2 adults charged....
 

SKOKIE, Illinois (CNN) -- Two adults have been charged Wednesday in connection with the violent hazing incident earlier this month that was captured on videotape, prosecutors said Wednesday.

One parent was charged with delivery of alcohol to a minor after buying three kegs and giving them to her son, who was charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor.

A second parent was charged with allowing her home to be used for the consumption of alcohol by minors. One of the kegs was delivered to the home while the remaining two were delivered to the park.

In an afternoon press conference, prosecutors pointed to alcohol as fueling the hazing that left several junior girls from Glenbrook North High School injured and requiring medical treatment.

Steve Goebel, Cook County assistant state's attorney, said "alcohol clearly heightened the violence in this case and parents are partly to blame for what occurred."

The incident took place off school grounds at a gathering for a powder puff football game that was never played.

Both adults are charged with misdemeanors and both are parents of students at the school.

School officials have said they believe at least one of the young people seen on the videotape was a former student.

On Monday, school officials offered several of the 31 students suspended in the incident a deal that would expel them, but allow them to graduate. It would require them to perform community service and obtain counseling, and they would have to agree not to exploit the event through book or movie deals, said school attorney Lawrence Weiner.

They would also have to agree to the expulsion from school and promise not to sue the school district, Weiner said.

In return, the school would essentially freeze the students' grades at what they were before the incident rather than flunking them because of their expulsion.

They would graduate with their class, but would not be allowed to attend graduation ceremonies. (Full story)

In videotape of the May 4 incident, teens were seen hitting their younger classmates and showering them with mud, feces and garbage.

On Tuesday, a federal judge denied a request from two of the suspended students for a temporary restraining order that would bar the school from punishing them in the case.

Judge George Kocoras will issue a memorandum -- possibly Wednesday -- on the request from seniors Liat Gendelman and Taylor Wessel, both 18 years old.

Also, District Court Judge Julia Nowicki in Chicago has agreed to move to a federal court two lawsuits against the school and school board regarding the punishments. The Glenbrook School Board had sought the move because the lawsuits allege the plaintiffs' Constitutional rights were violated because they were not granted "due process" in the case.

Nowicki had earlier refused to grant a temporary restraining order in one of the suits, clearing the way for the school board to issue suspensions.

State prosecutors said last week they will charge 15 of the students who participated in the violent hazing -- 12 women and three men -- with misdemeanor battery, which, according to Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine, is punishable by up to 364 days in jail. Other punishments could include probation, supervision and a $2,000 fine.

The sentence will be up to a judge after conviction, according to Devine. Their court date is scheduled for June 11.

"During the outburst, six junior girls were injured in a high school rite of passage gone bad," said Devine. "One victim had 10 stitches in her head. There are possible concussions. And it simply is the kind of behavior that any community cannot tolerate and will not tolerate."

from: http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/05/21/ha...ges/index.html

2 adults were charged today; one with supplying the kegs, and another with allowing the party to be at her house.

I just think its kind of funny- the woman who had the senior party at her house is the one who was quoted a few weeks ago saying that alcohol was involved 5 years ago when her daughter participated and it wasn't like this....she's probably been worrying about this for weeks.

I am concerned that these teens don't feel like they did something that is so terribly wrong. They are probably the same types of people who do something wrong and when caught, whine "I'm sorrrrry!" and roll their eyes. :rolleyes: From what I have read, they seem to think that the primary problem is that they got caught, not that they committed a violent and vicious crime.

They will have a huge dose of reality when they wind up in court in front of a judge and when their colleges rescind their acceptances.

The younger of my two SILs is one of those former hippies who thought that buying beer for her teenaged kids made her a "good parent". After all, the kids were at home, and they LOVED her for it and being a teen's buddy is every bit as good as being a parent, right?

Her brother (my husband) and I both told her to her face she has shit for brains for even considering supplying booze for a teen party and we wouldn't be caught dead in the same state while she was doing it.

Ever since this episode where parents are being investigated, she's come around to our way of thinking. She's got the driest house in Winnetka now. Thankfully, she learned her lesson from someone else's disaster and we pray every day she remembers it.

Regarding people being hesitant to turn parents in, presumably because of their money or social status--the bigger they are, the harder they deserve to fall if they are that stupid. Don't get me started on snotty nouveau (or even old-money) rich folks who think they're above the law. I LOVE watching people like that get the Flying Foot of Karma right in their fat asses! What better lesson to the rest of the world that actions have consequences: you commit a crime, you do the time.

Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

Amen to that Cream.

"What? You mean we're going to be held RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR ACTIONS!? You can't do that! We can't be punished just for having some fun, can we? We're in high school, we're not adults yet!" (conveniently forgetting the fact they are 18) :rolleyes:

Sure sucks when reality breaks down all the barriers, doesn't it?

