HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- An incident of alleged hazing on an Ohio high school baseball team prompted the victim's father to sue the school and his son's attackers.
The November 2010 hazing took place outside the Wayne High School weight room when two upperclassmen cornered a freshman trying out for the team. Police reports indicate one of the older team members pinned the boy down while the other sexually violated him. Two more upperclassmen watched and laughed, the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News reported Wednesday.
The victim reported the incident and police charged the two attackers. One of the teens pleaded guilty to a felony assault charge and was issued a suspended sentence at a youth facility in February 2011. The other teen pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to probation. School officials suspended the boys for 10 days each and kicked them off the baseball team.
During the course of the investigation, all the baseball players involved told police they had been subjected to similar hazing incidents when they were freshmen on the team. The players told police the hazing was so common their coaches likely knew about it, but never tried to stop it.
"[School officials] turned a blind eye to what these sports teams get away with in the name of building team unity, and schools have to be a lot more vigilant about these types of incidents," said Konrad Kircher, the victim's attorney.
The suit seeks more than $75,000 in damages and names the attackers and Huber Heights City School district as defendants.
