At a Glance
- A confirmed student-on-student assault rocked the Cheltenham High football locker room on September 3, 2025
- Roughly 19 players watched or joined in, and several recorded the incident
- The 2025 season was axed in October, and the 2026 season now depends on sweeping reforms
- Why it matters: Local teens’ athletic futures hang in the balance as safety overhauls and police probes continue
The 2026 Cheltenham High School football season remains uncertain after an external investigation confirmed a student-on-student assault inside the team locker room and uncovered a long list of coaching failures.
Superintendent Dr. Brian Scriven outlined the findings in a letter to the Cheltenham community, revealing that on September 3, 2025, an assault took place while about 19 students looked on.
Investigation Confirms Assault and Coaching Breakdown
According to Dr. Scriven, the probe verified that:
- The assault happened inside the football locker room
- Approximately 19 students witnessed the event but did not intervene
- Several of those students actively participated
- Multiple students filmed the incident
Investigators also concluded the coaching staff provided insufficient supervision, failed to prioritize student safety, and never delivered anti-bullying talks to players. The report described a “toxic and negative culture” and said many interviewees lacked credibility. It did not, however, establish a pattern of hazing.
Immediate Fallout: 2025 Season Canceled
Parents first learned in October that the rest of the 2025 season would be scrapped while the district examined hazing allegations. At a November meeting, dozens of parents pressed officials for details about the investigation and the cancellation.
Conditions for a 2026 Season
Scriven wrote that fielding a 2026 team hinges on:
- Hiring a new coaching staff that shows “a strong commitment to leading student-athletes in a positive and responsible manner”
- Formalizing tighter supervision and incident-reporting rules
- Creating or acquiring training materials that spell out conduct standards for athletes, coaches, and volunteers
- Securing cooperation from parents, students, and staff on all reforms
“Having a 2026 season is largely contingent on identifying, hiring, and onboarding the right coaching staff, and on the cooperation of parents/guardians, students, and staff in doing their part to address the recommendations that will strengthen our program,” Scriven said. “Those students who were not involved in this situation are especially important to rebuilding the culture of our program.”
Ongoing Student Discipline and Police Probe
While the external hazing investigation is finished, several student-specific Title IX and disciplinary cases remain open. Scriven warned that their outcome could affect individual eligibility for next season and trigger further consequences.
Separately, the Cheltenham Township Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office continue to investigate the incident.
Key Takeaways
- The district will only restart football if all safety reforms are met
- Student-athletes not linked to the assault are viewed as key to cultural change
- Police and prosecutors have not announced any charges at this time
