Former Ill. prep soccer players awarded $1M in hazing settlement

Five former Illinois high school soccer players who alleged they were hazed by their teammates have been awarded $1 million in a settlement with the school district.

The students, who played soccer at Maine West High School (Des Plaines), filed a lawsuit against the district four years ago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Since that time, the students involved were punished and two coaches were fired. One coach was charged with misdemeanor hazing and battery but was found not guilty.

In the lawsuit, at least one student said a teammate tore off his pants and sexually assaulted him. Each of the five students who filed the lawsuit were awarded $200,000 in the settlement.

“The Board has always denied and continues to deny that the District or any District administrator engaged in any wrongdoing related to the allegations in the lawsuit,” the school district said in a statement, as reported by the Sun-Times.

“The settlement will bring to closure a matter that has weighed heavily on the entire community since 2012 and is in, in the judgement of the Board, in the best of interests of all involved.”

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