Suspended De La Salle students sue school, claim bias, blackmail and defamation

By Jameson Cook


Three De La Salle Collegiate students suspended during a football hazing investigation accuse the school of discriminating against them based on their race, tried to blackmail them and conspired to spread false information, according to media reports.

On their websites, WDIV-TV (Channel 4, ClickonDetroit.com) and WJBK-TV (Channel 62, fox2Detroit.com) report the students at the all-male parochial school in Warren – two black and one Hispanic – on Monday filed a lawsuit in Macomb County Circuit Court related to an alleged hazing incident that prompted school officials to forfeit its first-round playoff football game in November.

The students -- one 18-year-old who was 17 at the time of the incident and two 16-year-olds -- are the subject of potential charges being considered by St. Clair County Prosecutor Mike Wendling after Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith recused his office due to a potential conflict of interest because of a connection of an assistant prosecutor to the team.

Authorities have said the victim in the case is not cooperating with law enforcement.

The incident allegedly occurred Oct. 19 at a team dinner in a school locker room with one player being sexually taunted with a broomstick. Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said there was no sexual penetration involved in the hazing. Numerous people familiar with the situation have said the incident involved a clothed player being forced or held face down on the ground while being poked with broomsticks by other players.

Read more: https://www.macombdaily.com/news/copscourts/suspended-de-la-salle-students-sue-school-claim-bias-blackmail/article_3dbcc024-2029-11ea-9a81-578aef6be366.html