Former Cheltenham High School football coaches held on charges in locker room hazing case
Former Cheltenham High School football coaches held in hazing case
A judge held four former Cheltenham High School football coaches on all but one conspiracy charge following a preliminary hearing that lasted nearly eight hours.
JENKINTOWN, Pa. - A judge upheld all charges except one conspiracy count against four former Cheltenham High School football coaches after a nearly 8-hour preliminary hearing on Monday. The charges stem from a grand jury investigation into violent locker room hazing and assaults of a 15-year-old sophomore student.
Attorneys for head coach Terance Tolbert, associate head coach Darian McFadden, assistant coach Benjamin Johnson and volunteer coach Ralph Burnley are facing charges of endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy.
Key testimony and and courtroom developments in hazing case
What we know:
During the hearing, video of the August locker room assault was shown and testimony was heard from the victim, who was 15 at the time of the incident and is now 16.
The victim testified that he did not tell anyone about the August incident, but after he was attacked in September, he got into the car with volunteer coach Ralph Burnley, was crying, holding ice to his groin, and told Burnley he got jumped.
The victim said Burnley called the other coaches and told him he should tell his mother. The victim testified that after getting out of the car to go home, the coaches called him in a joint call and associate head coach Darian McFadden told him not to tell his mother about what happened and said, "We’ll handle it."
Prosecutors pointed to text messages from a group message among the coaches, where they discussed keeping the incident quiet, according to FOX 29. Samantha Cauffman, prosecutor for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, said, "That’s why we’re here today."
Cheltenham High School football coaches, players charged in locker room assaults
Four Cheltenham High School football coaches and six players have been charged in connection with two separate locker room assaults on a 15-year-old teammate in August and September 2025.
Victim and attorney perspectives emerge after hearing
The other side:
The four coaches — head coach Terance Tolbert, associate head coach Darian McFadden, assistant coach Benjamin Johnson and volunteer coach Ralph Burnley — each had their own attorneys.
All four attorneys argued the coaches did what they were supposed to do with the information they were given and did not know the full extent of what happened or anything about the August assault at the time. The attorneys requested dismissal of all charges.
Defense attorneys for assistant coach Benjamin Johnson and volunteer coach Ralph Burnley spoke with FOX 29. Shaka Johnson, attorney for Burnley, referenced, "there was something amiss."
The victim’s grandfather said, "He’s been homeschooled since this incident. He was 15 when this occurred so 16 now. Hopefully, after all this is over he can get back into his life," said Marlo Davis, grandfather of the victim.
"It was a tough battle in there and like I've said I feel nothing but pride for the victim in this case because he's really had to stick to his convictions and the truth coming out," said Cauffman.
The two adult students charged in the case waived their preliminary hearings on Monday, Sept. 21.
Timeline:
- August: First locker room assault of the 15-year-old student occurred, according to testimony.
- September: The victim was attacked again and reported it to coach Burnley, according to court testimony.
- Monday, Sept. 21: Preliminary hearing lasted nearly 8 hours.
- Late October: The next scheduled court date in the case.
What's next:
The next court appearance in the case is scheduled for late October.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear which conspiracy charge was dismissed by the judge, or what further evidence may be presented at the upcoming court date.
The Source: This article contains information from the grand jury investigation, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and courtroom testimony.