Hazing At School Triggers Civil Lawsuit

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                                    Hazing At School Triggers Civil Lawsuit
                                   Waxahachie, TX (Law Firm Newswire) November 20, 2012 - A lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the
                                   Southern District of Ohio, claiming that school officials allowed hazing.

                                   According to the claim, the Huber Heights City School officials knew that there were hazing incidents between
                                   athletes and students in the form of attacks, but they did not take action to protect the students.

                                   The attorney for the plaintiff stated that they were attempting to increase awareness at educational institutions
                                   regarding hazing incidents, and push school officials to take steps to prevent them. The attorney stated that
                                   school officials looked the other way when sports teams did hazing-type activities as a way to bond and build
                                   "team unity." School officials stated that they could not comment on the lawsuit but that they take hazing and
                                   bullying seriously. The civil lawsuit seeks punitive damages and compensation from two teenage boys who were
                                   convicted of a sexual assault, as part of the incident against a classmate.

                                   "Schools need to investigate reports of hazing and take proactive steps to discourage such
                                   behavior," stated John Hale, Waxahachie personal injury attorney.

                                   The victim, a freshman aged 14 years at the time of the incident, stated that he believed the assault was
                                   retaliation after he, and an upperclassmen, became involved in a dispute at the school gym. The boys who
                                   attacked him were on the school baseball team.

                                   Though felony rape charges were considered, in the end, one boy pled guilty to second-degree felony assault;
                                   the other boy pled guilty to first-degree misdemeanor assault. Both boys were suspended from school for 10
                                   days. The felony offender was given a suspended sentence at a youth facility, while the offender charged with a
                                   misdemeanor received probation.

                                   One of the boys identified as an offender reportedly told police he, too, had been assaulted similarly as a
                                   freshman, and witnesses later came forward to report that they had also been assaulted as freshmen. All three
                                   students reported that they believed it was such standard behavior, that they felt the assaults were known to
                                   school authorities, including coaches. The victim’s attorney contends that the multiple reports of similar activity
                                   points to school officials knowing that the hazing regularly took place, and did not do anything to stop it.

                                   The civil suit is seeking damages against the attackers for battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and
                                   false imprisonment, in excess of $75,000.

                                   John Hale is a Waxahachie personal injury lawyer and Ellis County personal injury lawyer helping injury victims
                                   near Dallas, Texas. Learn more at




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