The Boston College swimming and diving coaches involved during a period concerning allegations of hazing on the team are no longer with the program, a university spokesperson said Tuesday.
This comes after an investigation and suspension of the program that escalated to the point of court hearings.
The private university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, announced in September that it was suspending the men's and women's swimming and diving programs indefinitely, saying that, "Athletics has determined a program suspension is warranted, pending a full investigation by the University."
Team members and their families pushed back on the suspension, with some going as far as to hire lawyers and asking the school to retract its statement and lift the initial suspension. Despite efforts that escalated to requesting a court order, which was denied by a Middlesex Superior Court judge, in a follow up statement issued on Jan. 4, the university said the extensive investigation did find that hazing occurred. It also found other conduct and team culture concerns, prompting the university to extend the suspension through August 2024.
Sanctions were issued in December to several members of the team, the statement continued, including suspension from school for the spring semester and university probation.
"It is the hope of BC Athletics that these measures will enable the program to move forward in the 2024-2025 academic year," the university statement read.
The school declined to give specifics on the fate of the coaches involved, citing a policy not to discuss personnel matters, but a spokesperson said Tuesday that they are no longer with the program.
According to court documents, the hazing involved an event on Sept. 3 where freshmen were instructed to play various drinking games and binge drink. The students were allegedly given bags to wear around their necks in case they needed to vomit. Some did, and others passed out.
Older students were allegedly "taking care of" freshmen who were sick or overly intoxicated. It was the second of three team events where underage drinking took place in three straight days, according to Boston College, which cited an investigation including interviews team members and photos, videos and a group chat.
All members of the team - 67 as of last year - are also being required to attend a hazing education program.
