Sayreville Could Face $1.5M Lawsuit by Alleged Hazing Victim

The Sayreville School District could face a $1.5 million lawsuit if one of the alleged victims of the recent hazing scandal follows through with plans to sue the district for negligence, according to a recent report by NJ Advance Media.

Two weeks after the district announced the reinstatement of the 2015 football program, NJ Advance Media reports that a notice of intent letter was sent to the district. The letter obtained by the publication "states that the unnamed alleged victim will sue the Sayreville Board of Education and the Borough of Sayreville for damages arising from a sexual assault that allegedly occurred inside the football team's locker room on or before Sept. 29."

The victim's lawyers charge that the members of the Sayreville War Memorial High School football team who allegedly perpetrated that attacks that led to the cancellation of the 2014 football season were were "negligently supervised by the high school football coaching staff, including head football coach George Najjar, Edward Mish, Michael Novak, Mark Poore and Timothy Ballard." The notice sent by the lawyers states that the victim "suffered bodily and severe emotional injuries,"

Last month, coach Najjar was stripped of his role as strength and conditioning coach for the winter, spring and summer. Najjar had been suspended from his coaching and teaching duties since October in light of the hazing scandal. District officials began an investigation into the supervision of the players, but details have not been released.