From The Chicago Sun-Times: The Maine Township (Ill.) school board has voted to fire one of the soccer coaches at the center of a hazing scandal at Maine West High School in Des Plaines. Board President Sean Sullivan says varsity soccer coach Michael Divincenzo violated district policy “by failing to adequately prevent, recognize, report and punish student hazing.”A lawsuit has accused the coach of sanctioning hazing rituals that allegedly led to the sexual assault of multiple soccer players and a baseball player.
NOVEMBER 2012...From The Chicago Sun-Times: A lawsuit alleges that three freshman students at a Des Plaines, Ill., high school were sexually assaulted during a soccer team hazing ritual. The suit against the Maine Township High School District stems from a Sept. 27 incident at Maine West High School. Six students face juvenile charges in connection with the alleged hazing. Two soccer coaches have been reassigned with pay, and three other coaches who are not teachers were removed from their coaching responsibilities, according to the district. The suit contends that the assault occurred as part of an initiation after the victims were promoted from the freshman team to the varsity team. The suit asks for monetary damages and for the district to make changes to keep similar incidents from occurring.
