Latest news with #LaFargeville
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Sport
- Sky News AU
Fired New York high school basketball coach sued by former star after viral hair-pulling incident
A former high school women's basketball player has filed a lawsuit against her former coach and school district after the man pulled her hair earlier this year, according to a report. A former upstate New York high school women's basketball player has filed a lawsuit against her former coach and school district after the coach pulled her hair earlier this year, according to the Daily Gazette. Hailey Monroe, a senior at Northville High School in Northville, N.Y., at the time of the incident, alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that fired coach Jim Zullo had 'a reputation and history of inappropriate, aggressive and dangerous conduct' toward his players, which the school had been notified about, per the report. '(The district) had been made aware of and knew of defendant James Zullo's propensity to be inappropriately aggressive towards players on the Northville girls' basketball team, including (Monroe), and had a long history of both physical and psychological abuse of students both in and out of the Northville Central School District,' the lawsuit reads, according to the paper. — Robbie Harvey (@therobbieharvey) March 22, 2025 Monroe reportedly is seeking unspecified damages with the lawsuit, claiming she 'has been substantially damaged and suffered a monetary loss.' The shocking situation unfolded in March during the NYSPHSAA Class D championship game when Zullo pulled Monroe's ponytail after a 43-37 loss to La Fargeville and then yelled at her. Monroe, the school's all-time leading scorer, appeared to be crying at the moment, and a teammate stood somewhat between her and Zullo, as seen in the game's broadcast. Zullo continued to yell and point at her before he chided the other player. Zullo told that Monroe cursed at him after he told her to shake hands with the other team. 'I deeply regret my behavior following the loss to La Fargeville Friday night in the Class D state championship game,' Zullo later said to WNYT. 'I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools and our community. As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry.' He added, 'I wish I could have those moments back. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached girls' basketball at Northville the past two years, especially last season, which was a difficult time for our family.' A broadcast of the game captured the shocking moment, and the school fired Zullo. 'The Northville Central School District is aware of, and deeply disturbed by, the conduct of the Coach of the Girls' Varsity basketball team during the Class D New York State championship game. We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable,' the school said in a statement, per CBS6. 'The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve. This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District.' Monroe's family lodged a complaint with Hudson Valley Community College officials — the host of the game — leading to the 81-year-old Zullo being charged with second-degree harassment, per the outlet. He reportedly pled guilty last month, resulting in a one-year ban from contact with Monroe and a $120 surcharge. His attorney previously told the paper that Zullo moved to Florida. 'He was obviously in the wrong at that moment,' attorney Robert Abdella told the Daily Gazette, 'but it should be nothing more than a footnote to what was a great career.' Originally published as Fired New York high school basketball coach sued by former star after viral hair-pulling incident
New York Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Fired high school basketball coach sued by ex-star after hair-pulling incident
A former upstate New York high school women's basketball player has filed a lawsuit against her former coach and school district after the coach pulled her hair earlier this year, according to the Daily Gazette. Hailey Monroe, a senior at Northville High School in Northville, N.Y., at the time of the incident, alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that fired coach Jim Zullo had 'a reputation and history of inappropriate, aggressive and dangerous conduct' toward his players, which the school had been notified about, per the report. '(The district) had been made aware of and knew of defendant James Zullo's propensity to be inappropriately aggressive towards players on the Northville girls' basketball team, including (Monroe), and had a long history of both physical and psychological abuse of students both in and out of the Northville Central School District,' the lawsuit reads, according to the paper. 7 Zullo grabs Monroe's hair. Monroe reportedly is seeking unspecified damages with the lawsuit, claiming she 'has been substantially damaged and suffered a monetary loss.' The shocking situation unfolded in March during the NYSPHSAA Class D championship game when Zullo pulled Monroe's ponytail after a 43-37 loss to La Fargeville and then yelled at her. 7 Zullo pulls Monroe's hair. @therobbieharvey/X Monroe, the school's all-time leading scorer, appeared to be crying at the moment, and a teammate stood somewhat between her and Zullo, as seen in the game's broadcast. Zullo continued to yell and point at her before he chided the other player. 