POLICE DROP WRESTLER HAZING PROBE.Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer Ventura County sheriff's investigators decided Monday not to seek misdemeanor criminal complaints against Westlake High School Westlake High School may refer to:
The decision came after parents for each of the four victims told officials they did not want to seek prosecution, ending an investigation which began Dec. 18, said Sgt. Robert Sparks. Sparks said none of the acts were serious enough to qualify as a felony offense of battery, assault or false imprisonment false imprisonment, complete restraint upon a person's liberty of movement without legal justification. Actual physical contact is not necessary; a show of authority or a threat of force is sufficient. The person falsely imprisoned may sue the offender for damages. . ``This ends it for the Sheriff's Department,'' said Sparks, the lead investigator. ``Hopefully, (team members) will act responsibly and do what the school expects of them, what their parents expect of them and what society expects of them.'' A parent of a wrestler said the Sheriff's Department action reinforces the claim of team supporters that some wrestlers were guilty of ``maybe bad behavior, but not a crime'' and that school officials went too far in canceling the season. ``I'm happy it's over. Unfortunately, it's not going to bring their season back,'' said the parent, who asked not to be identified. Westlake officials canceled the wrestling season last month after allegations were made that the wrestlers grabbed students, pinned them down and probed their buttocks buttocks /but·tocks/ (but´oks) the two fleshy prominences formed by the gluteal muscles on the lower part of the back. with the handle of a mop they called ``Pedro,'' sheriff's officials said. The students were fully clothed clothe tr.v. clothed or clad , cloth·ing, clothes 1. To put clothes on; dress. 2. To provide clothes for. 3. To cover as if with clothing. and no one was hurt. Two weeks ago, school officials suspended seven wrestlers for a week of classes and banned four of their teammates from participating in sports and all other school activities for a year. A total of 17 other wrestlers received admonishments for being aware of the hazing and not notifying a responsible adult. None of those involved was identified. Westlake officials could not be reached at school because Monday was a staff development day for the Conejo Valley Unified School District Conejo Valley Unified School District or CVUSD is a school district in Ventura County. It serves Thousand Oaks, California and its subsections Newbury Park and Westlake Village. and classes were not in session. District officials said the Sheriff's Department decision was expected but that the district considered the issue closed when the various suspensions and disciplinary actions were announced. ``That pretty much was the closure for us,'' said Richard Simpson Richard Simpson can refer to:
One of the wrestlers, who said he received the yearlong athletic suspension, was not surprised with the decision to forgo criminal prosecution. ``I knew nothing was going to come out of the investigation,'' said the wrestler, who declined to give his name when contacted by telephone. ``That shows that nothing really happened and that the athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic just wanted a reason to cancel wrestling.'' The wrestler acknowledged that the hazing, which he didn't observe, ``was a serious issue.'' But he contended that school officials ``just went overboard.'' Sparks said investigators interviewed 25 students before completing their work. He said there were six to eight active participants in the hazing. ``Our best assessment was that the entire team either knew of the behavior or witnessed the behavior,'' Sparks said. |
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