Victims Of Wall HS Hazing Allege District Was Negligent: Report

WALL, NJ — Victims involved in the Wall High School football hazing scandal have come forward and accused the district of negligence, according to a news report from NJ.com.

The negligence accusation was part of tort claim notices sent to the district in January, alerting the district of plans to sue, the NJ.com report said. The report said the tort notices detailed two attacks on different dates in October.

Patch has requested copies of the tort claim notices.

“The assault/battery, which is captured on video, was not stopped or otherwise interrupted at any time by any employee of (the district),” the notice added, “despite the fact that said classmates had subjected other members of Wall High School’s Varsity Football team to similar assaults/batteries on multiple prior occasions.”

The notices also identify multiple people alleged to “have knowledge of the facts of the incident which give rise to the claim,” though those individuals have not been specified as potential defendants in the suit.

The notices do not explain why the school and district officials were named careless and negligent in allowing players to go unsupervised into school locker rooms. It is unclear if supervision is required by law or rules governing scholastic sports.

NJ Advance Media reported viewing videos of several hazing incidents recorded by a bystander in the locker room. "In one, a player struggled to free himself from four teammates holding him face-up a couple of feet in the air, one on each limb, before they fall to the floor just as a fifth assailant used a broom handle held with two hands to poke the struggling victim between his legs through his shorts.," NJ.com reports.

In another of the video clips, two players attempt to pin down a victim while one of them puts his hand between the victim's legs, on the outside of his clothing.

The hazing scandal resulted in juvenile criminal charges against seven players on the team.

Read more at NJ.com