The Teton County Prosecuting office is considering filing charges against three students at Teton High School stemming from a hazing incident in December.

Prosecuting Attorney Kathy Spitzer said this week that three students who are members of the wrestling team may face misdemeanor and felony charges stemming from an incident that found two students, one a victim of the alleged hazing, the other a witness, quitting the team in light of the alleged bullying.

An incident report filed with the Teton County Sheriff’s Department reports that the witness to the hazing saw two students, both juveniles, hold the victim down while the third student, an 18-year-old,  “teabagged” the victim. “Teabagging” is a slang term used when one male subject puts his scrotum on another’s face. The students allegedly responsible for the hazing admitted in the incident report that while the students held down the victim and “farted” in their face, everyone had their clothes on. In the report the victim also said that the alleged assailant told, “him not to worry, that the other freshman will get theirs too.”

The victim reported to the sheriff’s department that he had gone into the locker room after practice and that several students held him down and one person put their “balls in his face.” The victim also stated in the report that he heard this had happened to another teammates earlier in practice.

The father of the student that witnessed the hazing said that although he has not read the sheriff’s report, he is standing by his son’s claims and is disappointed by school administrators’ reaction and the subsequent punishment levied on the students involved.

“I’m not satisfied and an apology does not cut it,” the father, whose name is being withheld to protect his minor son, said. “That’s what I firmly believe. The punishment did not fit the crime.”

The party involved in the alleged hazing also said in the sheriff’s report that hazing is a common practice and that he too had gone through hazing practices as a freshman.

The three students involved with the hazing were suspended from five wrestling matches according to high school wrestling coach Peter Schumacher. Two were issued an out-of-school suspension while the third was issued an in-school suspension. All three were made to apologize to the victim and their parents Schumacher said, adding that he also required the students to apologize to the wrestling team.  

“The bigger picture is why are these kids being treated so lightly?” said Spitzer. “Are we putting sports ahead of safety?” She added, “When made a requirement to apologize, does sorry mean anything?”

Teton School District Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme said the school immediately proceeded to investigate the incident the day after the witness made his claims.

“This is an unfortunate incident and I’m saddened that it occurred,” Woolstenhulme said.

Woolstenhulme said he, along with other school officials including high school principal Chad Williams, wrestling head coach Peter Schumacher and athletic director Brody Birch, talked with all the athletes involved. Based on their investigation and following procedures as outlined in the school’s policy manual, as well as gathering feedback from other districts as to how to handle this type of situation, he felt confident that the administration made the right decision.

Schumacher, the head coach for the last two years, said he has a “no tolerance” policy when it comes to hazing. He said he is aware that hazing does go on and makes it a point to address hazing issues at the beginning of the season.

“I’m totally opposed to all hazing,” Schumacher said. “I’m there to wrestle and to teach wrestling. The hazing process is not in my vocabulary. It’s unfortunate things do happen.”

School Board Chairman Doug Petersen confirmed that Woolstenhulme had been in close contact with the board of trustees and, collectively, board members choose to support the administrations action in this case.

The father of the witness said he has written to the school board and has not appealed the administration’s decision, an option he was unaware he had until this week. If the victim or witness in this case chooses to appeal the school’s punishment, the school board has greater leeway to be involved with the subsequent punishment.

High School principal Chad Williams said, “We tried to get all the facts and tried to use our best judgment. We touched base with everyone involved.”

He said in light of this incident and the school’s punishment he welcomed the prosecuting attorney’s involvement.

In the meantime, Spitzer had asked Martha Doyle to take the school’s temperature on restorative justice measures. Doyle, a Teton Valley resident who works with Teton Youth and Family Services in Jackson specializes in restorative justice practices, a method of resolution that helps keep students out of the penal system and focuses on resolutions involving members of all those involved in incidents such as this.

Spitzer was looking to Doyle for assistance in this case, hoping that restorative justice practices could be applied to this situation. Doyle said she had a positive response from the school district but at this time no further measures were being taken to apply the practice.

Both Woolstenhulme and Williams said they were open to other methods of resolution that were more proactive rather than reactive in nature.

Schumacher said he has encouraged both students who quit the team to return. He also said he felt the punishment fit the crime.

“I think, hopefully, the lesson is learned. To prosecute is over the top and I don’t think it’s necessary,” Schumacher said.