Sayreville superintendent weighing whether to continue football program

SAYREVILLE, N.J. (WABC) -- The New Jersey school superintendent who canceled a high school football season after allegations of hazing among students said he is weighing whether to restore the program after this season.

Sayreville War Memorial High School canceled its season last week as details emerged from a Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office investigation. District Superintendent Richard Labbe says the program could remain dormant for longer than just this season.

"I will be making that very, very difficult, but very, very important decision as to whether to have a football program at Sayreville," Labbe told ABC News.

Labbe said he is awaiting further information from the Middlesex County prosecutor's office.

"I just think that based upon everything that has occurred, I just need to make sure that we recognize what football is," Labbe told NJ.com. "It's just a game. And as soon as it becomes more than just a game, it opens up to situations like this."

Several hundred people were part of a rally in Sayreville Sunday night against bullying amid the allegations of sex-related hazing involving high school football team members.

Meanwhile the investigation has turned to the coaching staff, with the schools superintendent asking the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office if he has permission to speak to the coaches, to find out if they were aware of the alleged behavior.

It was a time for reflection Sunday in a community reeling from the allegations against young football players at Sayreville High. Residents showed support at the rally for the four victims who spoke up, by carrying candles on a walk around the lake in Kennedy Park, hoping for healing.

Sayreville is a community at a crossroads that is stunned because it is in the cross hairs of attention over allegations that are hard to comprehend. A total of seven juveniles are facing charges including Aggravated Sexual Assault and Criminal Restraint. Many are asking how this could even happen.

The seven accused students have been suspended from school. The football season is over, but this could put the entire sport in jeopardy. School officials will also be checking on all after school activities to make sure bullying is not taking place.

Elected officials are demanding more answers.

"There's still so many unanswered questions..where was the coaching staff, where were the grownups who were supposed to be supervising these students? We need to understand what their responsibility is, and where their accountability lies," said State Assemblyman John Wisniewski.

Seven students face sex-crime charges stemming from the alleged hazing. Three were charged with aggravated sexual assault, criminal restraint, hazing and other crimes stemming from an act of sexual penetration upon one of the children. The other four students were charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact and other crimes.

The complaints charge that on various dates between September 19, 2014 and September 29, 2014, one or more of the juvenile defendants either held the victims against their will, while other juvenile defendants improperly touched the juvenile victims in a sexual manner.

It also is charged that in one instance, one of the juvenile victims was kicked during an attack.

Those charged have not been identified due to being underage.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)