Haverhill Public Schools have canceled the end of the high school football season amid an investigation into alleged misconduct involving members of the team, district officials wrote in a letter to families Wednesday.
The letter, signed by Supt. Margaret Marotta, Haverhill High School Principal Kevin Soraghan and Athletic Director Thomas O'Brien, did not provide details of what led to the investigation but made reference to hazing and noted that the Haverhill Police Department is involved. Members of the coaching staff are also on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
"The investigation is ongoing and significant material was uncovered today which impacts the direction of the investigation and the entire school community," the letter reads.
The allegations prompted the cancellation of the final game of the season on Thanksgiving, as well as the practices leading up to it.
"It's a good punishment," said student Felix Molina. "They deserve what they deserve, we can't be doing that, we have to respect one another."
The school says the coaches have been placed on leave while the investigation takes place.
Students say there is video of the incident, and it's been circulating for a while. They say it happened in a locker room and appears to show several students assaulting a freshman. The incident appears to have been sexual.
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"Haverhill Public Schools will not tolerate hazing, harassment, or retaliation in any form. Any such misconduct will be responded to swiftly and it will undoubtedly have lasting repercussions for all of those involved," the district's letter read.
"The Haverhill Police Department has been made aware of and are investigating the hazing allegation," department spokesperson Meaghan Paré said in a statement.
"I actually never heard of hazing," said student Javien Sapienza. "That was the first time I've heard of it and seen it. And I just think that's wrong."
The school says privacy laws prohibit any disclosure of disciplinary action the students could face.
Haverhill's mayor indicated some students have been suspended.
"I am alarmed, concerned and frankly disgusted by what I have been told and by the video that I was shown," Mayor James Fiorentini said in a statement. "The boys involved in this disgusting incident should be immediately permanently removed from the team."
"Horrible," said Haverhill High grandmother Laurie Cross. "If it's hazing, horrible, I've never heard anything bad like that here, I don't understand what's going on."
