Middle Schooler Sexually Assaulted In Locker Room: Lawsuit

HAMMOND, IN — A middle school student at a Hammond, Indiana, school, was allegedly sexually assaulted by a group of high school soccer players in a middle school locker room, according to a lawsuit that moved to U.S. District Court in Indiana on Monday. The suit alleges the assault happened in February 2016 before a soccer practice at George Rogers Clark High/Middle School.

According to the suit, the boy was in eighth grade and a member of the school's soccer team at the time of the assault, noting that the middle school soccer players practiced with the high school team. The complaint filed by attorney Alex Mendoza alleges that coaches at the school were aware that other soccer players had been sexually assaulted in the past "as part of team hazing" and failed to protect students.

The suit claims the older players confronted the eighth-grader in the school locker room and dragged him into the shower, where they turned on the water and sexually assaulted him. It accuses coaches of failing to supervise the players and leaving the team unattended. According to the complaint, the school has separate locker room facilities for middle school students and high school students.

The suit, which identifies the boy only as John Doe, names the School City of Hammond, the school board, principal, superintendent, soccer coach and assistant coach and nine different students, including several minors.

WGN and the Northwest Indiana Times said representatives of the school district have not commented on the lawsuit.

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