Officials say over a dozen players on the Cheltenham High School football team witnessed or participated in a locker room hazing incident last season.
Officials say over a dozen players on the Cheltenham High School football team witnessed or participated in a locker room hazing incident last season.The district found that several students filmed the incident that unfolded in early September, and that coaches did little to supervise the locker room.
A hazing investigation involving authorities in Montgomery County found that a student-on-student assault happened in the football locker room on Sept. 3.They believe that nearly 20 students who witnessed the assault "made no attempt to stop the event, and several others participated freely in it."Some students, according to the district, filmed the assault.The investigation revealed a lawless football locker room with a lack of supervision and direction by the coaching staff, resulting in a "toxic and negative culture."Investigators, however, were unable to find a pattern of hazing within the school's football program. In the wake of the hazing investigation, the district says it will take steps and recommendations to "overhaul the football program before it resumes in the future."Some of the initial steps that the district will be taking will include identifying and hiring new, highly qualified coaching staff who demonstrate a strong commitment to leading student-athletes in a positive and responsible manner," the district wrote.They will also place an emphasis on student supervision and re-affirm their incident-reporting protocol. "Having a 2026 season is largely contingent on identifying, hiring, and onboarding the right coaching staff, and on the cooperation of parents/guardians, students, and staff in doing their part to address the recommendations that will strengthen our program," the district continued.Officials called student athletes who were found to not be involved in the hazing incident "especially important to rebuilding the culture of our program."Ongoing "student-specific matters" could impact the eligibility of certain students to play football in the upcoming season and could lead to disciplinary actions.The Cheltenham Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office is continuing to investigate the hazing incident.
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