Five football players at Wheaton College are facing felony charges in an alleged hazing case. The five players have been identified as Noah Spielman, Samuel Tebos, James Cooksey, Ben Pettway and Kyle Kregel.
After the charges were announced on Monday, reports indicated that the players planned on turning themselves in today, Tuesday, September 19.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the alleged hazing occurred in March 2016, when the five players “dragged a freshman teammate kicking and screaming from his dorm room last year, tied him with duct tape, threw him in a vehicle, held him down, and after it started moving, the football players allegedly played Middle Eastern music and made offensive comments about Muslims.”
The accused then left the victim beaten and half-naked on a baseball field. The unidentified victim suffered muscle tears in both his shoulders.
https://twitter.com/NancyLoo/status/910147033612382208
via Chicago Tribune:
Three of the accused played in Wheaton College’s victory over Carthage College Saturday, and all were listed on the team roster as of Monday afternoon. The Division III program is ranked fourth in the country. The victim, who the Tribune is not naming, left the conservative Christian school shortly after the incident and now attends college in Indiana.
“This has had a devastating effect on my life,” he said in a statement to the Tribune. “What was done to me should never occur in connection with a football program or any other activity. … I am confident that the criminal prosecution will provide a fair and just punishment to the men who attacked me.”
The college released a statement late Monday saying it was “deeply troubled” by the allegations because it strives to provide an educational environment free from hazing and reflective of the school’s religious values. The school said it hired a third party to investigate the allegation last year and took “corrective actions,” but officials declined to provide details on any punishment, citing federal privacy laws.
All five individuals were charged with aggravated battery, mob action and unlawful restraint and their bond was set at $50,000.
The unidentified victim transferred shortly after the incident and now attends college in Indiana.
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