10 Students Charged In PA High School Football Hazings

MIDDLETOWN, PA — Ten students have been charged in connection to the hazing of Middletown High School football players, an investigation that prompted officials to cancel the remainder of the school's football season, according to the Dauphin County district attorney.

Two students, both 17, have been charged with multiple counts of criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, unlawful restraint, simple assault, and hazing following a month-long investigation, District Attorney Francis Chardo announced Tuesday.

Eight others face charges in connection to incidents that targeted at least six players, ages 14 to 17, the district attorney said.

Prosecutors did not release the names of those charged because all cases will be handled through the juvenile court system.

"This investigation did not involve just hazing or 'boys will be boys' conduct," Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gettle said in a statement. "Rather, two of these individuals committed repeated sexual assaults and encouraged others to participate under the guise of hazing."

According to prosecutors, the investigation began on Aug. 12 when Lower Swatara Township police received a report from Middletown High School that a video posted on social media showed a football player being assaulted during an Aug. 11 practice.

Investigators interviewed more than 80 students regarding the assaults and determined that on Aug. 11, three students were sexually assaulted in the school's turf room during a 20-minute period when no adults were present.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Superintendent Chelton Hunter said video from the turf room assaults showed "a group of students restraining two of their teammates and using a muscle therapy gun and another piece of athletic equipment" to poke their buttock areas.

The players were fully clothed, Hunter said, and no penetration reportedly occurred; however, Hunted called the acts "completely unacceptable, offensive, and highly inappropriate," The AP reported.

Additional investigation revealed three other students were also assaulted over the last year on various occasions, authorities said. Each assault involved the two 17-year-old students facing multiple charges.

On Aug. 24, Hunter issued a statement canceling the remainder of the football team's season.

"I know this decision will be met with many different opinions and will impact many students and families," Hunter wrote in his statement, calling the hazing incidents more widespread than previously believed.

The school district has since removed the accused students from the school to "ensure that the victims were not further traumatized," according to the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office. The team's head coach also resigned within days of the first video's publication.

According to prosecutors, none of the coaches or school administrators knew of the incidents until the day it was reported to the police.

Prosecutors are continuing to investigate additional allegations of other assaults by the same students at a football camp over the summer. According to authorities, as many as six other students may have been assaulted but have been reluctant to cooperate with police.