Friday, Feb. 17, 2006 | 12:32 p.m.
The father of a Sierra Vista High School student accused in an alleged hazing incident two weeks ago said school officials have not provided him any details about his son's suspension.
"The school will not return my calls," he said. "To my knowledge none of the other parents have heard anything either."
The incident occurred on Feb. 3, the teens were suspended and parents say none of the accused students have been permitted to return to class. Some of the accused students are seniors and their parents are concerned that a prolonged suspension could prevent them from graduating with their classmates.
School officials say a group of at least five members of the Sierra Vista varsity boys basketball team pinned another player to the floor and touched him inappropriately with their hands.
The incident is being investigated by Metro Police as sexual misconduct.
The player had just been promoted to the varsity squad and the incident has been described by officials as an initiation ritual that went too far.
Attorney Steven Wolfson, who represents two of the teens accused in the incident, said from what his clients have told him it appears to be a case of "boys will be boys."
"It is really early on but these boys seem to have done what a lot of boys do," Wolfson said.
Wolfson has been in contact with Metro Police but has yet to see a report.
"It's hard to give any more details until I see a police report," Wolfson said.
Metro Lt. John Bradshaw said the sexual assault unit could send the case to the Clark County district attorney's office next week.
"We've interviewed everyone who wants to be interviewed," Bradshaw said. "Some have declined to be interviewed or have declined to be interviewed through their attorneys."
The father of the accused student said he has heard nothing from the school since he was told before a Feb. 4 varsity basketball game to take his son home and not come back until further notice.
Sierra Vista forfeited that game and the father said he hasn't heard anything since.
Edward Goldman, associate superintendent of the Clark County School District, said parents should certainly have been notified in writing, if they were not.
While Goldman could not talk about specific cases, he said a student who is suspended is given a written notice signed by the principal that is usually followed up by a notice mailed to the student's home.
He said if a student is told he is suspended, the school is required to send a written notice home.
Goldman said that cases that involve a police investigation can slow the school's ability to examine an incident.
"Where police are involved, they don't want us to tamper with evidence or interfere in their investigation," he said.
While the school's ability to examine the incident may be hampered, Goldman said this should not affect the initial disciplinary process.
In a case where evidence suggests a student is involved in sexual misconduct, Goldman said the principal is required to hold a hearing within three days and then submit a recommendation for expulsion. The student then faces a hearing and appeals process to determine his or her fate.
The father of the accused student said he thought the school would at least contact his son in an attempt to verify the allegations but said no one from the school has ever talked to any of the boys who are accused.
"They don't want to hear the other side of the story," he said. "This is persecution without any voice."
While the parents of the accused say they have been kept out of the loop, the alleged victim's father said he has talked to both the police and a school official.
He said he learned of the incident shortly after it happened and his son spent several hours talking to the police that night.
The next day the father of the alleged victim said he met with Sierra Vista's principal, who explained a little about the incident, but didn't go into detail. The father said a Metro detective told him the incident was a sexual assault.
"The detective said it's rape," the father said.
The alleged victim's mother originally urged the boy to report the incident, and when he was reluctant to do so, she reported it herself. The father said she has been very upset ever since.
"She cries every 30 minutes," he said.
He said he is considering a civil suit in addition to any criminal charges that may be filed.
"We're 99 percent sure we're going to press charges," he said.''We're ready for this."
Evan Wishengrad, the alleged victim's attorney, has not returned numerous calls requesting comments.
Mark Hansel can be reached at 259-4085 or at [email protected]. David Kihara can be reached at 259-2330 or at [email protected].
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