The Cheltenham High School football program is at the center of a major criminal investigation after a Montgomery County grand jury concluded that the Cheltenham School District failed to protect student-athletes following alleged hazing incidents during the 2025 football season. The investigation has resulted in criminal charges against four former football coaches and six players, with prosecutors alleging that the district’s response placed not only one victim at risk but the entire football team.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announced the charges following a lengthy grand jury investigation in Norristown. Charged are former head coach Terence Tolbert, associate head coach Darian “DJ” McFadden, assistant coach Benjamin Johnson III, and volunteer coach Ralph Burnley. All four face charges of endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy. Former players Isaiah Simpson and Josiah Peeler, both 18, were also charged. Simpson faces an aggravated assault charge, while Peeler is charged with false swearing to police. Four additional players, who were juveniles at the time of the alleged incidents, have also been charged but have not been publicly identified. Additional charges filed in the case include unlawful restraint, assault-related offenses, evidence tampering, and perjury.

According to investigators, the case centers on a then-15-year-old sophomore who was allegedly assaulted by teammates on two separate occasions following preseason football practices on August 15 and September 3, 2025. The grand jury found that the school district initially treated the allegations as a single incident rather than recognizing they were two separate assaults, a mistake investigators say contributed to an inadequate response.

Authorities also allege that one of the incidents was recorded on a cellphone by players. Although the video was reportedly deleted, detectives were able to recover it during the investigation. Prosecutors say the footage circulated among students while school officials were still trying to determine what had occurred.

In its report, the grand jury was highly critical of the district’s handling of the allegations, concluding that the failures extended well beyond a single victim. Investigators found confusion among district employees regarding Pennsylvania’s mandatory child-abuse reporting laws, inadequate supervision inside the football locker room, and lapses in required child-abuse reporting training for some coaches. The report also criticized the district for allowing coaches implicated in the investigation to remain involved in its internal response even after criminal charges had been filed.

Superintendent Brian Scriven acknowledged the findings, saying the district had already identified many of the challenges outlined by the grand jury. The district also noted that some individuals declined to cooperate during its internal investigation, while law enforcement was able to compel testimony through subpoenas. Cheltenham officials said the district’s Title IX investigation, which had been paused at the request of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office during the criminal investigation, has resumed and could still result in additional school disciplinary action.

The allegations dramatically impacted the football program. Cheltenham suspended its 2025 season after receiving an anonymous tip about the alleged hazing before ultimately canceling the remainder of the season. The district has also canceled both its varsity and junior varsity football seasons for 2026.

The investigation could have implications beyond Cheltenham. A separate grand jury report recommends changing Pennsylvania law to classify child-on-child hazing as a form of child abuse, a move that would strengthen mandatory reporting requirements for schools across the Commonwealth.

Steele said the victim continues to struggle with the effects of the alleged assaults and emphasized that what occurred was not the “horseplay” some coaches initially described, but conduct investigators believe amounted to criminal acts. As the case moves through the court system, the investigation has raised broader questions about accountability, student safety, and how schools respond when serious allegations emerge within athletic programs.