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The juvenile complaints include attempted criminal sexual contact, criminal sexual contact and false imprisonment, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey.
The hazing charges follow an investigation into a series of incidents that occurred during September and October 2021 in the Wall Township High School football team’s locker room, the prosecutor said on Monday.
Following a separate investigation, one juvenile was charged with aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault for alleged conduct off school grounds, Linskey said.
“The results of our investigations necessitated the filing of juvenile complaints against those involved in order to serve the interests of justice,” Linskey said.
Specifically, as it relates to the hazing investigation, Linskey stressed that “it is imperative that victims of hazing, harassment, intimidation, and bullying know that such conduct is not a ‘rite of passage’ and should not be endured without consequence in order to gain acceptance in social, club, sport, or academic settings."
"We are hopeful that the lessons gleaned from this case foster a renewed focus on actively teaching juveniles in all of our schools what conduct crosses the line of acceptability, and what students must do if they are a bystander or victim of hazing, harassment, intimidation, or bullying," Linskey said.
No additional information is being released at this time including the specific number of juvenile defendants involved
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