Disturbing Sexual Assault Described As Hazing At Hammond's Clark High School

A freshman member of the Clark High School soccer team in Hammond says he was sexually assaulted in the school's locker room as part of some twisted initiation by senior team members. The assault took place on February 5 but is just now being reported by the media. The disturbing incident appears similar in nature to what was permitted to take place in the Carmel High School by school officials for many years before members of the high school basketball team finally got prosecuted for what amounted to straight up sexual assault that was passed off as simple hazing by senior team members.

Clark High School Principal Robert Wilson contacted Hammond Police to report a freshman student had been sexually assaulted at the school after learning about it, although it's not clear from news reports how quickly that report was made. According to a police report, team members had just finished meeting in the coach's office when the incident occurred. As the victim was changing clothes in the locker room to prepare for practice, he heard someone say "let's get him." That's when he was shoved to the ground and sexually assaulted five successive times before being forced into a shower stall with the water turned on before leaving him.

The victim told police he had heard of it happening before, that there is a name for the initiation and it happens to students who join the soccer team. Two of the suspects have been suspended from the school and the school's superintendent indicated there may be others suspended as well. It's not clear why the school's investigation is still ongoing more than a month later with respect to the other students involved in the assault. As many as eight students were involved in the attack according to the police report. One student apparently tried to come to the victim's aid but was outnumbered.

School officials apparently learned of the incident after a witness to the incident told his mother, who in turn contacted the victim's mother and told her about it and she contacted school officials. The school's superintendent says virtually every member of the soccer team has been interviewed. It's unclear where the coach or other adult supervisors were when the assaults were taking place. The case has been turned over to the juvenile prosecutor's office according to the Northwest Indiana Times. The report indicates that DCS officials were notified of the incident as well, and a letter was sent to parents on February 10.