7 Zullo yelling at Monroe. @therobbieharvey/X Zullo told that Monroe cursed at him after he told her to shake hands with the other team. 'I deeply regret my behavior following the loss to La Fargeville Friday night in the Class D state championship game,' Zullo later said to WNYT. 'I want to offer my sincerest apologies to Hailey and her family, our team, the good folks at Northville Central Schools and our community. As a coach, under no circumstance is it acceptable to put my hands on a player, and I am truly sorry.' 7 One teammate gets between the pair. @therobbieharvey/X He added, 'I wish I could have those moments back. I am grateful for the opportunity to have coached girls' basketball at Northville the past two years, especially last season, which was a difficult time for our family.' A broadcast of the game captured the shocking moment, and the school fired Zullo. 7 Zullo continues to yell at Monroe. @therobbieharvey/X 7 Jim Zullo. @TommyVtine116/X 'The Northville Central School District is aware of, and deeply disturbed by, the conduct of the Coach of the Girls' Varsity basketball team during the Class D New York State championship game. We hold our coaches to the highest standards of professionalism, sportsmanship, and respect for our student-athletes, and this behavior is completely unacceptable,' the school said in a statement, per CBS6. 'The District is committed to ensuring that this type of behavior has no place within our programs, and we will continue to uphold the values of respect and integrity that our athletes, families and community expect and deserve. This individual will no longer be coaching for the Northville Central School District.' 7 Hailey Monroe. @TommyVtine116/X Monroe's family lodged a complaint with Hudson Valley Community College officials — the host of the game — leading to the 81-year-old Zullo being charged with second-degree harassment, per the outlet. He reportedly pled guilty last month, resulting in a one-year ban from contact with Monroe and a $120 surcharge. His attorney previously told the paper that Zullo moved to Florida. 'He was obviously in the wrong at that moment,' attorney Robert Abdella told the Daily Gazette, 'but it should be nothing more than a footnote to what was a great career.'
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
State's record red maple rooted in family legacy
Aug. 9—LAFARGEVILLE — When fertilized with a dash of patriotic fervor rooted in next year's semiquincentennial celebration of our country, a scenario blossoms on the origin of the largest red maple in New York. The New York State Big Tree Register is maintained by the Department of Environmental Conservation to recognize trees of record size and to promote an interest in learning about the trees we may come in contact with every day. The majestic tree in LaFargeville, the only tree of any species on the state register in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, as of the summer of 2023 when measured, stood at 84 feet tall. The same family, through generations, has cared for it and admired it. The Big Tree Register notes that the previous record, recorded in 2015, was a red maple in Dutchess County, at 104 feet tall. American Forests, which runs the National Champion Trees Program, is the authority for determining which tree species are eligible for champion status. Nominated trees are measured to calculate a total point score, which is the sum of the tree's height in feet, the trunk circumference in inches at 4.5 feet off the ground, and one quarter of the tree's average crown spread in feet. The circumference of the LaFargeville tree is 226.8 inches, compared to 220 inches of the previous champion red maple. The local red maple also beat the Dutchess County tree in "Crown (canopy) points." County tax records show that the Revolutionary War veteran Conrad Walts, born May 5, 1763, in Montgomery, Orange County, constructed his home on the property he shared with the now-record tree in 1835. Experts say the tree is at least 200 years old. Conrad was young when he joined the cause of the rebels in the Revolutionary War, fought from 1775-1783. His military pension records show he enlisted in the spring of 1779, when he was 13. He served with the 4th New York Regiment for nine months and was discharged Jan. 1. 1780 at Morristown, New Jersey. According to the National Park Service, the 4th New York Regiment, organized in 1777, served to the end of 1780. It included the remnants of various regiments raised for the 1775 Canadian invasions. Originally raised in Ulster, Dutchess, Orange and Suffolk counties, by 1777 the 4th Regiment was recruited from all parts of the state. "There is definitely potential overlap between when the tree was planted and Conrad," said Alexander R. Walts, current owner of the homestead. Conrad was Alex's great-grandfather, times-five. Conrad was 71 in 1835 when he built his home. Perhaps thinking of a legacy, or maybe just wanting to create some shade, he carefully placed the red maple sapling in a hole and tended to it on his land through the years, watching it grow up and out. Or maybe the tree's seed was carried on the wind, or buried