Hazing rituals have long been a brutal secret among high school and college sport teams, but recent cases of sexual assault have reignited calls to end the practice. In the #MeToo era, victims are increasingly speaking out.
When Allison Brookman picked up her 14-year-old son Anthony from American football camp in Braidwood, Illinois, she knew something was wrong. He had been beaten and sexually assaulted by four senior players as part of a violent hazing ritual. The family is now suing the school district, claiming it failed to prevent the assault.
In Maryland, four 15-year-old members of the Damascus High School junior varsity football team are accused of raping a younger teammate with a broomstick. Prosecutors say the attackers cornered freshmen in the locker room. In Toronto, seven football players from St Michael's College School face charges of gang sex assault related to three hazing incidents, one of which was captured on video.
Hazing, a rite of passage involving embarrassment or harm to new members, ranges from benign tasks to extreme abuse. A 2000 survey found about half of US high school students reported participating in hazing, though few identified it as such. In the UK, the Rugby Football Union has warned that initiations at university clubs are deterring players.
