Four former football coaches and six players face criminal charges following a grand jury investigation into two locker room assaults involving a 15-year-old Cheltenham High School sophomore. The Montgomery County District Attorney’s office announced the indictments on Wednesday, citing attempts by coaching staff to conceal the hazing to protect the team’s season.
Grand Jury Uncovers Two Locker Room Assaults at Cheltenham High
Investigators initially believed the hazing was limited to a single report from September 3, 2025, but a subsequent grand jury investigation revealed an earlier assault took place on August 15, 2025.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele noted during a press briefing that the investigation faced significant obstacles because of reluctance from witnesses, both adults and juveniles, to share what they knew. Detectives eventually recovered deleted cellphone videos recorded by two student players showing the August 15 assault. In that footage, multiple players restrained the sophomore while another juvenile teammate used a broomstick to poke at his legs and buttocks as bystanders laughed and chanted.
The second incident on September 3, 2025, followed extra conditioning drills assigned after the victim allegedly took equipment from another player’s locker. Prosecutors stated that multiple players punched, kicked, and stomped on the victim in the head and groin with cleats while he curled up to protect himself, and the juvenile teammate again poked him with a broomstick. Approximately 19 student witnesses were present in the locker room during the assault and did nothing to intervene.
Coaches Accused of Covering Up Incidents to Preserve the Season
Prosecutors said Burnley immediately contacted the rest of the coaching staff via text messages and phone calls.
Text messages uncovered by the grand jury revealed that the coaching staff prioritized the football program over the safety of the student.
“This has to be handled and kept quiet. It’s just like hazing … I’m telling you if this gets out they could put the whole team in jeopardy.”
Ralph Burnley, volunteer coach
Associate head coach Darian McFadden allegedly responded that if the incident became public, the team would lose its season. The coaches neither notified school administrators nor contacted the child’s mother.
The victim’s mother learned of the assault from an acquaintance and took her son to an urgent care facility on September 8, 2025, where medical professionals diagnosed him with a contusion to his genitals. An anonymous report submitted through the Safe2Say app on September 18 prompted school officials to alert ChildLine and local police. Cheltenham High School ultimately canceled its football seasons for both 2025 and 2026.
Criminal Charges and Calls for Legal Reform
The sweeping indictments target four adult coaches and six players, with two of the players facing prosecution as adults. Former head coach Terence Tolbert, associate head coach Darian McFadden, assistant coach Benjamin Johnson III, and volunteer coach Ralph Burnley each face two counts of endangering the welfare of children and two counts of conspiracy.
Four unnamed juveniles face various charges, including aggravated assault, hazing, perjury, and tampering with evidence.
In its second report on the matter, the grand jury criticized the school district’s initial internal review as deeply flawed and called for new state legislation. The panel recommended that lawmakers mandate the reporting of hazing by teachers, coaches, administrators, and medical professionals when peer-on-peer abuse is witnessed or disclosed.
