Eleven teenage lacrosse players from upstate New York have been charged with unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, a misdemeanor, following an alleged hazing incident involving five younger teammates.
The Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to NTD, sister media of The Epoch Times, that the charges were filed Thursday.
The students, all connected to the Westhill High School boys’ lacrosse program, turned themselves in after District Attorney William Fitzpatrick issued a 48-hour deadline for those involved to come forward or face more serious felony kidnapping charges.
Instead, the group allegedly drove to a remote part of southern Onondaga County, where they were met in the woods with several individuals dressed in black and armed with what appeared to be at least one handgun and a knife.
One victim was allegedly singled out, blindfolded with a pillowcase, tied up, and placed in the trunk of a car. The student was left to believe he would be abandoned, but was eventually returned home. Four other potential victims managed to flee the area.
Fitzpatrick said the event was “way, way beyond hazing,” adding, “I cannot adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case.”
While the student who was left behind in a trunk was not physically injured, Fitzpatrick stated, “I don’t know how long this young man will be affected by what happened to him. Emotionally, that’s going to be long-term.”
The entire incident was recorded on video, which investigators used to identify the 11 students believed to have participated, either directly or indirectly.
Fitzpatrick warned that the situation could have turned tragic if law enforcement had intervened.
“If one of Sheriff Shelley’s patrol officers had been on duty and passed by the scene, they would have come out of their vehicle with their guns drawn, and if one of these young people foolishly pointed a weapon in the direction of the officer, you can only imagine what could have happened. And by the grace of God, it didn’t happen,” Fitzpatrick said.
Superintendent Stephen Dunham of the Westhill Central School District announced the cancellation of the remainder of the varsity boys’ lacrosse season, citing the need to address the culture of the program.
“Let me be clear: the majority of the varsity boys lacrosse team was NOT involved in the incident from last week, nor were they aware of it ahead of time,” Dunham said in a statement sent to local news outlets.
“Hazing is an indefensible act. It can be humiliating and degrading, potentially causing physical and emotional harm. Westhill Central School District policy strictly prohibits hazing, in all forms, and it’s something we simply will not tolerate”.
Lisa O’Reilly, Board of Education President for the Westhill Central School District, said in a statement sent to NTD that they are continuing to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation.
“We remain committed to the values of student safety, dignity, and accountability,” she said. “We remain in close contact with law enforcement and remain focused on supporting our students and ensuring the safety and well-being of our school community.”
His mother, Rosemary Talucci, added: “The boys who did this are good kids. They do come from good families. They just made a huge mistake and I think a lot of schools can learn from that”.
