High school hazing injures 5 girls
MSNBC staff and wire reports
A "powderpuff" touch football game that was an annual hazing tradition at a suburban Chicago high school turned into a muddy brawl that left five teen-age girls injured, authorities said.
OFFICIALS AT GLENBROOK North High School and police were reviewing videotapes and photographs of the incident on Sunday in an effort to identify participants. Police indicated criminal charges could be filed.
Officials at the 2,100-student high school told the Chicago Tribune that the fracas occurred off campus, during what they said was an annual hazing ritual in which seniors would square off with juniors -- all of them female students -- for a touch football game.
The younger girls, who were charged $35 to $40 apiece and provided with jerseys, said they were expecting some form of mild hazing during the contest, but instead were hit and spattered with pig intestines, fish guts, blood and smelly trash, four girls who said they attended the game told the Tribune, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"It was supposed to be a friendly initiation into our senior year," one 17-year-old told the newspaper, saying she required stitches after being "hit over the head with a bat or a bucket."
School Superintendent Dave Hales also told the newspaper that one report said "human excrement" also was thrown at the juniors. Principal Michael Riggle said that alcohol contributed to the violence.
In addition to the girl who required stitches, one girl suffered a broken ankle in the incident. Three others were treated for bumps and bruises, school officials said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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