Wow...the accused hazers' snotty attitudes are just appalling! In a sense, I can understand their attitudes. I would probably be extremely defensive if I had something so heinous to attempt to defend. Maybe because I can identify (and have grown out of) that stage is the reason why I'm so disgusted.

What in God's name is the excuse for the parents? No wonder these kids are sociopaths.

I do not feel sorry for these kids at all. They should be prosecuted with the fullest extent of the law. So they don't get to go to as good of college...big deal. That's life. Actions have consequences and ignorance is not a good defense. Maybe when someone (obviously not their parents) show them the error of their ways they will grow up and learn that you *cannot* behave like that.

Maybe i should have posted a little clearer....they're not "old money" or with a lot of political power or anything. The kids are well liked, I'd assume the parents are all friends. Since a lot of parents have that mentality of "if they drink in my basement, they're safe" I'm sure it was probably hard for some of the parents to turn their friend in.

Finally, in response to all the issues over Holz filing a lawsuit...from a legal standpoint I think they do have a case. NOT defending her, just hear me out.
For the school to expel her, they're saying that the school can punish kids off of school property. Following this logic, the school could penalize kids for speeding tickets, etc....and I don't think anyone would let that happen. So why is this different? I totally see expelling them since it would be hard for the juniors to face them in school, all I'm saying is that from a strictly legal standpoint I'd be interested to hear why they can do it.
As far as what she and the others did, how would you not accept the deal??? You're getting your GRADES FREEZED and you're graduating on time.....basically like a 10 day vacation. I know she's filing on a matter of principle "see above" but still.....sounds too good to pass up.

The University of Illinois can kick students out for crimes, and I imagine that if a public university can, most others can as well. No, they are not going to suspend me for a speeding ticket, but anything violent, as well as some drug/alcohol related offenses will go before the disciplinary board.

I completely agree. The University of Iowa has a Student Code of Conduct - even matters that happen outside the University fall under the code; criminal charges most certainly would apply.

Some of yo umay or may not have heard, Iowa was recently sending letters home to parents of minors caught with alcohol under the legal age at Iowa City bars. These are 18, 19, 20 year old students being punished by the university (in a sense) for activity that went on off school property. Students challenged it - but the letters were completely legal.

If the activity breaches the student code of conduct and interferes with school activity - it was punishable.

If they can do it at a college level - no doubt they can do it at a public high school.

I know at Milwaukee students can be held accountable by the university for some criminal charges that happen off campus. Some offenses (DUI, Drug possession) will even bar you from receiving certain/all types of financial aid.

My experience is that the Glenbrooks don't take on a legal fight that they don't think they can win. IMHO, they held off taking action the first week this came out, not because they didn't think they had jurisdiction, but because they weren't sure the taxpayers would stomach the costs of the lawsuits that would follow. At some point the public outrage made it more costly not to pursue their options. So far, the district has prevailed in every decision in court.

I definately agree with that! A speeding ticket and acts of violence are *a little* bit in different fields...

high school hazing
 

i dont understand why there is not a NO HAZING policy in high schools...i can remember we had a certain "club" in high school...juniorettes which was basically like a high school sorority except it was considered a community service club...anyways you had to try out and go through a week basically of hell week. and the school allowed it. dont get me wrong, i had a blast doin it because i was with all my friends...but they made you dress different each day, like a mis match day, dress like a cartoon character or somethin, etc...and then on the weekend you went to this picnic thing which was the last day of tryouts and i remember being covered in like mustard, ketchup, whip cream, etc by the girls already in JR and then they made us all run into a freezing cold lake screaming like we were on fire. like i said it was sooooooo much fun to me, because i was with my friends and what better to do right? hehe...but wow i was soooooo scared coming into college hearing all the "horror stories" about hell week and i was like wow high school was bad enough i wonder how bad college will be...when in REALITY DG has a no hazing policy and nothing happened :-) but its like okay the school letssssss people do this on campus and thats just high school!

Re: high school hazing
 

If your state has a non-hazing policy, that also applies to all the high schools in the state. If the high school has knowledge of these events and someone decided to sue, they would be in deep trouble.

wow...thanks for the knowledge :) no one has seriously been "hurt" that i know of...so until then i doubt anyone would actually sue the high school. and to me...it was all in good fun. but the whole tryout thing was basically a popularity contest and sometimes i wonder how the ones feel that went through it and didnt make it...and had to go through the humiliation. the only reason it was fun to me was because i was with a huge group of friends that were doing it at the same time...and i got in...so to me it was worth it. but i still think there is a hugeeeeee issue with hazing in high schools...sometimes worse than i see in college.