‘Our child was a victim’: Auburn Mountainview HS athletes investigated for ‘hazing’ incident

AUBURN, Wash. - Some students at Auburn Mountainview High School are under investigation for a hazing incident, that two parents are describing as a "sexual assault" on their child.  

Students reported the incidents of hazing among some members of the football team to school officials and police.

FOX 13 News talked spoke with parents who said upperclassmen were accused of holding down some of the younger students in a locker room when the alleged assaults occurred. They believe the actions of the students go beyond "rough play."

A mother and father say their 15-year-old son was held down in a locker room stall, while someone climbed on top of him in a way that their private parts were touching. We agreed not to use their names to protect their family's privacy, so they could share their concerns about what they say happened at the school.

"We are here because our child was a victim of this," said the student's father.

He says his son was victimized by the upperclassmen at Auburn Mountainview High School in a locker room, where no adults were present.

"My son was dragged in the bathroom, picked up where his feet were not touching ground, by two of these guys that did it," said the father. "[They] dragged him into the stall, got on top of him and dry-humped him."

He says his son told them to get off of him, and eventually they complied, but the parents say the damage was already done.

"There are probably a lot of kids that are going to be traumatized and scared to come forward, because even to some adults, this seems to be normal," said the father.

The parents say there are videos that are being shared by students that show similar things being done to other kids, as well.

"The fact there are videos going around of kids crying," said the student's mother. "They are like, ‘Oh yeah, now there are going to be chaperons in the locker room.’ Why weren’t they there before?"

The alleged abuse was reported within the past couple weeks, with their son telling them that football practice was canceled Friday.

"Without an adult supervision in the locker rooms, this is one of the outcomes that could happen," said his father. "We are really disappointed, as well, with the coaches for not being more alert what’s going on behind closed doors, and not just focusing on what’s going on in the field."

The family is asking other parents to talk to their kids about the incident, because they believe there may be more victims.

"I hope this is a wakeup call to a community and all the school districts around us," said the student's father.

"We are going to be a voice for our child and all the innocent victims that are scared," said the student's mother.

Auburn Police have confirmed that they are investigating and are interviewing members of the football team. The family says they are also cooperating with investigators. 

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The school sent out this letter to parents:

"Dear Parents,

"We hope this message finds you well. We wanted to inform you about a recent incident that came to our attention on Thursday evening regarding hazing among our JV football players in the JV locker room. As soon as we were made aware of the situation, we initiated an immediate investigation.

"In response to the incident, we have taken swift action by suspending multiple players from school and from football for the remainder of the football season. We want to assure you that we are committed to thoroughly investigating this matter and we welcome any information or input from the players involved.

"We take this issue very seriously and are deeply concerned that it was not reported earlier. Moving forward, we have implemented additional measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our athletes. Coaches will regularly be in the locker room while athletes are changing, before and after practice. No athletes will be allowed in a locker room unless there is a coach present.

"We greatly appreciate your support during this challenging time, and we want to assure you that we are fully committed to completing this investigation. As part of our efforts to prevent such incidents in the future, all athletes in the AMHS football program will be required to complete a Leadership and a Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing program with NFHS to finish in good standing and to participate in future sports programs at AMHS.

"Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We remain dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all our athletes."