by a squirrel and in time, admired by Conrad. Regardless, the result is more than something for the record book, said Walts. "It's as much part of the property's legacy as the buildings and the house," he said. "All of my living relatives who grew up there have fond memories of playing under and in the tree growing up." That legacy is what prompted Walts to talk to experts about how to best care for the tree. In turn, that led him to the DEC's Big Tree Register program, previously unknown to him. "Restoring the house and caring for the landmarks like the tree are what I consider part of the legacy I'll leave behind for my daughter and generations after her," Walts said. Walts was born and raised in Rochester. He and his wife, Katherine (Katie) B. Lenninger moved to LaFargeville a couple of years ago to settle down and to raise a family after skipping around the country — from Florida, Maryland and Texas — for colleges and work. They have an 18-month-old daughter. The couple moved to the LaFargeville area from Houston. "We wanted to be closer to family who are still in upstate New York," Alex said. "We were looking to settle down and start a family and realized we don't need to buy a house; we have one in the family that's been sitting there for quite some time." Katie, a Florida native, is a research meteorologist. Alex is an aerospace engineer who helps support NASA's Human Spaceflight Program at Johnson Space Center in Houston. When not working remotely, they are tasked with revitalizing the family home. "I'm down there just about every day trying to refurbish it and to bring it back to its former glory," Alex said. The home has been empty since the mid-1970s. Alex said the last generation to reside in it was his great-grandfather, Ozro E. Walts. "My grandfather and his siblings were born and raised there but didn't spend their entire lives there." Ozro was born in Theresa in 1893, son of Charles and Ada Fuller Walts. Ozro operated the family farm until retiring in 1974 and died at the age of 91 in 1984 after living for 10 years with his children in Monroe County. His wife, the former Emma Rohrmoser, daughter of a well-known local farmer and cheese maker who was born in Germany, died in 1974. Alex's third-great-grandfather, Nelson G. Walts, who died at the homestead at the age of 75 in 1906, was a Civil War veteran. In 1864, at the age of 33, he enlisted with Company E., 186th New York Regiment of volunteers and was engaged in the war's final battles, including the battle and siege of Petersburg, Virginia. "He escaped without wounds, although his gun stock was shot from his hand and a piece of shell carried away the sleeve of his coat," his Aug. 7, 1906, obituary read in the Watertown Daily Times. One of the six children born to Nelson G. Walts and his wife, Minerva (Simmons), was Nelson E. Walts, who attended Potsdam Normal School and had a long career as a teacher before retiring and becoming a farmer on the homestead. Nelson E. died in 1951 at the age of 87. Alex is the son of Robert H. O. Walts, Rochester, who is the son of the late Robert C. Walts. Alex said that his ancestral home has withstood time rather well. Hemlock, especially old-growth hemlock, is known for its strength, stability and resistance to decay. "It has stayed in its form all these years," Alex said. "Of course, generations here and there have added an addition to the back porch or the front, but the core of the original house is still standing. It has stayed in the family since it was built." Alex recalled visiting the house with his father, especially after his grandfather moved out of it. "We would always come up to work on the house and maintain it to make sure it wasn't going to fall down. Nobody was living there, but we were out at least once a month to check on the place for any issues." The red maple, Alex said, was a constant source of questions for his father and grandfather from people who were impressed by it. "The tree has seen a lot in its time and has survived multiple ice storms, lightning strikes, etcetera." He added, "It's one of those things where the tree is as much part of the history of the property as is the house or anything else there." That includes the Walts family legacy — still growing, still steady, and establishing new roots, on common ground. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
All-North Frontier League girls basketball MVP: Barton, LaFargeville completed the mission
Apr. 18—LAFARGEVILLE — Last season, Emeline Barton and her LaFargeville girls basketball teammates experienced a breakout campaign. The Red Knights captured the first Section 3 title in program history, but then were soundly beaten in a state quarterfinal by eventual state champion Hammond. Advertisement This proved to be a vital learning experience as well as motivation heading into this past season. LaFargeville returned even stronger, ultimately making a run to their own state championship. Led by Barton, a versatile senior guard who became even more of a complete player, the Red Knights generated a school record 22-win season and achieved even more goals on their list and orchestrated a successful run through all of the state playoffs. "I don't think it's completely settled in with all of us yet, I think we're still kind of like