As the investigation into alleged sexual assault by members of the Sayreville high school football team intensifies, one of the accused players has lost his football scholarship to Penn State University. The scandal is making other school districts evaluate their programs and be more aware of potential bullying.

50-yard line of the Sayreville High School football field
50-yard line of the Sayreville High School football field (Dino Flammia, Townsquare Media NJ)
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High school athletes and coaches at other schools across the state are closely watching the events unfold, according to Dr. Jo Anne White, a certified bully expert and life coach.

"By cancelling the football season, this year and possibly next, a clear message is being sent that we're really getting serious about bullying and antics like this that can be very serious and injurious," she said. "It's about not letting this kind of stuff happen - it's not something to be taken lightly."

White said the bottom line here is that by cancelling the season "it will awaken people and it will alert other students and professionals to pay attention and take it seriously, because it does have ramifications."

According to White, the zero tolerance position being taken sets a precedent for other high schools across the state.

"For the young boys, for the adolescents, and for any sports team, but also for the professionals, like we need to pay attention, we are here taking care of kids," she said. "It's a caution to other schools and to other kids and again to the professionals that we need to be vigilant."

She stressed playing sports is very important to teenagers, they work long and hard at it, and some are hoping for college scholarships, so this is definitely a wake-up call for everyone.

"This kind of shenanigans has got to stop," she said. "It's gotten beyond the point of something light, it's very serious and it's very injurious. The scars from something like this can last for life - it cannot be tolerated. And there needs to be a healing."

White also said coaches and other adults in positions of responsibility need to be thinking "we may not know everything that is going on, but we need to make it our business to make sure that the people under our care are being supervised."

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