Coaches deny hazing knowledge

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DES PLAINES, Ill., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A pair of coaches at an Illinois high school told police they were unaware of alleged hazing incidents on their teams.

Michael Divincenzo, varsity soccer coach at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, denied allegations of threatening to have older players assault freshmen if they failed to communicate and freshman Coach Emilio Rodriguez said he never noticed anything "illegal" happening on the teams, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday.

A lawsuit filed last month alleges at least three soccer players and one basketball player were sexually assaulted by older players as a result of the hazing culture allowed by the coaches.

The police documents were released ahead of a special meeting of the Maine Township High School District 207 school board to discuss a "personnel item that is related to the Maine West investigation."