almost a little bit in shock," she said. "But we made goal cards at the beginning of the season and it was pretty much on all of our cards, so it's just really cool to check that off our list of things to do, and it's something I've always wanted to do at least once in my high school career, so I'm really thankful and happy that we got to achieve that, get all the way there and win it this year." For her efforts, Barton has been named as the Times All-North Most Valuable player representing the Frontier League. Advertisement "I'm very grateful, it's super awesome and an honor to be named that," she said. "I think that there's a lot of very great players in the north country, so it's just really cool to receive that award." "She is very well-rounded, and not just as an athlete, but as a human being in general," LaFargeville coach Zack Steiner said. "I've told her this many times and talking about her at our sports banquet, but I thought that her leadership this year was one of her best qualities outside of just looking at the stat sheet. She's come a long way with just being such a positive leader and just doing things the right way. She's been a great leader for us." Barton diversified her game even further, developing into more of a facilitator on the court in setting up her teammates, rather then primarily shooting the ball. "I think that this year, especially, a lot of the girls went to open gyms over the summer, a lot of the girls travel-teamed over the summer," Barton said. "So I think that trusting my teammates and their abilities really helped us get to the point where we got to the point where we ended, I think that really just helped us. I mean, I always have trust in my teammates, but I think this year a lot of them really stepped up in their roles, and they had a lot of key moments and parts to why we made it that far and why we won." Advertisement This season, Barton averaged 25.6 points per game, as well as totaling team highs in rebounds (151), assists (78) and steals (135). "Thankfully this year, I think she got to play off the ball a little bit more because her sister Margie stepped up into more of a ball-handling role," Steiner said. "I mean she still had the ball in her hands quite a bit, she's a ball-dominant guard, she was our point guard, shooting guard most of the year. But I think her whole makeup just changed I feel this year, she took a lot less threes this season and tried to get to the basket a lot more. "Because she's a good free-throw shooter, so she was able to get inside and draw contact and get to the line quite a bit. "She's a great finisher, especially through contact with tough angles and tough driving lanes, she can just finish really well." Barton finished with 1,813 career points in four varsity seasons, including her freshman season at Immaculate Heart Central before transferring to her hometown of LaFargeville before her sophomore campaign. Advertisement This led to LaFargeville generating even more success this season, as following the regular season in which it won the league's "C-D" Division title with a 12-0 record, it secured the "D" Division's playoff title for the second straight season. "It definitely wasn't easy," Emeline said of the team's postseason run. "All the teams that we played obviously were all very good, they didn't want their season to end, we didn't want our season to end, so it was just really physical and I feel like they were defensively-minded games." After defeating Copenhagen in a sectional semifinal, the Red Knights outlasted another division foe in Sackets Harbor, 54-35, to claim its second consecutive Section 3 title. LaFargeville took another big step when it defeated South Kortright/Andes, 56-47, to win a state quarterfinal at Tompkins-Cortland Community College to become the first basketball team from the school to reach a state final four. Advertisement Undaunted, the Red Knights topped Section 10 champion Chateaugay, 56-41, to win an all-north country state semifinal held at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Barton once again led the way, this time pouring in 38 points, including faring 14-for-27 from the field. The next day, LaFargeville achieved the ultimate as it outfought Section 2's Northville in a 43-37 decision to claim the Class D state championship on March 21. "Northville was really, really physical and obviously they're all great players," she said. "I think that in the past and at that point of the season, we had seen pretty much every defense, so we've become pretty accustomed to what plays to run and how to set up in our offense. So I think just getting to play in all different types of games in different types of atmospheres really helped us, especially against a team like them who were very physical and an overly strong team." "She was just engaged the entire time as a leader," Steiner said. "And again, she's always led by example, but I thought her vocal leadership came out so much her senior year, it was awesome and it was great to see." Advertisement Barton considered the who season experience "special," especially the support the team received by the small-town community. "I think that with it being a small community when things like this happen, it just brings everybody together and gives people a reason to get