Hundreds Turn Out as School Board Addresses CB West Hazing Allegations

Hundreds of students and parents turned out Tuesday for the first Central Bucks School Board meeting since Thursday’s announcement that the Central Bucks West High School football season has been cancelled due to allegations of hazing.

The audience included parents, coaches and jersey-clad members of the team, many who said the administration and school board overreacted when deciding to cancel the season as law enforcement officials look into the allegations.

According to Superintendent David Weitzel, who made the announcement to cancel the season just one day before the much-anticipated homecoming game against Central Bucks East, the alleged misconduct occurred in August during a parent-sponsored team picnic.

The alleged hazing happened in the locker room during the picnic and no coaches were present in the room at the time, Weitzel said. Head coach Brian Hensel was not present at the picnic and many assistant coaches did not attend either.

According to Weitzel, during the picnic, rookie players were given “silly” haircuts by upperclassman using hair clippers supplied by a parent. “We have come to learn that these haircuts took place for many years at the end of the picnic,” Weitzel said.

But the behavior that concerned district officials went beyond silly haircuts. In a practice players called “waterboarding,” rookies had a towel placed over their heads and water poured over them in the shower.

Rookies were also wet down while fully clothed and then covered in powder. Another activity was called “slap it, lick it, grab it, fondle it.” According to Weitzel, rookies were put in a circle surrounded by other players and told to slap a player, lick a player’s face, and grab or fondle a player’s private area while clothed.

Weitzel said most sophomores were subjected to all of the hazing activities. “Many rookies said they were told by a senior after completing the stations, ‘you are now part of the team’,” Weitzel said.

Several who spoke during the meeting said the administration overreacted to the allegations and, without all the facts, rushed to judgment.

Ed Shields, a father of two Central Bucks West football players, said he attended the meeting to “express my extreme displeasure on how this was handled by the administration.” He called the decision to cancel the season a “reckless rush to judgment by an administration that was looking to cover their butts.”

Numerous parents and students expressed their support for the coaches, who have been suspended during the ongoing investigation. “You acted aggressively. What I think you need to recognize is that aggressive action had a ripple effect on these coaches and these men,” said a parent.

A group of assistant coaches stood in solidarity as one read a statement prepared on their behalf.

In that statement, the coaches said they were “shocked” to hear of the hazing allegations. “Only three coaches were present at the picnic. None of them knew of the misconduct,” the assistant coaches said in their statement.

And while they said they do not condone the behavior, they denied it was serious enough to warrant the drastic measure of cancelling the season.

Board president Paul Faulkner defended the school district’s decision, saying the whole situation has been “a very difficult process.” Faulkner said the allegations of hazing can’t be ignored. “It can’t be swept under the rug.”

Board vice president Stephen Corr asked for the public’s cooperation as the district works through the issue. “I know the cancellation of the two football games is a disappointment,” Corr said, adding “we have a cultural problem we need to address. We need to fix this. We are starting that process now. We need your help.”

(Photo: CB West assistant football coaches stand as a joint statement is read on their behalf)