Howard, Md., police have arrested and charged seven Howard High School junior varsity football players with second-degree assault linked to a bullying incident in the school locker room on Sept. 25.
Videos taken of the incident show a group of unsupervised students picking up the victim and trying to force him into a toilet, punching him several times in the process. Throughout the video, students can be heard chanting, “Throw him in!”
The victim’s wallet and bike were stolen during the attack, and he was so badly injured he needed treatment at the hospital. When the victim’s parents went to the school to address what they thought was a one-time problem, they uncovered several smaller problems had led up to the injurious toilet incident — students pulling down their son’s pants and spraying things in his helmet.
According to WMAR2 News, the accused student-athletes are all between 14-16 years old and will be charged as juveniles.
As a result of the charges and bullying incident, the junior varsity football team has been suspended and an investigation is ongoing.
The victim’s parents told WMAR2 News that coaching staff initially “brushed off” their concerns about the Sept. 25th bullying incident. Now, they are glad to hear the team has been suspended, but are pushing for criminal charges.
" Effective immediately, the Howard High School JV Football program is suspended pending an investigation of a recent situation involving some team members. As the matter is under investigation and involves minor children, we are limited in the details we can provide and are not able to share specifics," the school system said in a statement reported by WBALTV. "We will, however, share updates when available, including the status of the JV football program and any other public details."
The suspension of the junior varsity team has not impacted operations of Howard’s varsity team or girls’ flag football team.
