The Phillipsburg, NJ high school students who were involved in a photograph that showed them posing alongside a wrestling dummy hanging by its neck—with two of the boys wearing pointed sweatshirt hoods—appeared at a press conference last night. An attorney for the eight boys—the seven in the photograph plus the one who took the picture—spoke for them: "We did not intend to disparage anyone. We apologize to everyone for our actions, especially the Paulsboro community. From this photograph we have learned a valuable lesson — that all actions have consequences."
The dummy was wearing a Paulsboro High School t-shirt, and the boys explained that the t-shirt was over the singlet of another rival school, Kittatinny High School. Attorney Scott Wilhelm read a statement:
When we spontaneously set the scene and posed for the photograph, our sole purpose was to promote school spirit and portray our wrestling team as victor over two of our archrivals - Paulsboro High School and Kittatinny High School, and not for any other purpose...
The inanimate figure in the photograph is a wrestling dummy, which is owned by the Phillipsburg High School, and is used in our daily practices, and is used by most high school wrestling teams. It is our understanding that the dummies are manufactured in only dark leather. In outfitting the wrestling dummy, we did not give any thought to the physical appearance of the dummy as anything other than an unidentified, generic wrestler - clothed in a Paulsboro T-shirt over a Kittatinny (Regional High School) singlet. Likewise, our dress was standard wrestling uniforms, and our poses were not premeditated, but rather, spontaneous gestures without any forethought...
We are truly sorry for any harm we may have caused. We are especially sorry to the Paulsboro wrestling team, the coaches and the entire Paulsboro community. As teenage boys transitioning into adulthood, we are constantly facing challenges to become more responsible and productive young men. In that transition, we have made mistakes, and understandably will have further transgressions. Yet from this photograph — we have learned a valuable lesson, that all actions have consequences.
The wrestling team had just won the group 4 state title, but Phillipsburg school officials scratched the wrestlers in the photograph from the tournament field and suspended them from wrestling for the rest of the season.
The students were upset at the school district, because Principal Gregory Troxell apparently met with all the boys and their parents, telling them they would still be on the team: "Now for some reason, without any further explanation and despite our repeated unanswered inquiries, the school has done an about-face." Troxell hasn't commented about that accusation.
The Warren County Prosecutor's Office is looking into the incident ("We’re in the process now of gathering information about it to determine if there was any criminality involved in the process") and the NJ Attorney General is also aware of the situation.
The Paulsboro Superintendent Walter Quint said, "Phillipsburg is doing an investigation, and we’re giving them time to conduct their investigation. This is a teachable moment where we can say, ‘Now you can see what can happen when you make a mistake online.’"
