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An Ohio high school is facing a federal civil rights lawsuit after one former student on the football team made several disturbing allegations, including that he was subjected to hazing and sexual assault while attending a football camp in June, according to court documents.
The complaint, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, named Ursuline High School in Youngstown as a defendant in the case. Several school officials and football coaches, the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown and several unnamed players and parents were also listed as defendants in the lawsuit.
According to a press release from The Chandra Law Firm, which is representing the mother of the football player and her daughter, the lawsuit claims that the plaintiff’s son was “violently assaulted” during a nine-day football camp that traveled through Florida, Tennessee and Alabama in June.
The boy, who was not identified in the lawsuit but was described as a freshman on the team, claimed that he was sexually assaulted on the first night of the trip by one player. Another player was accused of filming the assault and uploading it to the team’s group Snapchat. The alleged hazing and bullying continued in the days after the initial alleged assault and on the fourth day of camp, the plaintiff alleged that he was assaulted again when he was restrained by several players and stripped until he was completely exposed.
The alleged assault was again filmed and shared with the same group on Snapchat.
The lawsuit named other alleged acts of hazing and bullying, both against the plaintiff and other players. The complaint also alleged that school officials failed in their response to the plaintiff’s complaints and that coaches were aware of the threats of bullying during the camp but did not take meaningful action.
The mother first raised the allegations to an assistant coach on June 16 during the camp and claimed that the coach allegedly dismissed the assault allegations, stating “just boys being boys,” according to the complaint. She also met with school officials after her son returned home and claimed they were “showing no regret, remorse, or compassion” at the start of the meeting.
The complaint also accused the school of failing to “perform an investigation or take meaningful disciplinary action against the players or coaches” even after being presented with evidence, according to the law firm representing the plaintiffs.
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The mother’s daughter was also subjected to “intimidation,” and the family allegedly faced retaliation after coming forward with the complaints, according to the complaint.
In addition to hazing and assault, the lawsuit also alleged several Title IX violations and said the defendants committed several other offenses including false imprisonment, stalking, child pornography, and distributing lewd and obscene materials.
“This case is about accountability. No family should have to endure the trauma this family suffered at the hands of other students and then at the hands of school officials who, the suit alleges, made excuses, ignored, and even tried to cover up what happened,” the plaintiffs’ lead attorney Subodh Chandra said in a press release.
“We would welcome hearing from people with information about the lawsuit’s allegations—and also from other victims.”
Ursuline High School and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown were contacted for comment. In response, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that a police investigation into the allegations was ongoing, and that both school and diocese representatives have cooperated with that investigation.
“The safety and well-being of our students is Ursuline High School’s top priority. Ursuline parents can and should feel confident that their sons and daughters are in a safe environment every day. To that end, we want to highlight the steps we’ve taken in regard to the allegations about the football program.”
The statement continued, “After the students and coaches returned from the trip in question, one family made a formal report to the school alleging misconduct. Once informed, Ursuline’s administration timely opened an investigation. Immediately thereafter, Diocesan representatives and local authorities were notified of the allegations. Both Ursuline and the Diocese of Youngstown continue to cooperate fully with the authorities’ investigation, which is ongoing. Both out of concern for the identity of minors and at the request of the police, Ursuline has not discussed the allegations in public.”
The school noted that disciplinary actions against some of the students “most directly involved were imposed under Ursuline policies.” Some students left the school “before discipline could be imposed.”
Increased chaperon presence and mandatory training reviews were put in place as a result of the allegations, the school added. The football team’s game on Friday was also canceled following news of the civil case.
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