Videos of an alleged hazing incident – dubbed "the kidnapping" – show Olentangy Orange High School girls soccer players binding younger team members' wrists, blindfolding them and force-feeding them raw hot dogs and sardines.
The videos, which The Dispatch reviewed Sept. 30, were recorded by team members and shared on social media. The team bonding activity happens every year before the school year begins, a source with knowledge of the event said.
According to the videos: Seniors drove to varsity team members' houses between midnight and 3 a.m. and got the girls out of bed. They had them take their pants off and wear adult-sized diapers, zip-tied their wrists and wrapped their chests in plastic wrap. The girls also wore diapers on their heads
and goggles covered in duct tape over their eyes.
The girls were piled into cars and driven around town, sprayed with Silly String, shaving cream and glitter. Seniors asked their younger teammates sexually explicit questions and forced them to eat.
The school reported the situation to the sheriff's office, which conducted a criminal investigation.
A Delaware County Sheriff's incident report states that "a criminal offense did occur, but no charges are being filed." A sheriff's spokesperson said the office will not pursue criminal charges "due to insufficient criminal evidence, but also, in part, the level of cooperation we received from the involved parties."
In a statement, Olentangy Schools declined to share any details.
"Because student matters are confidential, we cannot discuss specific details," the district said in the statement. "We remain committed to communicating directly with the students and families involved regarding the outcome and moving forward."
The district also said hazing "has no place in Olentangy Schools" and that it is "committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all students."
The incident report lists six suspects, all of them girls ages 17-18, and 12 victims who range in age from 14-17. It also lists recklessly participating in hazing, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, as the offense. A fourth-degree misdemeanor for an adult is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $250.
Ohio law defines hazing "doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation into any student or other organization or any act to continue or reinstate membership in or affiliation with any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person, including coercing another to consume alcohol or a drug of abuse."
Neither the sheriff's office nor the school district have said whether drugs or alcohol were involved. The Dispatch has requested additional public records to learn more about the allegations.
Public safety and breaking news reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
Education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Videos show Olentangy Orange soccer hazing incident, no charges filed
