Hamilton Hazing: County Attorney Says No Charges Against Adults

PHOENIX, AZ – No charges for the former head football coach and two administrators in connection with hazing at Hamilton High School. That's the word from Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery.

He announced his decision at a news conference on Wednesday morning.

Montgomery cited a lack of evidence and a lack of cooperation from witnesses. People who had claimed that they had evidence, stopped cooperating with police and prosecutors.

The Chandler Unified School District reassigned coach Steve Belles along with athletic director Shawn Rustad and principal Ken James last September following an investigation that started in February, 2017.

Police investigated reports from four students that they had been molested by players in the locker room between September, 2015 and January 2017.

Police had recommended that Montgomery bring charges of failure to report and hindering prosecution.

Three teens who were accused of abuse were the only ones charged in the case. Two of them resolved their cases but the outcomes were sealed.

Montgomery says that "we are not walking away from this case" and that if students come forward today, tomorrow, over the next few years, they will be there to listen.

Photo courtesy Maricopa County Attorney's Office.