Report: 4 PC West Football Players Could Face Charges After Sexual Assault

Four Putnam City West High School football players are facing possible criminal charges after allegedly sexually assaulting another student in a “hazing” incident.

According to Putnam City Campus Police, the principal received an email of the assault on Saturday, September 29. The principal was informed that a witness said the incident took place in the varsity football locker room on Friday, September 28.

The principal said according to the email, a witness saw a freshman student being carried into the locker room when a broom stick was grabbed and shoved into the freshman’s rectum through his clothes.

The principal contacted the victim’s family and the students who were involved in the incident.

Campus police conducted interviews and investigated the incident as an aggravated assault, according to the report.

Campus police said four students verbally confessed to “brooming” the freshman. They explained that the hazing tactic normally just involves taking a broken broom stick handle and chasing around underclassmen. They reportedly told campus police that the broom or “the stick” has been passed down from class to class.

Campus police said this is the first reported assault of this kind.

At this time, no arrests have been made. The students involved in the assault are ages 15, 16, 17 and 18. The victim is 14. The names of those involved have not been released. 

Putnam City Police Chief Mark Stout says the four students involved all face a rape by instrumentation and hazing charges. The findings from the investigation will be presented to the D.A. Office Monday, October 8. 

The district is now forming a task force to prevent future hazing incidents.

“A task force involving board members, people from the athletic department, school principals and possibly others,” said Steve Lindley, Putnam City Chief Communications Officer. “To look at the issue of supervision in locker rooms and cultures that surround athletic departments.”

A school employee has been put on administrative leave.

District officials would not comment on how or if the students have been disciplined by the school.

Stay with News 9 for updates.