It wasn't a night of rage or endless debating. There were no protests or angry outbursts as members of the Sayreville community gathered at Kennedy Park Sunday night for a vigil in support of the victims of alleged sexual hazing within the local high school's storied football program.

At least 600 people gathered at a park near Sayreville War Memorial High School. They carried balloons and lit candles to show their respect for those who came forward recently to reveal details of the alleged hazing that had been taking place at the school.

“I felt we needed to come together as a community; show support for the victims, show support for the community itself and begin the healing process," said Maureen Jenkins, a 7-year resident of Sayreville who organized the vigil through a combination of word-of-mouth and social media.

On Friday night, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced that charges were filed against seven juveniles in connection with alleged attacks on four victims, in four separate incidents at Sayreville War Memorial High School. Three of the seven were charged with sexual assault.

Six of the seven suspects were taken into custody late Friday, “on charges of juvenile delinquency arising from the attacks,” according to a press release issued by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Chief John Zebrowski of the Sayreville Police Department. The seventh juvenile surrendered to police Saturday, according to an update from authorities.

"I still don't believe any of it is true," said Justin Quintanilla, a varsity football player whose senior year was cut short. "Time will tell."

News of the alleged assault and subsequent arrests left community members struggling to come to terms with the incidents, which involved local athletes and prompted the district to cancel the remainder of the district's 2014 football season.

Jenkins said the hazing scandal has left residents with unanswered questions.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to normal from this. What is normal? Was any town normal before this," Jenkins asked during the vigil Sunday.

In addition to showing support for those who were victims of the assaults, the main message being sent during Sunday's gathering was that people wanted to applaud the victims and those who came forward and reported what was happening in the locker room at the high school.

"I want these young athletes to understand that what they did was so courageous and brave - to come forward, and that they have the support of the community,” said Jenkins, who describes herself as a concerned citizen of Sayreville.

The vigil began with a brief prayer as community members lit candles. Members of the school community were in attendance, including parents, students and some staff members.

During the vigil, Superintendent of Schools Rich Labbe told the residents that no matter what happens in the wake of the charges that have been filed, the football season will remain canceled. He also said that as of now, there is not enough evidence to prove that staff members at the high school were aware that the hazing was taking place.

“As of this moment, there have been no charges filed against the coaching staff. So I’m inferring that based upon their (Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office) investigation, that there is no evidence that they (the coaches) knew about what was going on. If there were, then there might have been criminal charges filed,” Labbe said.

In a statement posted on the Sayreville School District website, Labbe said the district has launched “a holistic harassment intimidation and bullying (HIB) investigation of all athletic and extracurricular programs in order to ensure that we take all steps necessary now and in the future to protect all our students.”

Labbe said last week that the entire school community is being treated as a victim. He said the local police department is adding an additional school resource officer in order to ensure the safety of all students and crisis counselors will also be made available to the school community.
Dino Flammia contributed to this report.

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