drum Corps Sep 1982 - Apr 2018 35 years 8 months . Charles Mura, Michael Koeph, and the Rev. 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. George Hopkins - Founder - 11 Rings | LinkedIn Crews were actively searching for people who were trapped, but having a hard time getting to them. He now is awaiting trial in Lehigh County on charges of sexually assaulting two of the women. In response to a question from Anthony, Berry said the paper would hand over the full video recording for the judges review only, if that was the courts ruling. George Hopkins 247 Followers Life long member, teacher, and administrator of Drum Corps (from 1968-2019). She marched from 2015 to 2017, around the same time as Calhoun. Former Cadet Lee Ann Riley said she was 17 when Hopkins, then 23, forced himself on her and had sex with her. Lehigh County Judge James T. Anthony also fined Hopkins $5,000, the most allowed by law, and called him flatly disgusting.. Hopkins, 63, is awaiting trial on three counts of felony sexual assault. The corps quickly became one of the top competitive corps in the country. Allentown Cadets director resigns amid sexual misconduct allegations 93 (Mvts. His arrival was fortuitous, because the Cadets were in crisis - lacking staff, Its credits include the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, President Barack Obama's first inaugural parade, a reality TV show and "Late Night with David Letterman.". Board of Directors Resigns, New Board to Guide Organization", "Former drum corps director George Hopkins charged with sexual assault", "Finding no resignation letter, YEA board fired Hopkins with no severance", "DCI action on YEA! Genesis from Austin, Texas performs during Drums Along the Rockies at Cheney Alumni Field Friday evening, July 12, 2019. Marching as the Cadets of Garfield; wearing uniforms of white shorts, red golf shirts, and "Aussie" hats; and using instruments borrowed from the Chicago Cavaliers, the corps managed to finish in second place (one spot ahead of the defending champion Cavaliers). They became the 507 Hornets -- I marched there from 1971-1974. [8] On April 11, the Board of Directors tendered its resignation and a new Board and officers immediately took over operations of the organization. Berry cited precedent in which a federal court found that the defense had not exhausted all other avenues for getting information before a media outlet was forced to hand over an interview. Renowned drum corps leader resigns amid abuse allegations. Hopkins surrendered to authorities, was arraigned, and was released on $50,000 bail with a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 4. Abusers like Hopkins benefit from a culture of exclusivity and competition thats common in drum corps. Youth in Education in the Arts has issued a second statement on Allentown Cadets director George Hopkins' resignation that came after a Philadelphia Inquirer article on sexual allegations. All Rights Reserved. Hopkins had worked for The Cadets since 1979 and became director in 1982, coaching the team to 10 world titles. I want the victims to know that what you did was horrible beyond description, the judge said, READ MORE: Report: Drum corps leader threw things at work, called women little girls. The judge did not issue a ruling from the bench on Bergstroms motion. 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? And those folks do it without flinching. George Hopkins, who also ran the youth arts education nonprofit that operates the Cadets program, pleaded no contest to the charges in 2020 and is now serving two years of probation. The CAE Board of Directors approved this decision on Monday evening, February 13, 2023. I want to see what else is in that video that is dramatically different than what she told detectives two months later, Bergstrom said. Report clears former Cadets employee ensnared in boss's sexual