The suburban Philadelphia high school football team dreamed up 'No Gay Thursdays' three or four years ago and, on that day, behavior typically considered “gay” is considered “not gay” on Thursdays, says Hogan.
According to the prosecutor, the tradition involves older players coming up behind their younger peers and placing their genitals atop their heads, as well as other lewd acts. Older players would come up behind younger players and put their genitals atop the younger players’ heads, among other sexually explicit or suggestive acts, the prosecutor said. He also revealed the players have a tradition called “blessing each other,” which entails a student spreading his hand wide and then smacking another player’s backside with enough strength to leave a mark.
But on October 15, 2016 things took a turn for the worse. Three 17-year-old students at Conestoga High School held down a 14-year-old boy on Oct. 15 and penetrated him with the broom handle while he screamed, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said.
>“It just happened to be a perfect storm of this ‘No Gay Thursday’ tradition and them not liking this freshman and taking it out on him in a pretty horrible way,”
He says the assault occurred after underclassmen were told to strip to their underwear and clean the team locker room. The 14-year-old stripped to his boxers, but when he decided he wanted no further part of it, he was attacked.
The suspects were charged as juveniles with assault, conspiracy, unlawful restraint, terroristic threats and other offenses. They will not face sexual assault charges because the law requires a motive of sexual gratification, which was not the case here, Hogan said. While hazing is considered a crime in Pennsylvania, it’s only considered a crime in colleges — not high schools.
The football coach John Vogan was promptly suspended from all duties once charges were announced.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pennsylvania-high-school-football-players-sexual-assault-freshman-locker-room/
http://archive.is/uFhHS