out of their house, go watch a game, just gives people some excitement. And I think that's what we did and I'm really grateful that we got to do that and I hope that everyone continues to show support over the next few years, too. That was just awesome to see everyone." LaFargeville also benefitted from the chemistry between Barton and younger sister and sophomore Margie Barton. "We obviously played together since we were little, whether that be in the backyard or little league games to travel league games, we've always just played together," Emeline said. "So I think that knowing our tendencies as players really helped each other out, like knowing when she's going to shoot, or knowing when she's going to cut to the basket, I think little things like that and just understanding each other really helped us as well." Advertisement While Emeline supplied 25 points and 11 rebounds in the final, Margie contributed 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, including one decisive three in the closing minutes of the game. Among those also seriously considered for All-North MVP honors was Immaculate Heart Central senior Abby Bombard, who was selected as the league's "AA-A-B" Division most valuable player and guided her team to the sectional semifinals in Class D. Emeline Barton has committed to attend Houghton University in western New York, which plays at the Division III level. She'll play basketball at the Christian-based school and hopes to one day pursue a career in the medical field. "And I do plan to play basketball there," she said. "When I went on my visit, I just really loved all the players and the coaching staff, they're just like very nice and they have a strong program, so I think that was just the best fit for me out of my options. It's really cool, I'll get to play basketball, further my education and further my faith, so that's not something that many people get to do, and I'm grateful I'll get to do it."
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LaFargeville comes together to welcome home STATE CHAMPS
Mar. 23—LAFARGEVILLE — The LaFargeville Lady Red Knights varsity basketball team made its journey home on Saturday to a crowd waiting to celebrate the team's winning its first state championship. LaFargeville defeated Northville Friday by a score of 43-37 to capture the state Class D championship. Community members and fans such as Kim and William Rapin were at the parade to celebrate their players. For the Rapins, they were there for their granddaughter, Adeline Hellings, a junior center. "We're so proud of Adeline and her team, they worked so hard," Kim Rapin said. "They worked really hard and they're just wonderful young ladies." As the team made its way back from Troy, they were escorted by local emergency personnel, and with spectators lined up on each side of the road, the girls pulled into their school and then proceeded to celebrate both in the gymnasium and outside. Also in the crowd to welcome home the champions was Susie Erck, a third grade teacher in the district. She said she was there to support every player and the third grade manager. "I'm so excited," she said. Erck was in attendance for the Final Four game and watched the championship game last night at home. "We were cheering, we had our dog cheering with us," she said of last night. "It's just such an honor and I'm so proud of these girls and everything they worked for." She said that "it's amazing" to see these girls from a small school win a state championship. "It's so crazy to think because we are such a tiny school but they worked really, really hard and I'm just really proud of this accomplishment for them," she said. Adeline said it was great to see the community come out and support the team. "It's so big for our town and just seeing all the love from everybody, it means the world to all of us," she said. Ella Hunnyman, a junior guard, said "it's just awesome" to see the community support. "We've been waiting for this," she said. "This is what we have dreamed of. This is what we have worked for. All the sweat, tears, blood, everything, and practice. This is wild." As the buzzer sounded, Hellings said she wanted to go celebrate with her teammates. "It was just all crazy, but it was all amazing," she said. Coach Zack Steiner said when the clock struck zero, he was feeling elated to bring the school its first state title "To do something for the first time in 2025 in a school that's 100 years old, it's so impressive and you just have to tip your cap to that group of kids because they earned every second of it," he said. Steiner called the parade "awesome to see." "I think these events are more meaningful in these small towns because it just gives everybody something to gravitate towards and look forward to," he said. "You look up into that stands yesterday and there's, three, four, again 500 people there. It's really special." Sarah Sourwine, a junior, said she didn't know how excited she'd be until the buzzer sounded, and then she said "you can't really process it." "It's crazy and I'm just glad that we were able to experience it with this group of girls," she said. Sourwine said no one else will be able to understand the bond these champions have for the rest of their lives. The team finished with a record of 22-2.
