HAVERHILL, MASS. (WHDH) - The Haverhill High School football season has been canceled by the district over allegations of hazing.
On Wednesday, Haverhill Public Schools announced the team would forfeit all future matches, including their Thanksgiving game, after a disturbing video from a locker room was leaked, prompting police to open an investigation as the school placed the team’s coaches on paid administrative leave.
“Significant material was uncovered today which impacts the direction of the investigation and the entire school community,” HPS said in a statement. “Given the seriousness of the misconduct, the District has decided to end the current football season – canceling all future practices and forfeiting future games. Out of an abundance of caution, members of the coaching staff have been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.”
Parents expressed their dismay with the news.
“It’s disappointing to hear, in this day and age– kids will be kids occasionally but this is a little ridiculous,” Carl Rizzo, a father of a student said. “It’s concerning. You worry about your kids every day and you hope that they can just show up to school and be in a safe environment, and it’s unfortunate that this stuff still happens.”
“It’s a shame that the entire team has to be punished for a couple kids’ actions,” he said, adding that he agreed with the superintendent’s decision.
Having viewed the video himself, Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini said he was disturbed by what he saw and called for the players’ immediate removal.
“I have seen the videos and they are disgusting,” Fiorentini said in a statement. “The players directly involved in these disgusting incidents should be immediately removed from the team and never be allowed to play high school football. There is no place on our teams or on any team for disgusting hazing such as this. Parents deserve to know when they send their kids to play high school sports that their children will be safe.”
Fiorentini said he fully supports the decision to cancel the season.
The Haverhill School Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday at 7 p.m. to further discuss the hazing incident and investigation.
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