Massachusetts hazing incident sidelines girls soccer players
Although no personal injuries resulted in the hazing incident last week in Needham, Massachusetts, Needham High School girls' soccer players were barred from playing in the state tournament. According to the Boston Globe, the banned varsity players blindfolded younger teammates, made one wear a dog collar, and hit two others in the face with pies. Needham school officials called it a clear violation of the anti-hazing law. The players' parents unsuccessfuly tried to overturn the decision to ban the girls from the tournament by going to court. Parents of the suspended students sought an injunction allowing the girls to play in the tournament game, but Superior Court Judge Barbara Dortch-Okara denied the injunction. Police and Norfolk County prosecutors are considering whether to bring charges.
Massachusetts General Laws c. 269, Section 17 defines hazing as any behavior that initiates a student into an organization and that "willfully or recklessly'' endangers their physical or mental health. The law specifically covers whipping; beating; branding; forced calisthenics; exposure to weather; and forced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug, or other substance. And it makes room for "any other brutal treatment or forced physical activity that could adversely affect the student's health or safety or cause extreme mental stress.'' Consent is not a defense.
As Massachusetts personal injury attorneys, we understand that the statute is tough to enforce, especially in a case such as this one where no apparent personal injuries occurred.
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