Lake Zurich residents slam school board over handling of football hazing incident

"This situation is about an administration who absolutely failed the football team and the entire community that it serves," Kerry Hughes said at a District 95 school board meeting on Wednesday night, according to a video of the meeting produced by the Daily Herald. "The administration's response to this matter lacks sound judgement and integrity...It sends conflicting messages and it sets a dangerous precedent and it's absolutely unacceptable." Hughes also said the school should have canceled the game following the incident if there was strong evidence of wrongdoing.

Lake Zurich police are still investigating an incident that occurred in a Lake Zurich High School locker room on November 3. The district placed the head coach and assistant coach of the football team on administrative leave. The family of one player has retained a lawyer who recently won a case for victims of hazing at Maine West High School in Des Plaines.

"To put the words 'inappropriate behavior and 'hazing' in the same document was irresponsible of the district, said Andrea Perrin, a parent of a football player. Members of the team and their parents were required to sign a form mandating anti-hazing training. Perrin said forcing players to sign the form was tantamount to finding them guilty without allowing them to make a statement.

"I assure you that both as your board president and as the parent of two students at this high school, we are going to get to the bottom of this, we are going to fix this," Doug Goldberg, District 95 board president, said.