UPDATE 09/10 7:30 AM: Ray Rice’s Baltimore Ravens jersey removed from O’Brien gymnasium at New Rochelle High School; “retired” #5 New Rochelle High School jersey remains.
UPDATE: 09/10 7:30 PM: Talk of the Sound has confirmed that Ray Rice’s Rutgers #27 continues to hang in the weight room at New Rochelle High School (pictured below, far left).
UPDATE 09/09 7:30 PM: Ray Rice jerseys hanging in the gymnasium at New Rochelle School will be removed before the start of school tomorrow, sources tell Talk of the Sound.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle High School has removed Ray Rice’s photograph and plaque from its Walk of Fame in the wake of the release of a disturbing video which depicts Rice violently assaulting his then-fiancee, now-wife Janay Palmer.
Rice’s number 5 New Rochelle High School jersey, retired 2012 as part of during Ray Rice Day remains hung high up on the wall of the Daniel P O’Brien Gymnasium along with Rice’s number 27 Ravens jersey.
Speaking to reporters on Ray Rice Day on June 16, 2012, the three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion Rice said that his high school retiring his number “might be the best honor I ever had in my life”.
Asked about his jersey being retired by his old high school Rice said “that’s going to be the most touching thing that happens today, my jersey number 5 is not just a jersey to me that my cousin Myshaun who passed away in a car wreck, him and his wife, his wife died instantly he held on for a few days he made it and he wore that number that’s the reason I wore 5 so somehow mathematically I got 27 and I rearrange the numbers and I can always get back to the number 5 so that’s why I wear the number 27.”
Earlier that day, Rice talked about his obligations as a role model.
“When you are out here with a bunch of kids like this the next Ray Rice can be in that stands so you never know what kind of impression you have on a kid,” said Rice. “I don’t preach football to ’em you got to preach life to ’em.”
For local residents, the mixed response suggests a more serious issue than just a jersey; it suggests a very real power struggle between New Rochelle High School Principal Reggie Richardson and New Rochelle High School Football Coach Lou DiRienzo. Under former Principal Donald Conetta, there was a widespread perception that DiRienzo ran the high school not Conetta.
Many believe that DiRienzo has, for many years, been allowed to skip teaching the Physical Education classes he is paid to teach, other district employees have similarly worked what are in-effect no-show jobs or get paid for hours not worked leaving DiRienzo and his coaching staff free to focus on football.
After sodas were banned in New Rochelle schools several years ago, DiRienzo arranged to have a soda machine installed near the locker rooms giving him a monopoly on soda sales, the proceeds from which were never accounted for among school district finances, sources say. The soda machine was removed after complaints were made to central office administration.
Richardson has reportedly been pushing for DiRienzo to teach his assigned PE classes, with limited success.
The Wall of Fame is in a hallway outside of DiRienzo’s physical sphere of influence around the high school’s athletic facilities. As a result, Richardson was able to order the Rice photo and plaque removed without resistance from DiRienzo and Athletic Director Steve Young. The gymnasium is within the physical sphere of influence around the high school’s athletic facilities and a different story and was negotiated during a heated meeting involving Richardson, DiRienzo and Young.
UPDATE: Our story is now on the front page of FoxSports.com and featured on CBS, WINS, WFAN, Black Sports Online; USATODAY, ESPN has requested (and received) permission to use our photos on TV and digital platforms.
Fox Sports: Looks like Ray Rice’s high school is cutting ties with him, too
CBS2News/WINS1010/WFAN: New Rochelle High School Takes Down Ray Rice’s Jersey, Photo, Plaque
Black Sports Online: Ray Rice’s HS Removes Him From Wall of Fame (Photos)
@ESPNAssignDesk yes you can use but if you send an email I will send you the highest resolution photos I have robertcox@talkofthesound.com
— Talk of the Sound (@TalkoftheSound) September 10, 2014
USA TODAY: Ray Rice’s high school removes jersey, hometown torn
UPDATE 09/11: City School District Finally Issued a Statement on Ray Rice Situation