District 95 settles football team hazing lawsuit
Lake Zurich Unit School District 95 has entered into a settlement agreement in the lawsuit filed on behalf of two students who were hazed while on the Lake Zurich High School football team, the district announced late Thursday.
The terms of the settlement were not released.
“The settlement helps bring closure to the matter for the District and the families involved while avoiding further litigation costs,” district spokeswoman Jean Malek said in the news release. “This settlement is in the best interest of all parties involved.”
The football program was thrown into turmoil in 2016 when hazing allegations surfaced just before a Nov. 5 playoff game. Before the contest, school administrators ordered players to sign a student behavior agreement or be prohibited from playing the rest of the season.
A police investigation later determined criminal charges were not warranted, but a lawsuit filed on behalf of two players and their parents in February alleged that hazing had been a part of the school's athletic programs since 1997, with the knowledge of coaches and other officials.
Football hazing during the previous 20 years included players urinating on teammates or placing their genitals on other players' faces without consent, according to the lawsuit.